SUMMARY:
1. HuHonua is under-estimating the traffic they will generate.
2. The resulting truck weight on our bridges poses a dangerous situation.
At the 7-9-08 Pepeekeo community meeting, HuHonua stated that 225,000 bbl of oil will be replaced annually with their operation (this is a 24 MW plant). They say that 1 bbl oil equals 1 ton of biomass. They will bring trucks 5 days/week, 260 workddays per year. So in order to save 865 bbl oil per day, they must burn 865 tons of biomass per day (225,000 tons divided by 260 workdays).
They say 2-3 trucks per HOUR will be needed to haul this biomass to meet their target, that's 16-24 trucks per day. So, in order to save 865 bbl oil per day, 16-24 trucks need to carry 865 tons of biomass per day. Then each truck needs to haul 36-54 tons of biomass on each trip.
The federal highway weight limits the overall gross weight of a loaded tandem axle truck trailer to 34 tons on bridges. So, the number of trucks must be 3 or more per hour and not less than 3 per hour, otherwise the federal highway weight limit will be exceeded.
However, the county of Hawaii says our bridges either "accommodate regulation size vehicles included most truck-trailers" or "accommodates all regulation size vehicles up to 6 tons". HuHonua has provided any certification that their trucks will follow the legal limits.
Hawaii County Bridges, part 1
County Bridges, part 2
Federal Bridge Weight Limits
federal truck weights on highways and bridges
national bridge database
We are concerned citizens who endorse sustainable energy goals, but not at the expense of the health of our children, not at the expense of our agricultural industries, and not at the expense of more pollution to our island. Pepeekeo residents reside within 1.7 miles from the plant, and this poses a significant health risk from pollutants, creates a nuisance from noise, and a safety issue from excessive traffic.
Jul 11, 2008
Upcoming Meetings
- HuHonua, 8/13/08
- Jay Ignacio, Helco 8/14/08
- Tues 8/5/08 7pm Susan's
- Mayor Kim Thurs 7/31/2008 1:30 pm
- Wed 7/16/08 7pm Susan's
About Me
- Elaine
- Local environmental activist.
Honoring HCPC Workers
- 1889-1946 Plantation Archives
- 2000 Baptista, Former HCPC Employee
- 2001 De Coito, Retired Heavy-Equip Operator
- 2001 Hasegawa, Ret Service Truck Driver HCPC
- 2001 Hiramoto, Ret Laborer HCPC
- 2001 Salas, Cane Truck Driver HCPC
- 2002 Barlongo, Ret Tractor Operator HCPC
- 2002 Cambra - Former Heavy Equip Operator
- 2002 Carvalho, Retired HCPC Truck Driver
- 2002 Fujii, Ret Garage Supervisor HCPC
- 2002 Fujitake, Ret Land Containment Emp HCPC
- 2002 Matsuoka, Ret Mechanic HCPC
- 2002 Panem - Former Crane Operator
- 2002 Sakuda, Ret Cane Truck Driver HCPC
- 2002 Santiago, Ret Cane Truck Driver HCPC
- 2002 Tsujii - Ret Boiler Room Crew Chief HCPC
- 2002 Tsunoda, Former Harvesting Supervisor
- 2003 Alicuben - Former Power Mower Operator
- 2003 Deriza, Ret Heavy Equip Operator HCPC
- 2003 Inaba, Ret Electrician HCPC
- 2003 Jose, Ret HCPC Employee
- 2003 Kawakami, Ret Flume Foreman HCPC
- 2003 Lyons, Ret Harvesting Supervisor HCPC
- 2003 Namauu, Former Heavy Equip Operator HCPC
- 2003 Paiva, Ret Construction Supervisor HCPC
- 2003 Tavares, Former HCPC Employee
- 2004 Adviento, Retired HCPC Employee
- 2004 Cabasa, Ret HCPC Crane Operator
- 2004 Carvalho, Ret HCPC Truck Control Coordinator
- 2004 DeMello, Ret Scale Clerk HCPC
- 2004 Raymond, Former HCPC Shift Superintendent
- 2005 Acoba, Retired Plant Electrician
- 2005 Collins, Former HCPC Cane Truck Driver
- 2005 Company Hopes to Restart Plant
- 2005 Kubo, Ret HCPC Garage Warehouse Supervisor
- 2005 Lapenia - HCPC Former Whse Clerk
- 2005 Murai, Ret. Factory Supervisor
- 2005 Sakuma - Ret. Millworker HCPC
- 2005 Shin - Former HCPC Truck Driver
- 2005 Vierra - Forrmer HCPC Cane Truck Driver
- 2006 Amaral - Retired Heavy Equipment Operator
- 2006 Koyanagi, Ret Mill Worker HCPC
- 2006 Navidad, Ret HCPC Mill Crew Chief Operator
- 2006 Oyama, Ret HCPC Employee
- 2006 Shimasaki, Ret HCPC Truck Driver
- 2006 Shishido, Ret HCPC Employee
- 2006 Sison, Ret HCPC Mechanic
- 2007 Camero Ret HCPC Mechanic Supervisor
- 2007 Maja, Ret HCPC Employee
- 2007 Okaji, Ret Cane Truck Driver HCPC
- 2007 Quiocho, Retired HCPC Employee
- 2008 Austria - Former Heavy Equipment Operator
- 2008 Forbes, Ret Harvesting Superintendent HCPC
- 2008 Hiura, Ret HCPC Employee
- 2008 Pacheco - Former HCPC Welder
5 comments:
Have they mentioned anything about road improvements? If there are really 3 trucks an hour, Sugar Mill road will be in worse shape than it already is. Are there any statues about if they improve the road they will need to bring it up to "code"?
Sugar Mill Road is a private road, maintained by the area property owners. Hu Honua has a legal right to use the road, and a legal obligation to help maintain it. IF we wanted to turn the road over to the county, we would have to bring it up to code.
Steve Meek says that cane trucks handle 45-60 tons each and are currently used in the Maui plant. So no impact on this issue.
Steve Meek says that cane trucks handle 45-60 tons each and are currently used in the Maui plant. So no impact on this issue.
With all regards to Steve, I have trouble believing that trucks can carry 90,000 to 120,000 pounds at a time. Those #'s are in line with heavy load railroad cars (like lumber, gravel etc) but not trucks. I put a call into my friend who owns a major trucking company in West Hawaii. 15 tons for a double axle dump truck and 30 tons for a trailered truck is the max. He said that they only carry 30 tons if the slope is not too steep. The only product that will fit in the trucks and approach those weights are base coarse, which is very dense. I have no info on the weight of wood chips but they have to be lighter than rock, even if they are very wet. Last I checked, rocks sink in water, thus, per volume they are heavier/denser. Additionally, on the subject of barrels of oil saved, according to Hu Honus stats: (225k barrels saved and 225k tons of chips used annually)That means 1 ton of chips equals the same stored energy as a barrel of oil. This seems suspect to me. It seems more reasonable that they will offset 80k-90k barrels based on the Maui plants specs on barrels of oils saved per megawatt. The next step is to find out how much cubic volume 1 ton of wood chips is. Aloha
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