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Scott. Could you tell me the name of this WTE operation you refer to? Is there a link or someone to contact to get offical data?
Mahalo,
Rob
Assume the best and ask questions.
Punaweb moderator
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When I hear NELHA refered to as an "enviromentally sensitive area", I just think "bull-snicker-doodle"!
The whole area of NELHA and all the infrastructure in the area is MAN MADE.
If someone were to propose the project being built, say, across from Volcanoes Park or Akaka falls? Now thats a "sensitive" area. NELHA is an industrial area designed and built for industry incubation. I'm not trying to shoot down anyones "call to arms" but "keep it real". Points of view are better delivered without all the rehtoric and "the sky is falling, the sky is falling" talk.
My concerns are based in the mechanics of the operation. The first thing that jumps out at me is the "water filter". They plan to filter spent fuel by exhausting it into standing ponds to grow "algae" for bio-fuel.
For all the individuals not familiar with a water filter, imagine that incinerator is a "bong" and the water is the "filter".
What are you gonna do with the "dirty filter" water after it can no longer hold "slag" in suspension? Imagine a football field sized bong that needs to be cleaned and the water dumped? I'm more concerned where they would dump that concentrated "dirty filter water".
If you dont think that Oahu will start shipping barge loads of trash to Kona to feed this machine your naive. Kona is a straight shot from Oahu and if you think WE have a trash problem, imagine whats going on there. So say you need to make money off this project, are you going to say "no" to cash paying customers from Oahu? Does the County of Hawaii have restrictions against importing trash? Make "no importation" of trash a law in the County and watch the rats scramble away from this project.
Several individuals have made the point that the Big Island might not produce enough trash to sustain the operation. I can see it now, "well, were out of trash to burn on the Big Island, lets help Oahu with their trash problem and send a "few" barge loads over to Kona".
Spectemur Agendo
In regards to "mining" trash, The water vapor content in the mined trash would make it a soggy soupy mess. You would have to dry out the "fuel" before it could be incinerated.
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When I refer to NELHA as a environmentally sensitive area, if anything happens to that cold sea water, NELHA is dead in the water.
I'm concerned that this incinerator may impact
this important resource.
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Aloha Braddah Nate,
How sweet it is to hear truth spoken to dirty power.
"Does the County of Hawaii have restrictions against importing trash?"
Hawaii County Code
Section 20-36. Refuse removal business; restrictions.
(d) No person, business, Federal or State agency, religious entity or nonprofit organization shall, at any County solid waste facility, dispose of any rubbish, prohibited materials or refuse which has been brought into the County of Hawai‘i as rubbish, prohibited materials or refuse from outside of the County of Hawai‘i. This subsection shall not apply to refuse generated en route in the ordinary course of business by aircraft or maritime
James Weatherford, Ph.D.
15-1888 Hialoa
Hawaiian Paradise Park
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...btw: the existing restriction on importing (gagh!) rubbish that does exist in the County Code is an issue that Council Members and the Mayor's Administration are aware of and would rather not discuss, because that would mean someone might expect them to take a position, such as, "Would you favor importing rubbish so that we can import less oil?"
James Weatherford, Ph.D.
15-1888 Hialoa
Hawaiian Paradise Park
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...ahem, about that cold sea water...
Not to be too nasty about facts and all that, but check out Hawaii's fastest growing export: bottled desalinated deep sea water from Kona.
Aloha
James Weatherford, Ph.D.
15-1888 Hialoa
Hawaiian Paradise Park
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Rob, here is their website.
http://www.sysenv.com
Scott