• Modified air permits • Dogs weren’t ‘loose’ • Deeper look by the minority • Ferry economics grim Modified air permits I write to clear up any confusion or misunderstandings that may exist and to clearly enunciate the position of
• Modified air permits
• Dogs weren’t ‘loose’
• Deeper look by the minority
• Ferry economics grim
Modified air permits
I write to clear up any confusion or misunderstandings that may exist and to clearly enunciate the position of Pacific West Energy and Gay & Robinson Ag-Energy regarding coal.
As has been publicized we plan to develop a fuel ethanol facility at G&R, as well as convert G&R from a raw sugar producer to essentially an energy producer, manufacturing liquid fuel, ethanol, and to produce primarily green power from the sugar cane bagasse and byproduct vinasse of the ethanol operations.
Many concerned citizens, and organizations like Apollo Kauai have made it very clear that they oppose the use of coal as a primary or supplemental fuel in our project. We were asked to reconsider the use of coal and our board of directors has done this.
Our collective boards of directors have reviewed the coal issue and we have made the decision that coal will not be part of our business model, as either a primary or supplemental fuel for the ethanol plant or power generation.
We have heard the voices of concerned citizens, including our own senior management and directors, and we have concluded that coal has no place in our green energy business.
We have commenced the necessary re-modeling to modify our existing air permit for the ethanol plant to convert to a biomass (bagasse) boiler, and will be informing the relevant regulatory authorities of our intention in this regard. We have asked our engineers to design a non-coal cogeneration facility. Our green power plans will also over time allow us to reduce and hopefully eliminate the field burning of sugar cane, reducing air pollution and with it another environmental grievance.
We have reached what I believe is the correct decision as a business organization. As previously noted, our decision will mean that permit modifications will be necessary, which could cause us project delays and some financial duress. However, it is our hope that the same concerned citizens whose voices we have heard will support us as we go forward with the project and this support will help us overcome the potential delays.
We look forward to a continued dialogue with the citizens of Kaua‘i regarding our project, and affirm our commitment to working cooperatively to achieve the goal of energy self-sufficiency and a sustainable island economy.
William Maloney, president
Pacific West Energy LLC
Dogs weren’t ‘loose’
I am writing in response to the picture and caption published Nov. 9 on page A8 that accompanied the story, “Endangered monk seals also threatened by loose dogs, as are other animals.”
The caption states: “A dog owner lets pets run without caution.”
I am that dog owner and feel my dogs and I were maligned by this photo and caption. As anyone can see, these dogs are not “running” anywhere, they are very sedately moving along the beach away from the seal which had beached after we passed. And due to perspective we are not as close to the seal as it appears. The dog on my right is on “heel” and is under my control. The dog in the middle is not even my dog. The dog on the far left I had let chase a leaf — not a seal, not a shearwater — and had called her back immediately after she lost it in a wave. We are all downwind of the seal and none of us are looking at, approaching or harassing the seal.
In fact, I am the one who found the mother and pup there several weeks ago and phoned it in for its protection. The photographer in question had ample opportunity to get shots of me with my dogs at heel moving as far away from the beach and into the treeline as possible to get around the seal to return to my beach things, though “dog owner with dogs under control giving seal wide berth” isn’t as good. Hence the incriminating shot you published.
And though I may be out of place — this still needs to be said — as I left the beach with my dogs still under control, I looked back to see numerous people taking photo “ops” near that same seal, with one person going as close as 5 to 10 feet to get a good shot by the seal and then passing the camera to the next person to do the same.
Barbara Basham
Koloa
Deeper look by the minority
This one of so many letters on the issues raised by Superferry. Interestingly, I’m not going to make it about Superferry itself, but the prevailing theme and characterization of a “pesky vocal minority” and a “do what’s best for the majority” mindset.
A Classic American Movie of the 1950s, “Twelve Angry Men,” brilliantly displays the importance of a minority viewpoint. Lone Juror No. 8, Henry Fonda, simply does not go along with 11 other jurors who have rushed to judge a defendant, in many ways for personal biases and laziness of looking deeper. The majority 11 want to go home, go to the ball game, etc.In actually looking deeper and taking the time, the opinions are slowly opened and turned in the presence of the openminded, steadfast juror and we find an innocent defendant acquitted. Whereas, the clear majority had once overwhelmingly favored conviction.
The mostly peaceful, yet determined, Superferry protesters are giving the “11 anxious and angry consumers” a true gift for all of us in asking to truly look deeper, to not go along for personal convenience, or be fooled by slick PR and advertising, into the completely new and speedy form of inter-island transportation. Because once the sentence is made it can’t be undone … unless you’re Gov. Linda Lingle … but that’s a different letter.
There is significant value in minority viewpoint, if we can only open to see it, and it takes effort sometimes. Laws and courts are actually meant to protect minority views for the greater good of all. Slowing down Superferry to take that true look under its hood is really warranted.
Please thank the “minority view” for that.
John Cragg
Anahola
Ferry economics grim
Will the Superferry survive ?
In a word “No,” or maybe better said “should not.”
Before I get to that I want to clear up a notion by some that the Superferry is greener than a 717-200 (aircraft). The ASM per gallon of fuel (available seat miles flown per gallon of fuel) on an interisland 717-200 is 30 plus. At least 30 passengers get flown one mile for one gallon of fuel. On the Superferry it’s around 15, so only 15 passengers get moved one mile for one gallon of fuel. Don’t believe me? Do the math.
Arguably diesel is twice as emission harmful (EPA) as jet fuel so the reality is that the Superferry passenger is being four times more damaging to the atmosphere than the Hawaiian Airlines passenger on any given inter-island trip.
As to why the Superferry will not, or should not survive: Simple, HSF won’t make any money. Even HSF’s own published estimated load factors (HSF Web site) indicate that even if they carry 400 passengers and 110 vehicles on each trip on the “Alakai,” they will be losing over $100,000 per week. Two ferries will give them better economy of scale — maybe. I remember traveling on the Boeing inter-island hydrofoil and there were plenty of empty seats. HSF also has major logistics problems, such as vehicle traffic congestion during on/off loading, etc. Also due to all the controversy surrounding the Alakai they have probably lost some of their estimated load factor.
But here is the rub. Why start an operation when your own estimated revenues indicate you will be operating at a loss? This my friends is a very good question. Perhaps the answer lies with Hornblower Marine. They are the people, after all, who are actually operating the Alakai.
Bob Maccallum
Vancouver, British Columbia
