In the article “Power plant groundbreaking gives pause” on the front page of TGI Nov. 13, staff writer Paul C. Curtis needs a few more facts to reveal the whole picture of the situation regarding this power plant, and the
In the article “Power plant groundbreaking gives pause” on the front page of
TGI Nov. 13, staff writer Paul C. Curtis needs a few more facts to reveal the
whole picture of the situation regarding this power plant, and the public
hearing held by the clean air branch of the state Department of Health.
In
the article, Curtis writes Denny Polosky, general manager of Kauai Electric,
says the incense used during the groundbreaking ceremony “creates more
emissions than the power plant will.”
That’s a lie. This proposed power
plant will emit about 400,000 pounds of sulfur dioxide per year. An incense
stick burning for a year definitely won’t release that much sulfur or just as
much in carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, nitrogen oxides,
particulate matter, etc. A lot of this pollution will be breathed by you and
fall onto our land and streams.
Kaua’i Power Partners plans to burn .4
percent sulfur diesel fuel (this is some of the cheapest junk and polluting
fuel you can get) mixed with naphtha fuel, to just be within the Environmental
Protection Agency limits. I’ve talked to several people who feel ill whenever
they spent time by Salt Ponds, including breathing difficulties the next day.
This pollution stuff is real.
Now, this power plant could burn clean fuel
like ethanol, which has no emission. An ethanol plant is being built on Kaua’i
next year, and will be in production nearly at the same time as the proposed
diesel power plant will come on line. However, when asked at the recent CAB
hearing whether they might use cleaner fuels (ethanol, or low sulfur diesel),
they responded negatively. Note that using cleaner fuels in this power plant
would raise the end cost by about 2 or 3 cents per kWh (by my calculation) and
reduce pollution by 75 percent or better.
A few facts about sulfur
pollution. I did a quick search on the Internet and found dozens of articles
relating sulfur to disease and illness. In one long-term study, released
earlier this year, the EPA found a strong link between diesel fuel sulfur
emissions and cancer, and has proposed new EPA standards for vehicle fuel
sulfur, dropping from 500 parts per million to 15 ppm to eliminate excessive
cancer risks. What this power plant will burn is an average of 2,000 ppm.
Another study by the University of Southern California, just released last
month, found children with long-term exposure to air pollution had decreased
lung function growth, and a much higher rate of respiratory problems as adults.
Hanamaulu has a large incidence of asthma; in April of this year, 14 percent of
children at King Kaumualii School were found to have asthma. Do you feel that
perhaps the compound effect of more sulfur pollution is an unreasonable
risk?
Curtis, in his article, points out that developers claim that the
“prevailing tradewinds at the site are expected to push most emissions toward
the mountains, away from populated areas.” They don’t know that for sure,
because they never did a full air-wind study, as required by law for the
environmental impact statement (EIS). They did such studies for the potential
Puhi site and airport site, but not the Hanamaulu site; yet they managed to
convince CAB to accept the data without complying with the EIS law.
I
know somebody who lives right by the field 390 site, and he says the wind
doesn’t blow like that all the time. Does anyone know for sure what the winds
are and that the risk to the public, children and elderly of Hanamaulu,
hospital, retirement home, etc. has been confidently minimized? The fact is
they don’t really know, and it would be fair to conduct the proper study.
The article points out that the state Department of Health “has granted the
project a draft air-quality permit” within a context that CAB thinks this is
all safe and a done deal. Not true. CAB is reconsidering many facets about the
permit. It needs public input to ensure that everything has been considered
properly, with respect to air quality, EPA standards and minimizing
environmental and health risks to the public.
I can tell you that they
are considering requesting a legal air-wind study. Paul Curtis obviously
doesn’t know anything that went on at the public hearing, and all the evidence
and concerns about this proposal. It seems he’s taking a direct feed from KE’s
public relations department, with their side of the story, and streaming it
through the paper as a well-researched article.
A lot of support for this
power plant (as opposed to the alternatives) comes from three main
arguments—low cost, reliability and the need for more electricity (especially
in the wake of the potential Lihue Plantation power plant shutdown).
Although this plant is a more efficient conventional power plant and uses
less fuel, and hence perhaps low-cost electricity due to the high cost of
build-up, it’s very likely that KE will apply, at the Public Utilities
Commission, for a substantial rate hike as the plant comes online, for cost
recovery.
Additionally, in it’s initial analysis and decision to go for
this type of plant, KE assumed that oil prices would remain low (I think about
$20 per barrel or less) and oil price escalation (inflation) would also remain
low (I think their model assumes 5 percent per year). This year alone, oil
prices went over $35 a barrel.
About a month ago, Bill Cowern of Kaua’i
placed a letter to the editor about the truth on the world oil supply. He has a
great deal of research, most of it from the oil journals and renowned oil
geologists who work for the big oil companies, who are all in consensus that
the “cheap oil” (easily extracted and refined) will end four to 10 years from
now, and oil prices will then rise to two or three times as much. So much for
low cost. And this also defeats the whole reliability/security argument.
As for the potential energy shortage due to the Lihu’e Plantation shutdown,
there is a wind-farm electric plant being built on Kaua’i, which is capable of
producing 10MW to 15MW. The Lihu’e plant has a capacity of 13MW. KE, however,
doesn’t want to contract more than 5MW from the wind farm, which I presume
keeps the Lihu’e Plantation shutdown scare alive, in favor of public support
for the proposed diesel plant.
In the TGI article, KE claims “it
didn’t have time to develop an alternative-energy substitute for fuel-burning
turbine KPP is prepared to install.” Another lie. They could use the same
permits right now and contract with Ballard Industries or FuelCell Energy Corp.
for whatever size fuelcell electric plant they want.
Ballard, on its Web
site, is marketing plans for 10MW fuel cell plants (KPP could get 2 of those).
Fuel cells generate electricity passively and are about 50 percent more
efficient than conventional electric plants (comparably if using the same
fuel). Fuel cells can run on petroleum fuels, or pure hydrogen. It might take
even less time to install one of these plants than the plant they’re currently
planning to build.
This is where the potential for lower electric costs
really lies. Plus it’s better for the environment and the public health. And
the beauty of it is, as we move into a hydrogen economy and we generate
hydrogen right here on Kaua’i, we’ll then be self-reliant and keeping all that
imported fuel money right here, not to mention jobs. (U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka is
working on a hydrogen bill of $250 million for accelerated hydrogen research
and development. Within years from now, we will be producing large supplies for
hydrogen on Kaua’i.)
These are real solutions for our long term
economy—low-cost, reliable and secure energy, and self-sustainability.
KE is becoming known for the large funds it employs to defeat environmental
causes, and it’s public relation promotions. The whole “groundbreaking
ceremony” they held was just that, and TGI is just another pond being used to
help create a favorable image for KE and sway public opinion in favor of this
monstrosity of a plant. At a time when the Department of Health is seeking
citizen’s concerns about air quality, environment, health risks, KE is pulling
off a PR job to distract the process.
There’s two tracks you can choose
to be on—the one where big powerful organizations misdirect and control you
with false lures of low-costs and security, or the one where you’re dedicated
to the truth and the optimum for the environment, health and economy of Kaua’i.
It’s your life, your community and your island. You own it, and you act on
what you feel is right.
Victor Cloutier is a Kapa’a resident.
