CUC: Rota incinerator not cost-effective
The Commonwealth Utilities Corp. believes it is not cost-effective to put up a separate incinerator on Rota to dispose of the island’s waste oil, but favors the installation of a smaller capacity incinerator there.
Rota produces about 5,000 gallons of waste oil per year, which CUC legal counsel James Sirok described as minimal.
Comparatively, Saipan produces about 150,000 gallons of waste oil per year.
In CUC’s status report to the U.S. District Court for the NMI, Sirok said that CUC currently ships Rota waste oil to Saipan as the Guam Power Authority no longer accepts waste oil.
Saipan has two waste oil incinerators at CUC power plants 1 and 2 in Lower Base.
Considering that Saipan power plants produce around 150,000 gallons of waste oil per year, Sirok said that Rota’s yearly waste oil volume would just be a small addition to the waste stream on Saipan.
Sirok said that mobilizing contractor GRESCO to load and ship two years’ worth of waste oil will cost CUC approximately $40,000.
Based on CUC’s price quotations in 2014, prices for incinerators range from $136,000 to $340,000, he said.
CUC estimates that an incinerator core has an approximate life span of three years.
Sirok said that based on the 2014 quotations, when considered with the need to replace a core every three years, and further considering the minimal amount of waste oil produced on Rota per year and the current cost to ship this waste to Saipan for incineration, it would not be cost-effective to have a separate incinerator on Rota.
However, Sirok pointed out, CUC believes that having a smaller capacity incinerator on Rota for the island’s disposal of waste oil is “less risky, environmentally sound, and more efficient for CUC.”
Sirok said CUC is willing to take on this obligation and suggests that monies from the Technical Manager for Oil fund can be used for this small incinerator.
Sirok said if the task of purchasing and installing an incinerator on Rota or Saipan is performed through the Engineering and Environmental Management Company, CUC feels that a higher price can be expected.
Gilbane Federal is the court-appointed EEMC that is tasked to oversee several of CUC’s projects.
Sirok said the issue of using the TMO fund for this purpose has not been presented to or discussed with the EEMC, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Department of Justice.
Sirok said CUC may need assistance from the court/EEMC to obtain EPA approval for an incinerator.
U.S. District Court for the NMI designated Judge David Carter ordered CUC to prepare a status report in preparation for a status conference on Feb. 21, 2017. The incinerator was among the issues that Sirok discussed in CUC’s status report.
Carter recently tasked representatives from CUC, EPA, and EEMC to go to Rota and assess the need to install a separate incinerator for the disposal of the island’s waste.
Carter raised at the recent conference his concerns, among other issues, over the separate incinerator for Rota.
The Rota incinerator is among the three principal projects that have been identified for Department of the Interior funding next year according to Bradley R. O’ Brien, U.S. Department of Justice Environmental Enforcement Section senior attorney.
I will try this again since it seems that the first comment “got lost”. This same cost analysis has been done before with the same results.
Years ago an periodically over the years, almost every time something regarding waste oil and other thing in this category within this Govt has come up I have posted on various media about what has been going on for the past about 40+ years.
It is too bad that we have people within this Govt. elected, CUC and other Govt. agencies such as DPW, mayors office, DLNR etc that do not have the capacity along with the capability to progress to the real world.
For so many years all over the world there has been equipment to blend the waste oil and burn it of in the diesels engines of the power plants, heavy equipment, heavy trucks, large and small vessels, heavy equipment, trains etc.
I had many times proposed to this various Govt agencies and to the upper Govt.a simple solution but none have ever wanted to listen only looking at “what’s in it for me” or how much will I get if I push this through.
I have set up such equipment over the years at a few construction yard, one for the Feds on a standby power facility.
Years past in Hawaii I installed some earlier units on heavy trucks, in base yards, on many charter boats, a tugs, heavy equipment etc.
There are many options and sizes. Some of the base yards had thousand of gallons of accumulated waste oils and manged to consume and blend all in their fuel and save 10% in operating costs along with another “refiner units to automatically change engine oils and blend the waste oil back into the system and run it off in their fuel. Up to 10% dilution.
Even the US Military are using such system(s) in the field at various locations. This along with so many container vessels and power plants etc.
This is not rocket science but due to our ignorant uneducated elected and political appointees it is past their grasp and comprehension.
Also there is a cheap add on alternative that “refine” operating engine oil and extend engine oil changes and only have an oil analysis at each scheduled oil change. Oils changes can be extended past 10 times intervals etc.
SOLAR POWER is what the island needs. LETS GO SOLAR!
They are talking about disposing of present and annual accumulation of waste oils from CUC power plants. Also other agencies such as DPW also generate waste oil with a high cost to dispose of it. This along with other companies with equipment.