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dBA at all times; upon cross-examination regarding sound mitigation, then -president of Hu
<br />Honua, Richard McQuain, testified that Hu Honua would come up with mitigation measures that
<br />are necessary so that Hu Honua can operate at no more than 55 dBA at the property boundary.
<br />Additionally, four of the five contested case hearing excerpts listed in the Planning Department's
<br />background report, support our proposition that the 55 dBA limit relates to plant operations. The
<br />last excerpt is neutral on the issue.
<br />As a practical matter, it'll be very nearly impossible for Hu Honua, or anyone else, to construct
<br />an industrial power plant of this size and magnitude on an Industrial zoned property, requiring
<br />the use of heavy construction equipment without going above the 55 dBA.
<br />Hu Honua agreed to implement mitigation measures so that it could operate the plant at no more
<br />than 55 dBA, such as acoustic paneling in the buildings, landscaping noise buffers, and other
<br />sound reduction methods. It did not voluntarily agree to mitigate noise levels down to 55 dBA
<br />during construction, as this would have been a very near impossibility.
<br />Sound levels and noise related to construction activity are already regulated by the Department
<br />of Health, and Hu Honua is committed to complying with DOH regulations during construction.
<br />Therefore, Hu Honua respectfully requests that the Windward Planning Commission clarify the
<br />applicability of Condition No. 5 and confirm that such condition does not apply during pre-
<br />operation construction activity.
<br />On our second request on the petition, the 55 dBA limitation for normal plant operations only,
<br />when Hu Honua voluntarily agreed to a permit condition that limits noise at the site property
<br />boundary to 55 dBA at all times during plant operations, it intended this to mean during normal
<br />operations. The plant is designed to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, but as with most
<br />energy plants, there are certain emergency or non -normal situations that may require limited
<br />durations of above normal noise. Such non -normal noise situations will account for less,
<br />significantly less than one percent of the total duration of plant operations.
<br />For example, and I'll just list a few based on, you know, my experience, should the Hawaii
<br />Electric Light Company experience a grid problem, they may necessit may necessitate Hu
<br />Honua cutting off electricity load rapidly or shutting down the plant. Now, this is a plant that
<br />operates at high pressure, the boiler, it creates steam to turn a turbine. So, anytime you have an
<br />emergency situation, the steam turbine or the boiler has to protect itself, and there are safety
<br />measures. So, this possibly could lead, this will lead to an exceedance of the 55 dBA. HELLO,
<br />Hawaii Electric Light Company, who controls the grid, needing to open Hu Honua's breaker,
<br />electrical breaker, power breaker, which will trip the turbine and require a restart. Unexpected
<br />turbine trips could also happen above, which would result in perhaps above -normal noise
<br />resulting from lifting of safety valves on the boiler to protect the boiler.
<br />Maintenance causing startup of the turbine and hogging jet. This unit, although it's designated to
<br />run 24/7, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, needs maintenance. So at some time, there is a
<br />normal maintenance period once a year, usually for one week or two weeks depending on the
<br />cycle, that unit needs to be shut down, and then the unit needs to be restarted from cold after a
<br />EXHIBIT D
<br />5
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