Last night at Art's Alive was crazy with people. I hand billed my literature for Harbor Commissioner and was able to get sign placements and support from the hundreds I encountered. Lot's of people from out of town wandering also. Probably from the Blues by the Bay.
I heard some rumors about the Pulp Mill starting in the near future. I went out to the office and rung the bell at the desk, but no one came down, so I have nothing but rumor to report.
Mad River softball is winding down their playoffs. Pretty smooth season with some great competitive ball. Fall softball starts in a few weeks! Oh, and Basketball in October.
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Oh yeah....I wonder where they will get their chips? It would be nice if people like you quit spreading these false rumors and getting everyones hopes up. The mill doesn't even have an NPEDS permit anymore. Did anyone notice that the Fairhaven Power plant is down? It has been down for about 3 days yet it doesn't appear that any maintenance has been going on there. I wonder if that polluting dinosaur will go the way of the pulp mill?
Oh yeah....I wonder where they will get their chips? It would be nice if people like you quit spreading these false rumors and getting everyones hopes up. The mill doesn't even have an NPEDS permit anymore. Did anyone notice that the Fairhaven Power plant is down? It has been down for about 3 days yet it doesn't appear that any maintenance has been going on there. I wonder if that polluting dinosaur will go the way of the pulp mill?
I have heard rumors and went to the mill to verify. No one answered. But I have heard from many in the community. Sorry I put out what I have heard.
Hi Richard,
Thank you for not spreading false rumors. Here is the current status.
We are soliciting bids for the pulp mill. Several groups were in last week.
I continue working on financing the operation. Unbleached pulp took a large jump in price. We looked at producing unbleached for a period of two years. This would allow us to preserve the mill, continue searching for funding for the tissue conversion, and preserve the mill. The softwood chip supply within our region is inadequate to run the mill. At present, we could run the mill about 8 months per year. In addition, any fall in the price of pulp would make SPI Anderson chips unaffordable. If we expand the supply region to Lincoln or Roseburg, we lose money. Our financial forecast further supports the switch to tissue production because we can consume hardwood.
Last week, Larry Oetker from the City of Arcata fowarded an email he received from the State Economic Development Group. They were seeking all State projects seeking Capital of $200 million or greater. The deadline for filing was last Friday. We met their deadline. The State will advertise these projects as part of an invest in California Project to Internation and Domestic Investment Funds. While there are no guarantees, it will put us in front of groups that we would not otherwise find.
We have removed the password requirement for our website financials. All of our financial projections can now be viewed.
I am grateful for the support we are receiving from the labor unions. As you know, the AWPPW (Portland) and Carpenters Union have been assisting me in search for funding. Last Monday, representatives of the Electricians and the Sacramento AFL-CIO director came out to meet us. They are now working through their lobbyists to push our effort.
FYI, the Department of Interior, through the County Farm Bureau offices, put a program in place called BCAP. It pays power companies $45 per bone dry ton for the consumption of forest fuel. Fairhaven Power is a qualified facility. In short, our Federal Government has subsidized Fairhaven Power and it can now compete for chips for a period of two years. As a result, Fairhaven is able to pay more to Green Diamond and California Redwood for wood fiber. We are attempting to find out whether we can qualify the pulp mill for the same program. Afterall, the pulp mill produces its own energy and it burn lignin as well as spent chemical.
Regards,
Bob Simpson
Thanks for the update, Bob. There. Now it is not rumor anymore.
ok, so what does this have to do with starting soon and the NPDES permit? It also does not address the lack of availablility of chips. I didn't notice that Fairhaven had any lack of fuel since the seem to have logs everywhere and a sizeable fuel pile. What a load of nonsense.
"We are soliciting bids for the pulp mill"
The only nugget of truth worth mentioning in the whole post.
10:31 was right there is no NPDES permit and an application has not been filed for one. That is a minimum 6 month process if it gets puts on a fast track.
In addition SPI Anderson chips will most likely never be affordable or available once the new 21MW cogen plant at Anderson comes online.
The anonymous comment after my first response might want to read my entire email slowly before responding. Let me try to clarify my position further.
1) There are not enough softwood pulp chips in the normal supply region to manufacture unbleached softwood pulp for more than 8 months per year. In fact, if you discount the chips from Anderson, which are really never intended to be delivered to Samoa, the Samoa mill could only run 6 months per year.
2) Fairhaven Power consumes a fraction of the fiber in comparison to the Samoa mill consumption. In addition, Fairhaven can consume bark.
3) The NPDES permit is the least of my concerns. We previously met with EPA and Water Quality and agreed as to what would be required to put a new permit in place. At present, it makes no sense to waste time to request a new permit.
4) While we are still putting forth effort to finance the tissue mill, we have begun to solicit offers to sell the Samoa mill, or its components. If a legitimate offer is received, the Samoa mill will be sold. Thus far, there are no prospective buyers interested in restarting the Samoa mill.
I hope this clears up any misunderstandings. If not, fire away.
Regards,
Bob Simpson
Please just STOP. Why has not all the Family's of all the Pulp Mill Workers been ask to come to a meeting to help with this? Where are the GOOD OLD BOYS of the world? Put all the BS beside now. PLEASE. WE are all in the same boat now. We are all going to be put off employment and be with out a home for our FAMILY'S., If all of you worked together at the mill, how did you keep it running with fighting. Now I understand why my Husband came home and went to work like he did if this went on at work. When LP owned the Mill we all went to Eureka High School to meetings. We are all strong when we all stand together. My Husband tried to start school to be put off of employment. How much more can all of us take? Mr. Simpson PLEASE call all the workers and there Family's to help. If you give me your e-mail I would love to help you in anyway. Keeping in touch might save a Family that wants to give up. If I
know more of what was going on and the other Family's too it might give us all hope. My Father in his times and all the people he worked with would of been at that door every day till they were all back to work. What ever it takes. Our FATHERS and MOTHERS payed the price for all of the workers to come together. You Men are fighting each other. Stand together like your Fathers and there Fathers. You might think how would she know any thing about this work. I only know if we are all in a boat and water is coming in faster then we can all put it out then we all go down in the boat and drown. Pull together a brother hood their for each other. Where is the fight in any of the workers. Call each other ,help each other, be brothers to help each other and their Family's. Mr. Simpson please let the Family's know what to do and how to help. You can't do this by yourself. Some of the men that worked at the mill know how to use the computer let them help or a job to help. My Husband knows the computer, tweeter, all the new stuff , the I phone or what ever it is called. put him to work for you he needs a job. We are going to loose our home. I just became a grandmother and a other on the way. If I have no home they will have no home . No work out there for our sons. My Husband tried to start school to be put off of envelopment . How can this be. All you Men worked your butts off paid in some much money to get no help in this town. All of the mill workers should of got help with food, medical and a list of help in this town. All the workers put in so much money in this town in taxes. Shame on all the people that think it is funny the Mill is gone. Let them pay the taxs now. I hope you don't make fun of me for trying to write something. I don't think you could live with putting a very good person in a very bad place. Thank You All
Pulp prices took a big jump today check out this site
http://www.paperage.com/foex/pulp.htmle.
Well, from the financials, it looks like Nolan put up $3M to buy the mill from Worthy Pick(aka Lee & Man). It had been on the Lee and Man books for about $25M around the time of the sale.
Nolan's due the $3M and $250,000 interest on Nov. 1. That's about an 11.25% interest rate. He's unlikely to forclose, the place is worth more if it is sold off slowly.
No doubt, Nolan's loan is secured by the mill itself including the equipment and building/land.
It'll be interesting to learn what he will want to turn the site into after the equipment is sold off. At least a warehouse or storage facility to pay the taxes and minimal building maintainance.
No way! According to Simpson, Richard is correct when he says that the mill will reopen soon! He doesn't have to worry about details like an NPDES permit.....that is a waste of time.
Oh yeah.....the mill was secured by a lein that protected the workers and would have helped them with their medical bills since they were screwed by Evergreen. The union, in its infinite wisdom, pulled the lein to let this sale go through and now they have no recourse and the workers got $500 for a chipper. What a great deal!!!!!
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