caltransUpdate by Caltrans
August 24, 2021
The large transport vehicles that planned to use various state highways this week to deliver wind turbine blades to the Lompoc area has been postponed and will now take place next week with exact times and dates to be announced when certain.
The transports will leave the Port of Stockton via Interstate 5 and arrive in San Luis Obispo/Santa Barbara Counties using Highway 46 East to southbound US 101, Union Valley Parkway, State Route 135 and Highway 1 during the overnight hours. These trips are expected to occur intermittently over the next three months.
Upon delivery and transfer of these blades onto Blade Lifter Trucks, the transport vehicles will collapse in size and return along the same route to Stockton, originating on Highway 1 and State Route 246 through Lompoc during the morning hours.
These vehicles will be escorted by the California Highway Patrol (CHP). Electronic Message Boards will inform travelers about this project managed by Baywa r.e. of Sacramento, under permit from Caltrans.
For traffic updates on state highways on the Central Coast, travelers may contact Caltrans District 5 Public Affairs at 805-549-3318 or can visit the District 5 website at: https//dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-5
Source: Caltrans
August 21, 2021
Three large transport vehicles will use various state highways next week to deliver wind turbine blades to the Lompoc area beginning Wednesday, August 25.
The transports will leave the Port of Stockton via Interstate 5 on Wednesday, August 25 and arrive in San Luis Obispo/Santa Barbara Counties using Highway 46 East to southbound US 101, Union Valley Parkway, State Route 135 and Highway 1 during the overnight hours. These trips are expected to occur intermittently over the next three months.
Upon delivery and transfer of these blades onto Blade Lifter Trucks, the transport vehicles will collapse in size and return along the same route back to Stockton, originating on Highway 1 and State Route 246 through Lompoc on Thursday, August 26 between 9 am and 4 pm with the preferred time from 9 am to 11 am.
These vehicles will be escorted by the California Highway Patrol (CHP). Electronic Message Boards have will inform travelers about this project which managed by Baywa r.e. of Sacramento, under permit from Caltrans.
For traffic updates on state highways on the Central Coast, travelers may contact Caltrans District 5 Public Affairs at 805-549-3318 or can visit the District 5 website at: https//dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-5
These Kevlar windblades are made from petroleum products- They have a relatively short life span and will constantly need to be changed and serviced…. This will impact drivers and transportation corridors with HUGE tractor trailer rigs that can support the weight and size of these “Green” monstrosities… Our transportation routes will also be severely affected by the up and coming 100’s of oil transport trucks, due to the fact “green environmentalists” refused a static pipeline… Once again ANOTHER failed “Green idea” that we will be forced to live with…
Coast, did you rail when these extra wide highways were built to Lompoc/Vandenberg to haul military paraphernalia? Why are you so angry about environmental progress and attempts to solve the pollution problem that faces earth? Sad. Or are you just paid to be an “influencer” for the moneyed interests of corporate America?
Just another big carbon fantasy concoction from CW.
SACJON
If I could post pictures I would. Several easily found images on google maps showing used Blades and misc. used parts piling up at the edge of the windmill farms. Just take a look at how they are stored and then you can delete your post!!
SAIL – no, you said they were dropped and set next to the “windmills,” not at the edge of the farms. Further, why, as someone else mentioned here, would they “store” used parts all over the land unless it a designated area? You comment earlier today – “Storing equals laying on the ground next to the windmill!!!!” – is just wrong. It’s ok to be wrong. You don’t know everything, despite thinking you do.
Your Right Sacjon
Non recyclable trash isn’t trash if it’s stacked at the edge of a field.
You need to run for public office. I would vote for you
SAIL – yeah, I am a stickler for accuracy in peoples’ claims. Feel free to post links to all those photos of yours!
VOICE – oh come now, just go on Parler or other similar sites and see what they say about anything “green.” People have been hating on “tree huggers” and “enviro Nazis” for decades. You can’t honestly feign “surprise” to hear of people that not just oppose, but really don’t like anyone or anything that has to do with environmental protection.
Go re-watch (or gasp, watch) Ghostbusters. Look how the EPA is portrayed lol!
“There is room for both of us, but I’m betting your ideology gets in the way.” — project much? People like you and CW are here denigrating wind and solar with completely bogus arguments.
Let’s face it. There are too many people on this rock. If someone really wants to help the environment without any repercussions then take a long walk off a short pier. Oil is not the answer in my opinion.
Germany went all in on renewables and only succeeded in spending hundreds of billions to make electricity twice as expensive, and up to 10 times more carbon intensive, that neighboring France, who embraced nuclear. The reason renewals can’t power modern civilization alone is because they weren’t meant to: https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelshellenberger/2019/05/06/the-reason-renewables-cant-power-modern-civilization-is-because-they-were-never-meant-to/
So just going to down vote and not even read the article? This is a balanced, fact based article but okay…. keep those heads in the sand!
Folks – yes, wind and solar are not 100% green, they DO suffer some pollution in the manufacturing and transport, etc…. BUT, to just throw your hands up in the air and say “nope, don’t even try it, we still have to use petroleum products” is just shortsighted. What would you rather have: the same amount of pollution and environmental degradation as we have now with non-renewables, or much less, albeit some, pollution from relying on renewables?
It doesn’t always have to be all or nothing. The tech is there and being developed to produce clean batteries for storage. Don’t just give up all hope because we haven’t gotten there yet. Have a little faith!
From you Wiki link. “As of 2020, most end-of-use blades are stored or sent to landfills rather than recycled”.. Storing equals laying on the ground next to the windmill!!!!
Blades end of use sounds environmentally friendly?
Blade recycling[edit]
The Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) predicted that wind energy will supply 28.5% of global energy by 2030.[51] This requires a newer and larger fleet of more efficient turbines and the corresponding decommissioning of older ones. Based on a European Wind Energy Association study, in 2010 between 110 and 140 kilotons of composites were consumed to manufacture blades.[52] The majority of the blade material ends up as waste, and requires recycling. As of 2020, most end-of-use blades are stored or sent to landfills rather than recycled.[53] Typically, glass-fiber-reinforced-polymers (GFRPs) compose of around 70% of the laminate material in the blade. GFRPs hinder incineration and are not combustible.[54] Therefore, conventional recycling methods is inappropriate. Depending on whether individual fibers can be recovered, GFRP recycling involves:
Mechanical Recycling: This method doesn’t recover individual fibers. Initial processes involve shredding, crushing, or milling. The crushed pieces are then separated into fiber-rich and resin-rich fractions. These fractions are ultimately incorporated into new composites either as fillers or reinforcements.[55]
Chemical Processing/Pyrolysis: Thermal decomposition of the composites recovers individual fibers. For pyrolysis, the material is heated up to 500 °C in an environment without oxygen, thus causing it to break down into lower weight organic substances and gaseous products. The glass fibers generally lose 50% of their strength and can be downcycled for fiber reinforcement applications in paints or concrete.[56] This can recover up to approximately 19 MJ/kg[54] at relatively high cost. It requires similar mechanical pre-processing.
Direct Structural recycling of composites: The general idea is to reuse the composite as is, which can be achieved especially in larger composite materials by partitioning it into pieces that can be used in other applications as is, without altering the chemical properties of the composite component.[57]
No one is saying that Sac. The people bringing up the real-world drawbacks / challenges with wind and solar are the ones saying a balanced approach is needed where wind/solar is a part of our greener solution (but simply can’t be the ONLY solution as many here incorrectly assume).
Sshhhh Sail, they don’t like it when facts contradict their assumptions.
Sail – “Storing equals laying on the ground next to the windmill!!!!” That is absolutely, 100% false. Have you every seen a wind farm? There are no blades being “stored” on the ground next to the turbines. Do you really think the farmers and ranchers who lease out their land for these would allow that?
VOICE – I can actually agree on that somewhat. We’re not ready to go full on wind/solar right now. The tech is there, but not completely “green.” Once it is a more viable “green” solution, we need to jump in with both feet. Our current energy production is not sustainable, nor can our planet handle it much longer. BUT, that should not be stopping us from starting to use it now. We can’t afford to wait much longer.
Absolutely not Happy, he 100% doesn’t say it’s proof against climate change. He says it’s proof that the extremely intensive, unnatural and destructive infernos are the result of poor forest management and the decades of fuel build up. He also points to droughts and climate change as increasing the duration of the fire season, no denying climate change there, but it’s the unnatural fuel load that leads to the extreme devastating fires, for which Caldor Fire is an example with the area that was thinned and managed vs. not. But, thank you for admitting how closed minded you are and in your infinite wisdom “immediately disqualify” people with with different opinions, because you are always right and someone with a different view couldn’t possibly ever be correct. Also, that twitter link wasn’t even a Shellenberger quote, here is the thread you should read https://twitter.com/shellenbergermd/status/1429826018932510720?s=21 (could you image the backlash if I used twitter as a reference!).
Maybe if you actually read and researched rather than dismissed you’d understand that switching to natural gas does lower the risk of high global temperatures because it’s much less polluting that the energy sources we’re moving away from. It’s a stepping stone to greener pastures, but you, in your infinite wisdom, immediately dismiss someone because you don’t like what they’re saying even though they have actual data and facts to substantiate their position vs. your anecdotal example. Got it!
Sacjon
Been to many, formerly worked in the cement supply business. Idaho, Texas, Oklahoma and CA. I’m assuming you have never been to one. Take yourself on a trip to Palm springs and look at the derelict piles of scrap you can see from the 10. and that’s what you can see from the road. The good stuff dripping with grease and oil is hidden from view. Fairly short lifespan for the units.
And yes sacjon many farmers will gladly set aside some land for “storage” in exchange for the guaranteed pay instead of risky farming.
I know its crazy. I get down votes for quoting someone’s link that was up voted.
Just confirms not very many really want the truth.
They just want “their” truth not “the” truth…
SAIL – your assumption about me is dead wrong, not surprising.
To GENERALTREE: Good point. I’ve toured wind farms and was shocked at how many abandoned oil derricks, pipelines (rusting and oily), well structures and other abandoned oil facilities were littered around the farms and ranch lands out in the mid west. Never yet seen a pile of “broken blades” though!
What do they do with old nuclear waste?