Diesel fuel spill at Air Force surveillance facility on Hawaiian mountaintop
The Air Force reported today that about 700 gallons of diesel fuel spilled out on January 29, 2023 at Air Force’s surveillance telescope facility on top of Haleakala on the island of Maui.
The spill occurred at the Maui Space Surveillance Complex, which tracks satellites and space debris using several telescopes atop Haleakala, a dormant volcano. “Due to a mechanical issue, a diesel fuel pump for an on-site backup generator failed to shut off” Sunday night, the Air Force said in a news release.
At about 8 a.m. Monday, maintenance personnel discovered the failure and shut off the transfer pump, the Air Force said.
Since 2021 the military has had two other accidents at different Hawaiian facilities. Considering the hostile political atmosphere there for any facility not run by “native Hawaiians”, this new fuel spill could not have come at a worse time. Expect pressure to mount to remove this facility.
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The Air Force reported today that about 700 gallons of diesel fuel spilled out on January 29, 2023 at Air Force’s surveillance telescope facility on top of Haleakala on the island of Maui.
The spill occurred at the Maui Space Surveillance Complex, which tracks satellites and space debris using several telescopes atop Haleakala, a dormant volcano. “Due to a mechanical issue, a diesel fuel pump for an on-site backup generator failed to shut off” Sunday night, the Air Force said in a news release.
At about 8 a.m. Monday, maintenance personnel discovered the failure and shut off the transfer pump, the Air Force said.
Since 2021 the military has had two other accidents at different Hawaiian facilities. Considering the hostile political atmosphere there for any facility not run by “native Hawaiians”, this new fuel spill could not have come at a worse time. Expect pressure to mount to remove this facility.
Readers!
Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black. Your support allows me the freedom and ability to analyze objectively the ongoing renaissance in space, as well as the cultural changes -- for good or ill -- that are happening across America. Fourteen years ago I wrote that SLS and Orion were a bad ideas, a waste of money, would be years behind schedule, and better replaced by commercial private enterprise. Only now does it appear that Washington might finally recognize this reality.
In 2020 when the world panicked over COVID I wrote that the panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Only in the past year have some of our so-called experts in the health field have begun to recognize these facts.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four ways of doing so:
1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.
2. Patreon: Go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation.
3. A Paypal Donation or subscription:
4. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
P.O.Box 1262
Cortaro, AZ 85652
You can also support me by buying one of my books, as noted in the boxes interspersed throughout the webpage or shown in the menu above.
” . . . about 700 galleons of diesel fuel . . .”
Holy Crow! The Internet says that a Spanish galleon could transport about 500 toneladas (Spanish ton), which are very nearly equal to a regular Imperial short ton. That’s 350,000 tons, or enough fuel to keep Al (Climate Change) Gores estate going for a year.
Typos can be fun *and* educational!
Spell check not doing you any favors.
A priest, an evangelical minister and a rabbit walk into a bar.
The bartender looks at each in turn and says “What’ll you have?
The priest speaks first and says “Whisky, neat, if you please”
He turns to the minister, who says” A pint of bitter ale, would be nice”.
Last he faces the rabbit, who jumps up and says “Beats me, I am just hear because of auto-correct”.
700 gallons is quite a bit.
All the dirt that it touched now has to be trucked away and burned as hazardous waste. They are required to this much.
More than likely the government will take this opportunity to replace any aging equipment. Even if the site will only be used for a few more years. They always work with the idea that they will be staying for many years.
I also trained in aircraft refueling in the Air force. Even if this was a mechanical failure you should never rely on an automatic shut off system. Always watch it with your own eyes.
Meanwhile, lava flashes seawater to acid.
“All the dirt that it touched now has to be trucked away and burned as hazardous waste. They are required to this much.”
Naah. Gasoline is considered hazardous but diesel isn’t. It changes the handling but the clean-up is basically the same.
Excavation to the furthest extent of contamination. Take soil to landfill and spread. Replace material with clean.