New facility to kill
fruit flies with X-rays
It is expected to let fruit growers
By Rod Thompson
dramatically increase their
out-of-state exports
Star-BulletinHILO -- The president of a Big Island company organized to treat tropical fruit with X-rays to kill fruit flies says a construction contract for the treatment facility is expected to be signed Monday.
John Clark, head of Hawaii Pride LLC, says groundbreaking is planned for late January, and treatment of papayas and exotic fruit like rambutans could begin in May or June.
The treatment is needed to prevent fruit flies from spreading to mainland areas, where they could devastate agriculture.
The facility is expected to allow fruit growers to dramatically increase out-of-state exports. Clark cited a California grape grower who is now planting 7,000 rambutan trees just north of Hilo, expecting to use the facility.
"We're extremely excited," he said. A minority partner will be Titan Scan of San Diego, which will supply the X-ray unit and be in charge of construction.
The companies announced their intention to build a facility in April, using a device that produces an electron beam. The electrons hit metal, producing X-rays.
The facility originally was envisioned as an alternative to a controversial, proposed irradiation plant using radioactive cobalt, to be built by Isomedix Inc. Then Steris Corp. bought Isomedix and abandoned the plan.
Like the cobalt-based facility, the Hawaii Pride X-ray unit will have to be housed in 6-foot-thick protective walls. Unlike cobalt, when power to the X-ray is shut off, all radiation stops.
Hawaii Pride picked a site in Keaau, south of Hilo, across from the former Puna Sugar mill, Clark said. He declined to give a construction cost.
Costs to farmers for any fruit will be 15 to 25 cents per pound, Clark said. That's cheaper than the 27 to 30 cents per pound now charged for vapor-heat treatment, which works only on papayas.
The plant is expected to employ 28 people working seven days a week, 20 hours per day, he said. Four hours per day for maintenance will be scheduled during the island's peak electricity consumption hours, such as early evening, so the plant doesn't put a strain on the Hawaii Electric Light Co.
Numerous safety features will prevent people from walking into the treatment room while fruit are being X-rayed, Clark said.
"This is as safe as safe can possibly get," he said.
