Updated at 4:26 p.m., Monday, October 16, 2006
Harbor closure halts deep-sea water exports
By Kevin Dayton
Advertiser Staff Writer
Koyo USA Corp. ordinarily ships 12 to 13 40-foot containers out of the harbor loaded with bottles of nutrient-rich, desalinated deep-sea water for export to Japan and elsewhere, but that operation was shut down for the time being after the earthquake, said Ishi Yama, sales and marketing manager for Koyo USA.
Yama said the company plant at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawai'i sustained apparently minor damage, and the company was still discussing what is needed to resume production.
Also affected was Deep SeaWater International Inc., another NELHA tenant that exports bottled seawater.
Chief Operating Officer Jeff Smith said the Deep SeaWater plant remained in production today, but wasn't sure what the company will do if the port remains closed.
