Quote:
|
Originally Posted by fatlazyless
Oh no, at 2.53/gal for heating oil, a 275 gal tank costs aboout 680 dollars......time to close up the house, drain the pipes and start hitchhiking to Florida. Maybe, Acres will slow down and pick you up in his Porsche.
Way up north in Groveton NH, after 103 years the Wasau Paper mill is closing on Dec 31 due to the high cost of heating oil and diesel fuel which are basically the same thing. Diesel is dyed blue for the highway tax, and heating oil is dyed cranberry color red because it's the same color as wine.....no, not really but it is dyed red. Bet you didn't know that 275 gal tank in the basement was full of a red wine colored liquid.
Increasing transport costs for trucking 105,000 tons/year of high quality, finished paper from Groveton to Ohio and Indiana, along with the heating oil needed to power the mill turned a successfull 103 year operation into a money loser.
"If the mill made money, we'd keep it open!" says the big boss.
While the truck drivers for Roehl Transport of Groveton get about 35 cents/mile for driving, the diesel bill runs about 60 cents/mile and Roehl moves about half the Wasau paper.
After the last Roehl truck has left with a 20 ton load of paper, sometime in January, flatbed trucks will no doubt show up to remove the paper making equipment for its' trip to somewhere...like to Wisconsin or to China. Mostly due to the high cost of heating oil and diesel, which are basically the same item.
So, the increase in oil prices all changed the dynamics of making paper, closing the mill, and it's all over for 303 very high paying north country manufactoring jobs. From a high paying local job......to.........what?
.....that's real sad for the Groveton area.
|
Not to derail this but I used to work for Spencer Press in Wells, ME as a customer service rep and we got a lot of our paper from Wasau. I hate to think of the impact this is going to have on not just Groveton but the printing/paper industry in general. Spencer Press was one of the top ten offset printing companies in the country when I was there - I don't know how it ranks now, but I would guess it's probably still a big player. Sad that Wasau is closing...
==========
Blue Thunder -
Yes, the pellet stove is looking attractive as I'm sitting here in silk long underwear, a turtleneck, wool socks and LL Bean fleece. We do know handymen (my brothers - love 'em!). It's not something we could afford this winter but next winter, unless a better option presents itself... Money is tight not just because of fuel costs but also because Hubby's income has been frozen for two years as he's a teacher and the contract didn't pass again. I had quit my job to stay home with the kids and then the cost of living went thru the roof. I get it that voters also have bills to pay but...
