Building Trades News

Boilermakers Local 82
Ed Marquez, Bus. Mgr.
2260 S. Riverside Ave.
Bloomington, CA 92316
(909) 877-9382

Boilermakers from Local 92 played a leading role in a job that brought a major power plant project in Southern California out of mothballs and into full operation by early 2006 — three-and-a-half months ahead of schedule and on budget.

The $460 million Mountainview power plant in Redlands, Calif., 65 miles east of Los Angeles, is a 1,056-megawatt combined cycle facility fueled by natural gas. Owned by Southern California Edison and engineered and built by Bechtel, Mountainview generates enough power to service 685,000 homes.

The facility is 30 to 40 percent more efficient than older gas-fired plants. Each of the plant’s two units includes two combustion turbines, two heat recovery steam generators (HRSGs), and one steam turbine. HRSGs capture exhaust heat from the combustion turbines and use it to create steam for the steam turbine.

Ed Marquez, Business-Manager/Secretary Treasuer for Local 92, said Boilermakers were a primary reason the project was completed so well and so fast. “At the ribbon cutting, our members were commended for setting the production tempo, for low absenteeism, and for commitment to safety,” he said. With a max peak crew of 126 members, Boilermakers worked 200,000 man-hours over an 18-month period, making over 200 heavy lifts and erecting 6,000 tons of steel and boiler components.

A major obstacle during the project was rain. In fact, 2004-2005 was the second wettest winter on record for Southern California. In a two-week stretch, 15 inches of rain fell. According to Bechtel site manager Rick May, the rain knocked 30 days off the construction schedule.

But the Boilermakers stayed on top of the project and made up for lost time. They kept construction areas free of debris and obstructions. They put in extra hours (including working two shifts). And they stayed ahead of the welding requirements.

The crew completed erection of the four HRSGs in what May said was near-record time for the Bechtel company. Local 92’s work also included erecting four 200-ft.-tall, 18-ft.-diameter stacks; four filter houses; four exhaust fusers; and two condensers.

“The guys and gals from Local 92 were truly impressive,” said May. “We had an excellent safety record among all the trades on the job, but the Boilermakers had the best safety record, hands down.” The Local 92 crew had only one lost-time accident during the year-and-a-half it worked on the power plant.

Market uncertainties held up initial project
The Mountainview project first began in 2001 under a different owner. However, uncertainties in the California power market following the state’s 2000-2001 energy crisis led to cancellation of the project after it was only 15 percent completed. About 30 Boilermakers worked on the initial job.

The project sat dormant for two years. Meanwhile, demand for electricity continued to surge in Southern California. In March 2004, Southern California Edison purchased the project and hired Bechtel to complete it.

Marquez credited Boilermaker foremen for superbly organizing the work and the Boilermaker crew for a commitment to doing the job right. “I had a model crew out there,” he said, “including a top-notch general foreman — Bob Traister.” Before the project was over, Bechtel offered Traister a job as a superintendent, a position he accepted.

Marquez also applauded the work of the other Boilermaker foremen: Ron Torres, Joey Collins, Alvin Manning, Brian Ortiz, Bob Stormo Jr., Jimmy Holland, Charlie Farrell, Bob Auterson, Glen Duran, John Blevins, and Mike Cornell.

“Every foreman out there excelled,” Traister said. “They took the job as part of their own. Also, the support from engineering and the local union was outstanding. They took care of business.”

Bechtel’s Rick May said, “I’ve been involved in projects all over the world. This was the best crew I’ve ever worked with. Top to bottom, the Boilermakers displayed leadership skills, a strong work ethic, pride, and professionalism. These were very highly-skilled men and women. These guys shined. They provided leadership not only among the Boilermakers but to all the crafts on site.”

It is the first new major L.A. Basin power plant built in the last 30 years.