Published: August 30, 2006 08:50 am      

STOPPING WATER: Confer Plastics looking to provide breakwater device for Lake Ontario

WhisprWave

WHAT: Plastic Polygon

USE: Breakwater in Olcott Harbor

MAKER: Confer Plastics of North Tonawanda

COST: $1.5 million

YES: Bob Confer of Gasport

NO: Army Corps of Engineers

MAYBE: Rep. Loise M. Slaughter

TRADITIONAL BREAKWALL: $4.7 million



OLCOTT— Imagine a plastic breakwater at the mouth of Eighteen Mile Creek which would make Olcott the pride of harbors along the southern shore of Lake Ontario.

Now, imagine that it would cost $1.5 million instead of nearly $4.7 million. As a bonus, the Krull Park Beach would be significantly improved and more usable for swimmers.

Also, a local company, Confer Plastics of North Tonawanda, could make it and have it installed in a fraction of the time of a traditional rubble breakwall.

Newfane leaders were excited about the prospect. However, the Army Corps of Engineers issued a report through Rep. Loise M. Slaughter’s office saying that WhisprWave won’t work. The Lake Ontario waves are too high.

Waves on Lake Ontario may reach 12-feet and WhisprWave will only protect against waves of 7-feet, according to a report by the Army Corps.

That’s news to Bob Confer, the vice president of Confer Plastics.

“I would believe if the Navy and Coast Guard utilized it in an ocean environment, it could easily handle any waves Lake Ontario is going to have,” Confer said. “The waves that hit Norfolk were 15-feet and there were 100 mph winds.”

Confer thinks the Army Corps of Engineers should consult the Navy and the Coast Guard. WhisprWave has been in the development stage since 1997 and started production in 1999. It was created as a breakwater device. Following the terrorist attracts on Sept. 11, 2001 it got its second use as a harbor protection, battleship protection and as a bridge protection device, according to Confer.

Slaughter has not closed the door on WhisprWave.

“It is critically important to our local economy that we preserve the Lake Ontario shoreline. That is why I secured $70,000 last year for the Army Corps to determine the best ways to protect Olcott Harbor from wave surge,” she said.

“I believe it is imperative that the Corps use the technology that is the most cost-efficient, provides the best protection to the harbor and that has the backing of the local community. If WhisprWave is that technology, then I will work the Army Corps to see that it is considered for this project.”

Dennis Smith of Wave Dispersion Technologies in New Jersey has 27 patents on the 35-pound plastic polygons and Confer Plastics has two more patents for the production of the product in North Tonawanda. Some are used on the Gulf Coast and the Virginia coast. It survived Hurricane Isabel in 2003, according to Confer.

“I was under the impression that the Army Corps was pleased with the design of this project,” said Confer who did not receive the Corps report. “But, they were supposed to get that $5 million to build that breakwater and they wouldn’t want to lose out of the revenues for this thing which is much cheaper.”

The Army Corps’ traditional breakwall version is stone, rubble and wires which would impede water. With WhisprWave, the water flows below the plastic wall allowing fish to swim under it.

“In Olcott’s case, you would lose the fishery because the trout and salmon would not be able to move in the ways they’re used to moving,” Confer said. “A typical breakwater is just a wall. The water will hit the wall and splash. The WhisprWave twists and turns. That takes the physics of the wave and catapults it back into the lake. It turns the energy back upon itself.”

Doug Confer, Bob’s father, and Ray Confer, Bob’s grandfather founded Confer Plastics in 1973. It employs 130 people. Confer makes everything from gas tanks, to swimming pool ladders, to mannequins to new voting machines.

Wave Dispersions Technologies liked the way Confer Plastics exceeded engineering specification, Bob Confer said. Now, the NT plant at 97 Witmer Road is the sole producer.

Some of the hollow plastic polygons are filled with foam to make them stronger. “It’s great,” said plant manager Pete Miller of North Tonawanda. “From the tests that I’ve seen...I’m surprised at how strong they were and what they held up to. They couldn’t get the modules to break.”

There would be three Whisprwave breakwaters of about 500 feet each placed near the federal piers which reach out from Eighteen Mile Creek to Lake Ontario. There would be a smaller breakwater positioned to protect the Olcott beach.

The plastic polygons connected together with rubber tube and stainless steel cables. A series of chains connect to cable and WhisprWave units. They would be anchored to the lake floor on concrete blocks.

Olcott has long seen the need for a breakwall.

“Eighteen Mile Creek has potentially one of the finest natural harbors on the south shore side of Lake Ontario,” Town Attorney Jim Sansone explained. “It has two federal piers that extend out to the north from shore line. The problem is, most of the weather comes from the northeast, north and northwest. It creates a surge and comes in like gangbusters on Eighteen Mile Creek. A breakwall would stop that north surge and create a lot more useable area of the harbor for boating.”

With an increased area for boats, slips and docks, Olcott leaders feel that a break water help the economy, and bring in thousands of boats from Toronto.

“That could really open up our harbor development,” Sansone said. “That would be a great thing for us.” The problem, according to Sansone, is that the Army Corps of Engineers measured 10-11 foot waves on high-storm days. WhisprWave is only designed to break 7-footers. Confer strongly disagrees and thinks the WhisprWave will work.

“It would be a good story for Niagara County and Olcott needed a breakwater. It would be manufactured right here in Niagara County and there would be a tax savings,” Confer said.

“I don’t know how much we can pursue it if Army corps says it won’t work,” said Newfane Supervisor Tim Horanburg. “I’d hate to spend this kind of money and find out it won’t work. They need the Army Corps involved, especially if it’s federal money.

“I would have loved to see it work, but it won’t block that size wave.”

Confer, 31, is a graduate of Royalton-Hartland and SUNY Brockport. He writes a weekly column for Greater Niagara Newspapers which appears on Mondays in the Lockport Union-Sun & Journal.

Contact Bill Wolcott at (716) 439-9222, Ext. 6246.