Plans to Remove Dangerous Chemicals From St. Croix Refinery Gain Momentum

Now that there is regulatory approval, plans for the removal of hazardous chemicals from the Port Hamilton Refinery have shifted towards operationalization.

V.I. Territorial Management Agency Director Daryl Jaschen said on Monday that a multi-agency task force including the St. Croix Environmental Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) had been convened. Other members include the V.I. Fire & Emergency Services, the Departments of Human Services, the V.I. Dept. of Labor's OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) division, the V.I. National Guard, V.I. Police Department, the V.I. Port Authority, the Juan F. Luis Hospital and the Government House Joint Information Center.

“The role of the task force is to work in cooperation with the EPA, OSHA, Port Hamilton Refining and Transportation, and the local community for the preparation and removal of hazardous chemicals identified by the EPA,” he said during the Bryan administration's weekly press briefing Monday.

As part of that preparation, four of the six air monitoring stations identified by the EPA have already been activated, with the remaining two coming online by the end of the week, according to Mr. Jaschen. Additionally, the task force will host a town hall meeting on February 15th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

“The stations were designed to monitor for elevated readings of hazardous chemicals which may indicate a release at levels which may be harmful to individuals," Mr. Jaschen said. "Based on the level of chemical release, VITEMA and DPNR will be notified by the EPA and if needed, will [update] the community in a wireless message using the VITEMA Alert V.I. notification system."

The task force will now begin to meet weekly with stakeholders, Mr. Jaschen said. Regular updates will be provided through similar press briefings in the future, and the LEPC will report progress to the Virgin Islands Environmental Council (VIERC).