VI News Staff 2 years ago

Refinery Owners Say Agreement Has Been Reached With EPA for Removal of Dangerous Chemicals Left Rusting in Pipes; Plaskett Reiterates Need for New Industry on South Shore

The owner of the refinery located on the south shore of St. Croix, Port Hamilton Refining and Transportation, said in a statement that it has reached an agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency to address safety concerns raised by EPA.

PHRT said it is looking forward to working closely with the EPA "and has already made strides to fully deliver on the EPA’s requests."

The EPA on Monday announced that it is requiring PHRT to hire experts to safely remove chemicals that are not being properly managed at the facility in equipment that the EPA had identified as being of concern after an inspection.

The EPA said the Order on Consent requires full access for EPA to be on-site to oversee the work and safety measures in the short term until the chemicals are removed or secured.

Later Monday, Port Hamilton said it quickly acted to remedy safety concerns identified by the EPA.

“We at Port Hamilton agree that the safety and health of our refinery workers, the St. Croix community, and the local environment are of the utmost importance and will remain at the forefront of our operations," PHRT principal owner Charles Chambers said.

He added, "In fact, we quickly initiated action once the EPA informed us of their concerns about chemical substances. We had already retained certified third-party experts to complete an inspection as part of our corporate due diligence to restart the refinery and immediately engaged them to help us address the mechanical integrity concerns of EPA. We have since implemented measures to enhance the safety of our operations as we complete the work requested by the EPA."

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