The fate of beautiful Great Pond may be decided on Tuesday, October 5, when our Senators decide (1) whether to trade away Camp Arawak — land held by the government in trust for the people, and (2) whether to rezone Great Pond for "Heavy Industry."
The Beal proposal is an environmental issue. A rocket factory at Great Pond is an example of poor planning and unsustainable development. It will degrade the water quality
and coral reefs of Great Pond Bay.
It is poor environmental management and irresponsible land stewardship to allow industry in an Area for Preservation and Restoration and to trade away land donated for park and recreation purposes in that APR.
Beal is orchestrating a huge disinformation campaign to try to win the vote and sway public opinion. Beal is claiming that it's making a $100 million investment in our economy; but Beal's rezoning application states that the total investment will be $75.5 million, at least 30 million of which will be spent off-island.
So Beal's investment to our economy is actually less than half of what it claims. Of
course, these economic claims ignore the negative impacts; reduced property values and increased infrastructure costs with a minimal new tax base.
Additionally, Beal is asking for zoning changes — not a variance limited to this particular rocket factory, as it claims in the cover letter for the application. The cover letter is not what counts. It's the application and zoning maps, both of which call for zoning changes.
If the property is rezoned to I-1-Heavy Industry, zoning laws would allow Beal or future owners of the property to build virtually anything there, including another refinery.
SEA and the public are in agreement: We still welcome Beal to St. Croix — at Betty's Hope. The reasons Beal has given as to why Betty's Hope is unacceptable are, as Gordon Finch of the Port Authority put it, a "smoke screen — big time."
Beal has said it must have a protected harbor even though, as SEA has pointed
out, the proposed launch site at Sombrero has no protected harbor. On a recent radio talk show, Beal spokesman Wade Gates was asked point-blank if the Virgin Islands were to
build Beal a protected harbor, would it go to Betty's Hope? The answer: "No."
Another excuse Beal has given for not accepting Betty's Hope is that it must own the land and the Port Authority was only offering a lease. But in July at the Senate hearing, Gordon Finch said he would recommend to the VIPA Board that it sell Beal the land necessary for their factory. Beal still said no: Great Pond or nowhere.
One of Beal's early excuses was that it didn't want to be associated with smokestack industry. Then SEA made public a photograph of the Betty' Hope site, a beautiful piece of land miles from HOVENSA and St. Croix Alumina, with the refinery stacks barely visible
in the distance, and as a result Beal appears to have dropped that excuse.
The truth is there is no legitimate reason that Beal cannot build at Betty's Hope; and any challenges that Beal might face there pale in comparison to the obstacles at Great Pond.
St. Croix can have both: jobs and the environment — but not if we concede to Beal's unrealistic demands and are forced to choose between one or the other.
SEA has been proactive on this issue. For over a year SEA has attempted to help guide Beal to the proper site. The choice is simple; Beal can begin construction at Betty's Hope next year and the island and Beal will benefit.
The Betty's Hope site is perfect for Beal: flat land with deep water for barges and no coral reef obstacle course, and it's already zoned for industry. Or Beal can spend the next five-plus years attempting to litigate around our environmental laws and no one but Beal's lawyers will benefit.
Anyone who wants jobs should insist upon Beal at Betty's Hope. Anyone who cares about the environment should do so too.
SEA is encouraging people to contact their Senators TODAY to say No to the land swap and No to industry at Great Pond.
Robin Freeman is a program consultant for SEA.
