June 15, 2006 — Hovensa will conduct a housing evacuation drill on Saturday, June 17. The purpose of the drill will be for all persons who reside in housing units at the refinery to demonstrate their knowledge of the company's emergency housing evacuation procedure.
In the event of a refinery emergency that necessitates the evacuation of employees residing in a specific company-housing area, the evacuation signal will be sounded in that housing area to inform all persons present to leave immediately and go to their designated assembly location.
Persons in Estates Blessing, Cottage or Hope are instructed to travel west and assemble at the ballpark in Frederiksted until the emergency is over. Persons in Estate Figtree will travel east and assemble in an area in Estate Pearl.
Hovensa emphasized that the activity Saturday will be only a drill. In the event of an actual emergency in the refinery – if hazardous fumes or smoke from the emergency is expected to have an impact on homes and businesses outside the refinery – the Local Emergency Planning Committee and the V.I. Territorial Emergency Management Agency will be promptly notified by Hovensa. Those agencies will in turn notify persons in the areas expected to be affected to evacuate their area until the emergency is over.
For more information about the evacuation drill, contact Hovensa Vice President Alex Moorhead at 692-3285.
