In meetings with Hovensa officials last week, the V.I. Planning and Natural Resources Department notified the Hovensa refinery it will receive three Notices of Violations (including unspecified fines and penalties) in relation to several recent oil spray incidents, according to Government House.
DPNR Commissioner Robert Mathes met with Hovensa officials to discuss a smorgasbord of issues surrounding the refinery’s operations and response to hazardous material releases affecting St. Croix’s downwind population.
The meeting was prompted by the most recent release of dangerous hydrocarbons into the air and the frequency of pollution incidents since September, according to Government House.
The meeting purportedly focused on improving the effectiveness of the response system that protects St. Croix residents through greater collaboration between Hovensa, federal agencies and the V.I. Government’s public safety agencies.
Mathes asked the refinery’s new acting Chief Executive Officer John George to immediately notify the V.I. Government when accidentally released hazardous materials have the potential to pass beyond the boundaries of the facility—even before the refinery has confirmed chemicals have escaped into surrounding communities.
Mathes and Hovensa officials discussed various types of warning alarms, including the V.I. Territorial Emergency Management Agency’s V.I. Alert system; anticipated tsunami alarm facilities, and the bells and whistles already employed by the refinery.
While early notifications could result in false alarms, they would allow first responders to prepare sooner and be dispatched while Hovensa air-monitoring teams conduct their survey of the impact zone, according to Government House.
Noting more than 30 people sought medical attention after the most recent airborne release, on Dec. 9, Gov. John deJongh said in a statement he has directed DPNR and VITEMA to work with Hovensa officials to do more to safeguard St. Croix residents.
“For decades now Hovensa has been an important part of the St. Croix economy and member of its business community,” deJongh said. “But the refinery first and foremost must be a good neighbor to the thousands of Virgin Islanders who live nearby. We are working to ensure that is the case, using every influence of the V.I. government.”
Mathes said Hovensa officials were receptive to the ideas he proposed but said they required a follow-up meeting with acting VITEMA Director Elton Lewis to select specific notification protocols.
According to Government House, Hovensa officials said they are willing to provide specific recommendations to VITEMA on appropriate emergency responses, and a rating system is being considered to give an indication of the severity of any hazardous release.
DPNR also has a strategy to identify and train selected residents in downwind locations and arm them with portable monitoring devices to gather more immediate and accurate data, according to Mathes.
“What better way to get the pollution data we need than by providing the tools necessary to those most affected and in the best position to take the samples?” Mathes said.
Mathes also urged the Hovensa management to be more transparent in their operation of the refinery. He encouraged them to be more engaging with the press, opening their command center to reporters and offering periodic news conferences demonstrating the impressive functionality of the refinery’s incident command process.
“Hovensa’s John George talked about his concern for the refinery’s neighbors and we will hold the company accountable in that regard,” Mathes said.
The Government House statement was issued after the conclusion of business hours on Monday, too late for calls for comment. George has pledged to do what is necessary to rectify the current situation and forestall a repeat.
“We are taking all possible steps to put this right in the community and prevent such an incident from recurring,” George said in a recent statement.
