Pet Coke A Critical Flaw In Alpine Deal
(Editors Note: The Public Services Commission will address a Motion for Reconsideration filed against the Alpine Energy Group deal at its meeting Monday, Nov. 23, at 5:30 p.m. in its St. Thomas Office, Barbel Plaza. This week’s guest editorial and the attached news release from Sen. Adlah “Foncie” Donastorg address concerns about the waste-to-energy agreement.)
Guest Opinion by Clarence Payne
Dear, Mr. Basil Ottley,
V.I. Desk Officer
Like many areas of concern in our community it appears that getting the correct answers continues to be elusive. Since the Friends of Mandahl Bay protest or more specifically Hull Bay protest to include the Coalition to Save Lindbergh Bay, the community has said in one accord we are going to challenge unrestrained, reckless, poorly planned, and secret based policy initiatives that has been the practice of our government.
Our government again has signed an agreement without any, I mean any community input! At times it seems like we cannot get the transparency that was the “popular catch phrase” during the campaigns of 2006 and 2008 in the Virgin Islands.
This most recent agreement between Alpine, WAPA, and our government has left us filled with animosity and frustration. The public did not know that PET COKE (Petroleum Coke) was the fuel of choice to generate 27 of the 33 megawatts on St. Thomas and 8 to 10 megawatts on St Croix once the trash was deducted from the total source. Alpine applied to provide 13.5 megawatts with trash being the fuel on both islands; then WAPA would purchase the energy generated from TRASH. Somewhere between the initial agreement and signing of the proposal PET COKE was introduced into the equation. As a result the environmental community has generated a few questions that we need to be answered before any permits can be granted. However, if permits are granted we will continue to solicit assistance from you, your agency, or other governing bodies to hear and respond to our complaints.
The most glaring problem I have deciphered stems from the 20th century fuel source being financed by our government at a rate of 18 millions dollars per year, not included in the $440,000.000.00 deal. In-addition the rate payers are being billed an additional five million dollars by WAPA which has to pay Boston Pacific, R.W. Beck, and Law Firm Skadden, Arps, and Slate for contractual work.
President Obama has set aside tens of millions of dollars in Green Technology. Why would we totally embrace old technology (PET COKE with all of the potential negative consequences) as oppose to taken advantage of the resources available to us as an un-Incorporated territory of the U.S.?
Assistant Secretary of the Interior Anthony Babauta stated in his address to the 28th Legislature on November 19, 2009 that, “Protecting the environment above and below the surrounding ocean is IMMEASURABLE; we are the inheritors of a deeply rooted and rich culture where respect for Mother Earth has always been at the epicenter of our concern. In addition Mr. Babauta shared another timely position which he said,” his department will focus on renewable energy alternatives that reduces carbon dioxide emissions, and end our dependency on foreign oil.”
If we implement this agreement it would set us back 20 years in an era when the potential for new and progressive energy sources are optional. Within the next twenty years the average person would be much more informed in the field Green Technology with all of the benefits thereof.
Two generations from now we would have saddled our grand children with this worth less energy source and at what cost? Health cost and environmental cost are the most obvious costs that we cannot make light of. Progressive thinking communities must join in with President Obama and say yes to Green Technology NOW! Also, one must believe that Green Technology will be reasonably priced, reliable, and dependable within the next 3 to 5 years.
Your leadership, support, and guidance would be greatly appreciated as we move forward preparing for this project. Patiently, I await your response.
Clarence Payne
St. Thomas Resident
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One has to wonder exactly who’s hands got greased in this deal. PSC, Senators, deJongh, Hodge, Cornwall CZM (soon to permit) to name a few………this deal is so bad for all of us and for those to come. The contract is so one sided for the consulting company of Alpine it is unbelievable all have endorsed this project. And Alpine has NEVER done a project like this one EVER, ANYWHERE.
The meeting will be very telling indeed.
Who is going to pay for this Pet Coke Plant after everyone on St Thomas is dead from cancer? I hear that the ash that is left over from burning of Pet Coke is very deadly stuff to every living thing and the environment.
http://www.wastaway.com/index.html
is this what we are investing in because i like it.
Rock City, if you do a little research you will see that a similar project was proposed for Corpus Christi, TX. This link does a good job at pointing out what burning petcoke is all about.
http://cleaneconomycoalition.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/cec-trifold-2009-march-11.pdf
This Alpine deal sound like another one of deJongh’s one-sided schemes where we give away our children’s financial and environmental future to benefit a big corporation. Why???
Hey Governor…Ever heard of Plasma Arc Plants. They incinerate everything with very little pollutants. Oh.. I’m sorry to let the cat out of the bag, a logical solution to the dump problem!!!….and no one will get rich at the expense of our healths either.. how silly of me to suggest such a stupid idea…My apology. Plasma Arc Plants are popping up all over the world in China,Japan, and even in Florida with very successful results. Maybe you should go and check one out!!!
It is SO VERY apparent now, though it has been discussed before, that WAPA has chosen the wrong way to reduce electricity bills for the people. It has been suggested that WAPA make available at a low interest rate green energy to all consumers. Consumers could opt for wind or solar, sign an agreement that would be equal to or less than current usage bill, and wind up owning the equipment that would supply the majority of power needed to live. WAPA would in short be financing alternate energy, that would in turn create capitol for repairs to existing plants, which in turn would place less of a demand on the plants. RIGHT HERE IN ST CROIX we have alternative energy companies that could in fact supply the needed power generation components needed to do this, AND! GET THIS…we could hire locally to manufacture and install. I saw a news report on Caribbean Wind Technologies, it seems that this system could be placed anywhere on the island.