Senators Tour Pet Coke Site Wednesday
Sen. Craig Barshinger
Barshinger is chairman of the Legislature’s Economic Development, Energy and Technology committee. As chairman, he is leading the excursion to Jacksonville, FL, to visit the Northside Generating Station. The facility is owned and operated by the Jacksonville Energy Authority (JEA). The purpose of the visit is to see first-hand how a plant that uses PetCoke operates and what affect it has on its surroundings. What they learn, according to Barshinger, will help them decide how to address the Alpine Energy Group proposal to build similar plants on St. Thomas and St. Croix.
The AEG proposal and the activities of the government and local activist groups who oppose the project have attracted stateside attention and Barshinger is quoted in the attached article from CapeCodToday. The Cape Cod community is locked in its own battle with William Koch, a principal in the Alpine deal. Koch founded and is the largest financial supporter of an organization that is preventing the construction of the first offshore wind farm in Massachusetts because the wind generators would “block the view” from his Cape Cod Home, reports said.
Koch is also the distributor of the petcoke created through operations at the Hovensa refinery in is the only seller of the product to the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority.
The Virgin Islands Legislature recently delayed a decision on the land leases for the Alpine plant on St. Thomas after Barshinger and other senators expressed concerns about the project and the outpouring of negative public opinion on the waste-to-energy initiative. At the heart of the controversy is the use of petroleum coke, an oil by-product, that is a proven environmental and health hazard. Opponents say the impact on the quality of life will be severe; supporters say that the “scrubbing” technology that Alpine will use will minimize the impact of the petcoke emissions.
Crucians In Focus (CIF) has gone on the record in opposition to this deal, and agrees that much more scrutiny is necessary before determining an alternative energy solution. Aside from the health, financial and environmental risks posed by the use of petcoke, CIF cited concerns in the article attached below about the location of the Florida plant, situated in an unpopulated area, and the objectivity of the information the entourage will receive at the Jacksonville facility, where Koch also has a business interest.
CIF, in conjunction with the Virgin Islands Ratepayers Association and other concerned community members, is sponsoring a Town Hall meeting on January 13, from 6-8 p.m at Gertrude’s Restaurant on St. Croix. The meeting is an opportunity for community members to get information on this critical project.
@don’t stop the Carnival
Get your political analysis straight: DeDevil became GOV because he had PLENTY money to spread his propaganda and lies about the other candidates……Him and his camp played dirty throughout that entire election…..YOU NEED TO WAKE-UP, SOMEONE LIKE YOU WHO FIGURES THEY HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS ARE ACTUALLY MISSING THE ENIRE POINT!
Hence: 20% of the people make 80% of the money, and flip that remark to election results. I am done trying to make you understand the potential importance of your contributions.
Good Night.
Stupid is as stupid does. Y’all need to take this up on your own, though I agree with carnival.
It’s amazing that these guys won’t even look at an alternative to incineration. They are all so addicted to coke $$$$$$$…………. CHECK OUT THIS….{wwwusatoday.com} “Florida county plans to vaporize landfill trash using”… “PLASMA ARC INCENERATORS” Fort Pierce. FLa. in St. Lucie County Fla. Wonder if our elected leaders are going to visit one of these while in florida????????
It seems to me we have one outcome in common…..BYE, BYE DeDewolf…..let’s agree to disagree on the necessary tone and move on.
Look at this, and do the research before the meeting Wednesday:
http://www.nuenergies.com/
In the USVI, we have had proponents of renewable energy sources maintain contact with this group.
Why have they been overloked?
What is it about WAPA and our Governor that pushes the deal for AEG to be the best? Why won’t they listen to the people who want to move in sync with the rest of the world for renewable energy? What kind of side deal has our government secured with AEG and Koch? Something is just not right here, it smells like a dead fish under the car seat.
Don’t underestimate the intelligence of the people of the VI (that is mistake #1). Don’t ever profess to knowing it all, you are not GOD (that is mistake #2). Assuming that only your contributions and your strategy is the “best” for any Candidate (mistake #3) Refusing to comprehend and read between the lines (mistake #4) hinking you know the people of these beautiful islands when in actuallty you don’t (mistake #5)…..I could go on, but it’s not necessary, hopefully you got the point.
BE AWARE!!!!
ATTENTION: For those bloggers that want to embark on a new ADMINISTRATION come 2010, be aware of DeWolf supporters posing as his opposition. It’s Political Strategy 101, they appear to oppose the Gov in the beginning of the political season (as of now), but as the election nears and heats up they supposedly switch sides and begin”singing a new tune” in support of the Gov. Making it seem as if the Gov is gaining popularity and the support of the people…….You know who they are on this site
Enough don study he. You right dat man dontstopdecarnival is fraud. I jus come from reading de orther post and de calling name and cussing each orther and he ain telling dem noting. He mad because you hittin de gov hard leave him worry bout he self. where ever you go de white man want to control things.
maybe the “fraud” is really a “broad”. That could be
Don’t Stop the Carnival is a hypocrite. He is talking about name calling, yet, he is calling other’s baffons, childlike and ignorant. It is obvious to me that he is in the tank for the Governor. He is trying to silence Enough. Enough can say what he wants. If the web-site Admin. doesn’t like it he will delete it off the blog.
I don’t know if DontStopTheCarnival is a fraud or not. But I read where he write he is a white man. They always trying to run things. What right does he has to tell someone else what they should write? He’s out of place. He would fit in excellent with this Administration.
LOL@ENOUGH. He tells it like it is. I always look forward to his comments.
ENOUGH! is right. I too remember during the 2001 elections Dejongh’s supporters were calling the Radio Stations and calling Governor Turnbull nasty names. ‘Don’t Stop The Carnival’, if Dejongh didn’t tell his camp to do this, then who did? Also, what is so horrible about ENOUGH!’s comments? Anyone can see that the Governor is unhealthly overweight.
PS: I believe you have been OUTED by ENOUGH!, based on his analogy, all indications suggest that you do infact support Governor DeJongh and being utilized as a mole (spy) on this website.
Interesting how two senator’s who visited the Florida plant view the Alpine being built here……Thurdland says, ‘it is the only way to go’ and Nellie says ‘she is concerned for the environment’ and sites the ash issues polluting our air and quality thereof. And ‘needs more assurance (that Alpine can’t give) we are not going to have continued pollutants ’30 year’s from now’.
Makes you wonder if they both toured the same facility.
Good Grief!,
Maybe the Mr. had his palm’s greased and the Mrs. didn’t….just a thought.
Probably a reality!