Senate Denies Alpine Lease For St. Thomas Waste To Energy Plant
Public Opposition To PetCoke Sinks St. Thomas Agreement; Sanes Blasts St. Croix Dissenters
Sen. Sammuel Sanes
The Virgin Islands Legislature voted Monday to deny a lease to Alpine Energy Group for land to construct a waste to energy plant in the Bovoni area on St. Thomas. In a vote of 11 against and 4 in favor, the action sends the Territory back to the drawing board for an acceptable solution to the issue of solid waste.
Those opposing the lease cited community resistance to the potential public health and environmental concerns raised by the use of petcoke. Those in favor cited the need to close the Territory’s landfills to avoid sanction by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that has mandated that landfills on St. Thomas and St. Croix be closed within a specified time to avoid hefty fines.
And Sen. Sammuel Sanes, who voted in favor of the lease, chastised those activists on St. Croix who opposed the deal for not mounting the same level of opposition to the Hovensa refinery.
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The lease under consideration was for the land Alpine was going to use to construct the plant that would convert solid waste into Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF). A second lease for the land to be used to construct the power generation plant, the process that would use RDF in conjunction with the hotly contested fuel petroleum coke to generate electricity, was not on the agenda today.
In recent weeks, information had surfaced that indicated that an alternative plan, one that did not involve the use of petcoke, was in the works and was being discussed with both the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority (WAPA) and the VI Waste Management Authority (VIWMA), both of which are parties to the agreement with Alpine. No such plan had been submitted to the Senate prior to today’s hearing.
Today’s action leaves several unanswered questions about the Alpine project and their contract agreement with WAPA and VIWMA. While Legislative approval was needed to lease the land on St. Thomas for construction, no such approval is necessary for St. Croix, as the south shore location designed for that facility is not government land. Can Alpine move ahead with the St. Croix portion of the project on its own?
The entire project is currently under review by the EPA for permitting purposes and that review must be positively completed before the project can proceed.
We have previously questioned the wisdom of a process that allows contracts to be signed before all reviews are completed. It has never made sense that ANY contract or Power Purchase Agreement could be signed with Alpine or any provider prior to all necessary reviews, permits and leases being completed and/or approved.
Voting against the leases were Sens. Craig Barshinger, Adlah “Foncie” Donastorg, Carlton Dowe, Neville James, Shawn Malone, Terrence Nelson, Nellie O’Reilly, Usie Richards, Patrick Sprauve, Celestino White and Alvin Williams.
Voting in favor of the leases were Senate President Louis Patrick Hill, and Sens. Wayne James, Sammuel Sanes and Michael Thurland.
So the question is now what?
Just after the vote was completed, Sen. Craig Barshinger encouraged officials of WAPA and VIWMA to continue to work on a proposal to eliminate the landfills and address the solid waste problem.
We look forward to Plan B.
I wouldn’t talk about people(Malone & Nellie) other than Foncie like that. They’re going to be attacked like crazy because of it. You’ve been warned.
Donastorg will destroy deJongh in the primary … I can see it happening Foncie has a big momentum in his favor .
Sanes is an embarassment to all of us .. We went out in droves to support him … Now what ? … his seat is lost already.
So your name us Ana San now Foncie? OK.
Sanes is a mess. He is such joke. His Senate set has already been filled by a Jackass. NEXT!
FIRE Hugo he is a waste.
it a shame that we has people r not in support of hugo this man is really trying to help is move away from these old power plant just sit and do nothing not he be want this so bad but those good for notbin senator would not help him and thats y we r suffering. lets get a new power plant and move way from oil its not to late
So Alpine coming back again. This is going to be good.