Equipment corrosion at an oil refinery in the U.S. Virgin Islands presents a risk of fire, explosion, or other “catastrophic” releases of hazardous substances, U.S. environmental regulators said on Tuesday, after performing an inspection at the facility last month.
The idled St. Croix refinery, formerly called Limetree Bay, was shut down by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in September 2021 after a series of chemical releases into the environment sickened neighboring residents. The refinery was bought by West Indies Petroleum and Port Hamilton Refining and Transportation, following the bankruptcy of its former private equity owners.
An August 2022 fire at the refinery within the petroleum coke conveyor loading system burned for two weeks, prompting the inspection, an EPA regional administrator said in an Oct. 13 letter sent to the owners’ lawyers and made public on Tuesday.
Inspectors found corrosion on process valves, flanges, pipes, nuts, bolts, pressure relief devies and said gaskets were in poor condition.
They were particularly concerned about equipment contains ammonia, which can irritate or burn the eyes and skin, and liquefied petroleum gas, which can cause nausea and headaches. The chemicals, they say, present “serious health consequences” to facility workers and the general public if released.
The EPA said it would call for an independent expert to assess the ammonia- and LPG-containing equipment to determine whether the materials can be safely secured, and if not, safely remove them.
