Page 11 - ARUBA TODAY

WORLD NEWS A11
Tuesday 15 September 2015

US Virgin Islands sues oil company over shuttered refinery

The Hovensa oil refinery is seen in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. The pattern of misconduct by spokeswoman Lorrie Heck- on St. Croix, and the mis-
government of the U.S. Virgin Islands on Monday sued Ameri- executives at Hess, which er said, “We believe this suit handling of crude oil and
can oil company Hess Corp. for more than $1 billion, alleging operated with Venezuela’s is wholly without merit.” its byproducts at the facility
that the firm abandoned a massive oil refinery it had pledged to state-owned oil company The legal dispute marks a led to extensive contami-
run through the year 2022. what was once the world’s low in Hess’s nearly 50-year nation of the aquifer.
largest refinery before clos- history in St. Croix, whose In return for its largesse,
(AP Photo/Jason Bronis) ing it in 2012. It said Hess 51,000 residents account Hess ultimately received
conspired to strip the facil- for nearly half the popu- billions of dollars in tax
J. HORWITZ ny Hess Corp. for more than ity’s assets in order to leave lation of the U.S. Virgin Is- breaks from the territorial
M. BIESECKER $1 billion, alleging that the the government with claims lands. With an economy government. The case fo-
Associated Press firm abandoned a massive against a broke, polluted once based on sugarcane, cuses on the terms of those
WASHINGTON (AP) — The oil refinery it had pledged and inoperable refinery. rum and slaves, the impov- tax breaks, which included
government of the U.S. to run through the year “This is not about a busi- erished island proved wel- conditions to promote the
Virgin Islands on Monday 2022. ness disagreement. It is coming when oilman Leon establishment and opera-
sued American oil compa- The complaint alleged a about Hess breaking the Hess first built a refinery on tion of refining operations.
law,” said Kenneth Mapp, the island in 1965. The fa- Subsequent agreements in-
governor of the U.S. Virgin cility came at a significant cluded one that went into
Islands.In an emailed re- environmental price: Hess effect in 2002 and was to
sponse to questions from built the refinery on the last two decades, accord-
The Associated Press, Hess largest mangrove lagoon ing to the agreement. q

Colombia denounces 2nd flyover
made by Venezuelan military jets

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Caribbean coast.
Colombia government on The allegations come at
Monday denounced what a time of tense relations
it said was the second in- as Venezuelan President
cursion into its territory by Nicolas Maduro closes
Venezuelan military planes much of the border be-
in less than 24 hours. tween the two countries
Gen. Carlos Bueno, the and has expelled some
head of the Colombia’s 1,400 Colombians as part
air force, said that a radar of a anti-smuggling crack-
unit detected a Venezu- down.
elan military aircraft over- Venezuela’s Foreign Min-
flying the eastern province ister Delcy Rodriguez on
of Vichada on Sunday at Sunday denied the first
around 10 p.m. He said at a incursion, saying it was a
press conference Monday made-up allegation to de-
that the pilot remained in rail a potential meeting be-
Colombian airspace for tween the countries’ presi-
about 10 minutes, commu- dents to resolve the almost
nicating with air traffic con- month-old dispute.
trollers that he was obliged Defense Minister Vladimir
to deviate from its course Padrino on Monday called
due to bad weather even on Venezuela’s military
though the protocol for to be on high alert, say-
such emergencies wasn’t ing Colombia was seeking
followed properly. to provoke an incident on
The incident occurred just the border. He also said
hours after two planes were that some 6,000 troops had
sported crossing nearly 3 ki- been sent to Venezuela’s
lometers (1.8 mile) into Co- western edge to improve
lombian territory near the security.q