July 24, 2008 –- The V.I. Water and Power Authority increased security at all of its facilities in the territory Thursday after a caller threatened to blow up the troubled Randolph E. Harley Power Plant.
The plant was evacuated of all personnel except for a small skeleton crew needed to keep the power on in St. Thomas and St. John, according to a WAPA statement.
After the call came in to the WAPA business office in Sub Base around 9:20 a.m., V.I. police were notified as was the National Reporting Center which in turn notified federal agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security.
"We need the public to understand that bomb threats are a very serious problem for us," said Hugo Hodge, Jr. WAPA's Executive Director. Not only is it disconcerting for the employees and the public, it is extremely costly to WAPA and its customers, Hodge said.
Maintenance and repair crews have been working on several units in the Harley Power Plant that have not been available to generate reliable power in the plant for many months. Because the contractors as well as WAPA employees are required to clear the plant and remain outside of the plant until the search for a possible bomb is completed, time and money were lost by the Authority.
"WAPA will do everything in its power to assist the local and federal authorities to find the perpetrator of this crime and bring that person to justice," Hodge concluded.
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