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Friday, March 29, 2024
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How Clean Is the Air?

Dear Source:

The residents of St. Croix, particularly those who reside in the west have several industries lined up that releases elements that affects them one way or the other. There is Hovensa, Renaissance, the building of Diego Rum distillery, the Anguilla dump and Virgin Islands Rum distillery. Out of the four, Hovensa is one of the most concerned. Hovensa, formerly Hess Oil has been on St. Croix for over 40 years. I always wondered the types of emissions that are released by that industry. Whatever is released travels westwardly. No matter what the direction the wind travels, emissions from industries such as Hovensa, could affect all the residents on the island. I find it very concerning with the quality of air we breathe everyday, particularly our children and elderly. It is one thing to have control of one’s home: for example use of toxic chemicals whether it be pesticides and cleaning items. It is another thing, which is the most disturbing, when a person does not have control of the type of air one breathes when in the public. Are we to live in an air bubble?

I would like to highlight information I researched concerning the Clean Air Act which is the law that [defines] EPA’s responsibilities for protecting and improving the nation’s air quality. U.S. Code 7401, Congressional findings and declaration of purpose concerning Air Quality and Emission Limitations finds “that the growth in the amount and complexity of air pollution brought about by urbanization, industrial development, and the increasing use of motor vehicles, has resulted in mounting dangers to the public health and welfare, including injury to agricultural crops and livestock, damage to and the deterioration of property, and hazards to air and ground transportation; that air pollution prevention (that is, the reduction or elimination, through any measures, of the amount of pollutants produced or created at the source) and air pollution control at its source is the primary responsibility of States and local governments: and that Federal financial assistance and leadership is essential for the development of cooperative Federal, State, regional, and local programs to prevent and control air pollution. “
I have some questions for those in authority:
1. What local laws have been created to comply with the Clean Air Act? 2. Is there a concerted effort to test the quality of our air regularly? If there are testing’s being done, how often? 3. What are the types of toxics revealed from those tests, particularly in the case of Hovensa? 4. How will the people be informed about the results of those tests? 5. Water is just as essential as air. It is a concern that Hovensa’s underground leakage causes contamination to our underground water channels. Are there any measures in place to test those channels for contamination? 6. We need to ask ourselves whether or not having Hovensa on St. Croix, healthy for the people who resides there or is it just for the love of money? Is this industry truly in our best interest? We need to build a safer and healthier industry which is in an agriculture industry.
Shalima Edwards (Joseph)
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