During a special meeting Monday, V.I. Water and Power Authority board members approved an extra $70,877 for emergency repairs to its fuel dock in Krum Bay.
In July, WAPA board members approved a $396,495 contract with Pro Mar Services to allow for the repairs. The dock was damaged by a vessel delivering fuel to the Randolph Harley Power Plant. While the extent of the damage has not been discussed in detail, WAPA has said the “dock sustained damage to the south breasting dolphin resulting in both lateral and vertical displacement of the concrete cap.”
The resulting damage included cracking of the concrete cap at several faces, pulling of the front tension piles out of the concrete cap and the breaking off of some of the bottom surface of the concrete cap surrounding the tension piles into the water, according to WAPA. During the July meeting, WAPA Executive Director Hugo Hodge Jr. said an investigation is ongoing into what exactly happened and who is responsible.
The major thing, he added, is getting the repairs done as soon as possible so fuel deliveries can continue to St. Thomas.
During Monday’s meeting, WAPA officials explained that while the repairs are underway, it was discovered that the dock had sustained more damage underneath. A permit request to get the work done was submitted to the Army Corps of Engineers citing the need for work to be done underwater, according to a WAPA news release.
Repairs are expected to wrap up by Oct. 31 and WAPA Executive Director Hugo Hodge Jr. said the work will not cause any delays to the authority’s ongoing propane conversion project.
Attending Monday’s meeting were board members: Elizabeth Armstrong, Wayne Biggs, Cheryl Boynes Jackson, Donald Francois, Gerald Groner, Noel Loftus, Karl Knight, and Juanita Young.