Business & Tech
Decommissioning Limetree Refinery Will Take Months, Says Company
The owners of the defunct refinery told a bankruptcy court that formally shutting down the facility will take several months.
ST. CROIX, USVI — The owners of the Limetree Bay Refinery told a bankruptcy court on Monday that they need several months to decommission the facility.
Representatives from the company acknowledged that a complete shut-down might not be the ultimate plan. However, fixing the many operational issues at the facility would require at least $1 billion, as reported by Reuters. Securing that kind of investment is unlikely.
Instead, the St. Croix facility has already started the long shut-down process. Last weekend, Limetree tested a flare. The next step is to start releasing pent-up gases from its systems.
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Judge David R. Jones, the judge presiding over the proceedings on Monday, expressed concerns that decommissioning would be done safely and in a way that doesn't harm the environment. "Let's make sure we ask enough questions to make sure that we do not end up with material in a pit on the ground, and I've seen that before," he said.
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