St. Croix: “An Economic Earthquake”

Politic365 Managing Editor Charles D. Ellison talks with Congresswoman Donna Christensen (D), an eight-term delegate representing the United States Virgin Islands, about the recent closure of the HOVENSA oil refinery on St. Croix, the island’s largest private employer.

Christensen described the event as an “economic earthquake” as it will leave nearly 2,000 workers jobless, a crippling economic blow to the territories with a population of nearly 110,000.  Virgin Islands Labor Commissioner Albert Bryan predicts St. Croix’s unemployment rate will soar to nearly 20% after the closure. Elected officials, including the Congresswoman, claim that HOVENSA’s executives gave no warning of the shut down despite the fact one of the nation’s largest oil refineries was losing money due, in part, to competition overseas.

“We are a small community, so a hit of over 2,000 jobs is a big hit to our economy,” says Christensen. “Businesses that rely on HOVENSA, their suppliers, hotels and restaurants and even some of our private schools are wondering how they are going to survive and keep their doors open when HOVENSA closes.”

When asked about how calls in Congress to open up domestic drilling could impact the situation, Christensen was doubtful. “It is uncertain whether that would reopen any of the refineries that have closed as much of the refining seems to have moved overseas. In fact, I happen to have seen that HESS bought some oil from the national reserves, but that did not help save our refinery; and offshore drilling in the waters off of the VI is not something I would support.”

Charles D. Ellison, Managing Editor for Politic365.com, Washington Correspondent for The Philadelphia Tribune and a weekly political analyst providing insight on WDAS-FM (Philadelphia), WVON-AM (Chicago) and KSRO-AM (Sonoma County, CA). He is author of the critically-acclaimed urban political thriller TANTRUM. More information can be found at http://www.cdellison.com

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