Sen. Roach Displeased With Mapp For Not Providing HOVENSA Purchase Agreement To Senate

ST. CROIX — While the 31st Legislature has seen the operating agreement between Limetree Bay Holdings, a subsidiary of ArcLight Partners, LLC, and the Government of the Virgin Islands, a press release issued by Senator Tregenza Roach contends that the Senate never received the purchase agreement signed among Limetree Bay Holdings, HOVENSA and Hess Oil Virgin Islands. It’s a document Mr. Roach contends is indelible to his own decision-making process in regards to the sale of the refinery to ArcLight.

But the document was made widely available to media outlets by Government House on December 2; a day after the governor announced the partnership with Arclight. In fact, The Consortium made available the entire document on its website.

Mr. Roach said he received the operating agreement on December 1, but as he began to read and analyze it, the document referenced the purchase agreement — a separate yet equally important indenture — in a number of instances, according to the release.

Mr. Roach said he immediately inquired of the Senate’s legal counsel whether that office had received the purchase agreement, but legal counsel said no such contract was received.

“I then wrote the governor because I believe that it is important to understand the contents of the purchase agreement, presumably between HOVENSA and Limetree Bay Terminals, LLC, because its terms may impact the interpretation of the proposed operating agreement,” he said.

The independent lawmaker said he wrote to the governor in good faith because he did not want to wait until the special session called by the governor for December 17 to raise pertinent questions.

“I wanted sufficient time to digest all of this and in order to make a decision which I believe is in the best interest of the people of the Virgin Islands,” Mr. Roach said.

The legislator said he believes that members of the Senate should be provided with a copy of the purchase agreement, as it contains important information directly tied to the Limetree Bay/GVI agreement.

Feature Image: Sen. Tregenza Roach.

Image Credit: VIC.