Cruzan Rum Working With Authorities to Ensure Molasses Spill Does Not Have Lasting Impact on Environment, Company Says

  • Ernice Gilbert
  • December 18, 2021
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An aerial shot of the molasses spill incident at the Cruzan Rum site at the Gordon Finch Molasses Pier on St. Croix. By. V.I. CONSORTIUM

Cruzan Rum on Friday issued a statement acknowledging a molasses spill at its site at the Gordon Finch Molasses Pier. The firm also said it has been working with authorities to ensure that the spill does not lead to lasting environmental damage.

The incident occurred Tuesday night. According to preliminary details, molasses started to overflow through vents at the top of a tank, which was being filled from a vessel docked at the Molasses Pier. 

Images of the incident obtained by the Consortium show the sides of the tank darkened by the spill, and a vacuum truck performing cleanup work. 

“Tuesday night a molasses storage tank accidentally discharged causing molasses spill on the ground," Cruzan Rum Director of Corporate Communications Emily Bryson York said in a statement provided to the Consortium Friday. "Our teams worked quickly to contain the spillage, removing the spilled molasses, adding a new layer of soil to protect the land, and building berms to protect the waterway. We have been working with the appropriate authorities to ensure the molasses was cleaned up with no lasting effects to the environment.”

There was also concern that some of the molasses may have spilled into nearby seawater. The liquid sugar properties of molasses makes the product harmful to marine life. The liquid sinks quickly to the bottom of the ocean floor, absorbing the oxygen and suffocating fishes and forcing them to seek shallow waters. Unlike oil which rests on the surface of the water and is easily removable, molasses will descend to the bottom and it becomes difficult to eradicate.

See the images below.

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