NOAA Tower Lease Withheld by Senate Committee Amid Health Concerns, Community Pushback

What appeared to be a simple lease agreement to allow the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to install weather monitoring equipment on an existing telecommunications tower in Estate Nazareth was held in the Committee on Budget, Appropriations, and Finance on Tuesday, after several lawmakers expressed concerns about the tower's proximity to homes.  Bill 36-0062 is an act approving the lease agreement between the Government of the Virgin Islands and the United States Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), for “a portion of the telecommunications tower located on Parcel R-22 of Tract I Estate Nazareth.”  According to Vincent Richards, assistant commissioner in the Department of Property and Procurement, the lease will allow NOAA and the GVI to collect “atmospheric data” for the entire territory. The equipment attached to the existing telecommunications tower would provide the USVI with “optimum weather broadcast and Emergency Broadc...