Limetree Bay facility on St. Croix. Photo Credit: VI CONSORTIUM
ST. CROIX — Limetree Bay Refinery said Thursday it will use an EPA-approved procedure this weekend to begin the process of purging remaining oil and gas from the refinery. The action is part of Limetree Bay Refinery's shutdown process as it idles refining units for an extended shutdown and layoff remaining employees on Sept. 19.
"The next step in the process is expected to begin this weekend and includes purging oil and gases from the refinery in accordance with an EPA-approved procedure," the company said in a release. "The flare stack will be returned to service for this operation, and we expect a small flame and occasional plumes of steam to be visible at the flare tip."
Limetree assured the community that the flare stack has been fully repaired following the May 12, 2021 incident at the refinery. "The repairs were inspected and validated by independent experts and the flare was tested under an EPA-approved procedure," the company said.
Limetree Bay said it does not anticipate any odors or other impact to the community from the activity at the refinery. "We will continue to conduct fence-line air monitoring as usual to provide additional assurance to our neighbors," it said.
For more information or to report a concern, contact the Command Center at (340) 692-3000.
