Island Council in favour of NuStar Terminal expansion

~Concerns about airport runway~

ST. EUSTATIUS--The Island Council of St. Eustatius has voted in favour of the amendments in the Spatial Development Plan to accommodate expansion of NuStar Statia Terminal in Cul-de-Sac, but also expressed concerns regarding the consequences for the extension of the airport runway.

Reuben Merkman explained the position of the Democratic Party (DP) and said his party had always supported Terminal expansion behind The Hill, and if this would not be possible in Cul-de-Sac.

He said to have been disappointed in the previous coalition government providing little information to the general public and the Island Council. More information would have given the opportunity for a larger debate.

He explained the Island Council had been informed about the terminal expansion in Cul-de-Sac in November 2011 through a letter of intent signed by NuStar's vice-president of international operations David Smith with the previous Executive Council.

Leader of St. Eustatius Empowerment Party (STEP) Franklin Brown accused Merkman of confusing the general public by his statements in an article in The Daily Herald of April 11, in which the DP leader had stated the terminal expansion was "no done deal."

Brown questioned Merkman whether the DP government was now re-negotiating the financial agreement with NuStar, since the DP had disapproved the present financial agreement.

Brown also wanted to know the status of the present Island Council meeting, whether it was to give a clear position on the expansion or whether they were to determine whether permits should be issued or not.

He went on to state that if Merkman was that displeased with the financial agreement, his party, which holds the majority in the Council, could determine whether the project should proceed or not.

Councilman Reginald Zaandam of United People's Coalition (UPC) acknowledged the various groups in the community among those in support of the project, but disagreeing with Cul-de-Sac based on the historical findings and the closeness to the residential area.

"And then there are those who don't wish to see the tanks at all. The UPC is in favour of investors coming to the island to make it self-sufficient," Zaandam said, who acknowledged the challenges faced in developing the island. "But this should not hamper us to look over the fence for other investment possibilities."

Zaandam said the NuStar expansion should not hamper the airport runway expansion of up to 700 metres to be able to turn F.D. Roosevelt Airport into a "satellite airport" to alleviate congestion in St. Maarten.

Zaandam said the coalition had discussed several options for the terminal expansion with NuStar and had sought to address the overall interest of the island and its people.

Independent Island Council Lady Millicent Lijfrock said to be "totally in favour of this project," but also supported Zaandam's position that the expansion should not hinder the airport.

Although she supported the fact that Statians are becoming more vocal on issues, she also cautioned the public not to be one-sided. "Everything we do in life has a risk," she said.

She also acknowledged that governments in the past had failed to assure that NuStar would be a "good corporate citizen." She suggested the island government to establish a Corporate Social Responsibility, similar to what is being applied to companies in Europe.

She thinks it's important to diversify the economy, and for this reason said it would be good to go back to the negotiating table with NuStar.

Commissioner Glenville Schmidt explained the adaptation of the Spatial Development Plan was an important step in facilitating NuStar's expansion.

The Commissioner said the discussions had been ongoing for two years, but the people had not been sufficiently involved. He said the Island Council was the ultimate body to decide what was best for the island. "All present and previous council members could have brought this issue to the floor of the council," Schmidt said.

The Commissioner questioned if one should stand still because of safety concerns. "Everything we do has safety risks; taking the airplane, driving to work et cetera. The Island Government has made a decision to go forward with this project, and I will not flip-flop on this issue. We need to create more possibilities to stand on our own," Schmidt firmly stated.

Commissioner Koos Sneek outlined a number of points and answered the many questions put forward by the opposition. He said the Spatial Development Plan had been approved by the Executive Council on April 13. A letter of intent was signed by NuStar and former commissioner Clyde van Putten on October 27, 2011, in which it was stated that the company would pay US $50 million over a 10-year period, with the first payment being made in 2012. The island would also benefit from an increase in anchorage fees to US $750,000. Sneek said government is looking into the possibility of creating a trust fund.

Commissioner Sneek reiterated Merkman's statement that the DP had always been in favour of expansion of the terminal behind the hill. However, alternative locations, such as Venus Bay, proved not to be feasible, because these would be more destructive to nature.

Sneek underscored that experts will be assisting Statia for a year to draft a calamity management plan. He hoped the physicians who objected to the expansion in the farm would also get involved.

Sneek also touched briefly on the airport runway and said the terminal would not allow extension of the runway. At the same time he questioned if the island really needed a longer runway. He used St. Barths as an example of a small airport which accommodates 20 flights, bringing in approximately 300 people on a daily basis. Sneek added that petitioners would also have complained if a large jet would have come to the island.

Sneek concluded his remarks in expressing his concerns about objective media reporting. He made reference to the first demonstration against the terminal expansion, which noted that 200 persons were present, while "the facts showed that approximately 50 persons were in the walk," Sneek said.

Some 1,300 objections were filed against the draft Spatial Development Plan, 238 of which were counted as valid individual objections. Signatures collected in signature drives were not included in the count, Sneek explained.

Source: http://www.thedailyherald.com/islands/1-islands-news/27124-island-council-in-favour-of-nustar-terminal-expansion-.html

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