Idled St.Croix Refinery Faces Regulatory Hurdles Before Any Restart

The return of the idled St. Croix refinery in the US Virgin Islands seems unlikely after the Environmental Protection Agency said it presents a fire risk, explosion or other “catastrophic” release after a recent inspection.

• Port Hamilton Refining has said it intends to work with the EPA toward restarting the plant next year but faces steep financial and regulatory hurdles.
• The refinery has struggled to produce meaningful quantities of refined products in recent years and has suffered numerous equipment failures before being idled. It was eyed as a potential source of gasoline for the US East Coast which has lost import options since the pandemic such as Canada’s Come-by-Chance.