Community Survey Reveals Damning Accusations Against Refinery

U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS — Limetree Bay Refinery announced it is shutting down, but the story doesn't end there.

A community survey gauging the health and environmental impact of the refinery has released it's initial findings and it doesn't paint a pretty picture.

As first reported by the St. Croix Source, feedback from the community include stories of children choking and unable to breathe, adults passing out from the stench, and emergency rooms packed with patients suffering from the fumes.

The survey was designed by several concerned groups, including Crucian Heritage and Nature Tourism, the St. Croix Environmental Association, and the V.I. Good Food Coalition. David Bond, a professor of anthropology at Bennington College in Vermont, is also heavily involved. Bond has been researching and writing about the refinery since 2010.

This group of concerned citizens and organizations set out to gather feedback on the refinery's emissions and chemical releases in the six months it has been operational. They want to determine how the refinery is affecting water cisterns, daily life and the health of residents.

The survey is open to all adult residents of St. Croix. You can find it on the Bennington College website. Volunteers are also going door-to-door on St. Croix and will be stationed outside stores. The deadline is July 9.

Click here to read the full report.

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