Governor de Jongh announced Monday that the 30th Legislature will meet on December 19 to either ratify or further table the Operating Agreement signed between the Government of the Virgin Islands and Atlantic Basin Refining (ABR). However, the Governor said he hoped the Senate would take up the issue immediately and vote in favor of the deal.
I think that if we can bring [the agreement] to closing with ABR, we get a payment, we get to look at the restart facility, and if the restart can take place, then the economic contributions come our way. If we [do not] make a decision on the 19, I think we’re in a worse posture, because it is completely taken out of our control and put in the hands of the two owners, and that leaves us in the position where we will then have to get into a much more litigious which, if we have to, decisions will be made on a policy basis. But, I think we’re much more in control if we can get a favorable agreement out of the [30th] Legislature. — Governor de Jongh.
Governor de Jongh made these remarks in an audio recording released by Government House today where he took on a range of topics surrounding the ABR agreement, including what he called “risks” associated with disapproving the deal.
Listen to the audio files here, here, here and here.
Feature Image: De Jongh and representatives of Atlantic Basin Refining sign Operating Agreement.
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