Statia people hit the streets in protest to NuStar expansion plans - photo's

Photos Olga Schats

Statia people hit the streets in protest to NuStar expansion plans - Dutch press release

Om 15.00 uur vanmiddag startte op de Congo Preserve een protestmars van bijna 200 inwoners van St. Eustatius richting de ‘Governments Office’, het locale gemeentehuis. Zij protesteerden tegen de uitbreidingsplannen van oliegigant NuStar in ‘The Farm’, een locatie rijk aan zeldzame flora, fauna en archeologische artefacten. Bovendien bevindt het terrein waar NuStar wil uitbreiden zich dichtbij het centrum van Oranjestad en vrezen de inwoners voor hun gezondheid en veiligheid.

De protestmars was een gezamenlijk intiatief van de grassroot-bewegingen SEAD en Statia Roots en de stichting Statia Safe and Sound.

Kritiek op overheid
Al maandenlang wordt op het eiland, met 3600 inwoners en half zo groot als Schiermonnikoog, geprotesteerd tegen de uitbreiding. Er is veel kritiek op de locale overheid vanwege de uiterst beperkte berichtgeving en het ontbreken van een inspraakverordening. Openbaarheid van bestuur is eerder uitzondering dan regel op St. Eustatius. Wat de inwoners rest zijn ingezonden brieven in de plaatselijke krant, petities, discussieprogramma’s op televisie, bezwaarschriften en pogingen de interesse te wekken van de internationale media.

Jong en oud, zwart en wit
Dat het de Statianen hoog zit, blijkt uit de samenstelling van de stoet. Moeders met baby’s, hoogbejaarde inwoners met stok, wit, zwart, Europese en Caribische Nederlanders. “Dit is een historische gebeurtenis” zegt Paul Spanner, voorzitter van Statia Roots Foundation, “Nooit eerder zijn Statianen de straat op gegaan in het besef dat ze het recht hebben om tegen de eilandsoverheid te demonstreren.” De demonstranten droegen spandoeken, protestborden en riepen leuzen als: “No tanks, no bombs, no pollution”, “Tanks No Thanks”, “Democratie of oliegarchie?” en “Money for them, pollution for we”. Langs de route stonden vele belangstellenden waaronder locale politici.

Ontvangst protestbrief en foto’s
Bij aankomst bij de Governments Office nam waarnemend gezaghebber de heer Louis Brown de aangeboden protestbrief en foto’s in ontvangst. De serie foto’s representeerde de mogelijke gevaren die de uitbreiding met zich meebrengt, brandende tanks, brandende schepen, een verlaten strand, met hierbij steeds het onderschrift “We don’t want that”.

Oliereus op mini-eiland
SEAD-coördinator Kenneth Cuvalay: “NuStar zweert bij hun strenge veiligheidsvoorschriften. Maar nog geen maand geleden, lekte er uit een oliepijp bij NuStar-terminal Aberdeen 500 vaten diesel over een terrein van 2 km2. Als dat hier gebeurt, stroomt het hele centrum onder de olie. Om over brand nog maar te zwijgen. Dat is toch gekkenwerk.“

Nederlandse overheid houdt zich afzijdig
“Er zijn miljarden gemoeid met de uitbreiding”, vertelt Cuvalay. ”Olieop- en overslag is booming business. De locale overheid en NuStar spelen handjeklap en de Nederlandse overheid stelt zich op als Pontius Pilate; zich stiekem verheugend op miljoenen extra belastinginkomsten van NuStar. De bevolking van St. Eustatius staat er alleen voor, met het schrikbeeld van 31 nieuwe olietanks voor ogen, 35 meter hoog , vol in het zicht, op nog geen 500 meter van Oranjestad”.

Media coverage on historic Peaceful Citizin's March, Statia, March 16th 2012

YouTube

• Public Protest March 16th 2012 (Video 1).mp4
  
• Public Protest March 16th 2012 Video 2 
• Public Protest March 16th 2012 (Video 3).mp4 

Newspapers / websites

•  NuStar blijft Kamerleden zorgen baren
  Antilliaans Dagblad 20 maart 2012
• Vragen GroenLinks over besluit NuStar 
  RNW 20 maart 2012
• St. Eustatius in actie tegen olieopslag 
  De Volkskrant maandag 19 maart 2012
• Demonstratie Statia tegen uitbreiding NuStar
  Antilliaans Dagblad maandag 19 maart 2012
• Sint Eustatius demonstreert tegen Nustar
  Radio Nederland Wereldomroep
• More than 200 demonstrate against terminal expansion
  The Daily Herald, St. Maarten zaterdag 17 maart 2012
• Groot protest tegen Nustar op St.Eustatius 
  Versgeperst Curacao
• “Money for them, pollution for we”
  Caribseek News
• Plans For New NuStar Oil Terminal Trigger A First In St. Eustatius History
  Caribseek News
• Statia in alle staten: protestmars tegen uitbreiding olietanks op mini-eiland
  De Telegraaf, vrijdag 16 maart 2012, pag. T5

People - profit - planet

From the Dutch media we learned that NuStar has hired the former Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Bernard Bot, to lobby for its interests in The Hague (see also https://www.sp.nl/column/ronald-van-raak/2011/bel-ben-bot). So much for NuStar's "open and honest communication" they claim they're so committed to.

We also learned that Mr. Bot is working for the company Meines & Partners in The Hague. Meines & Partners is a company that states on its website to feel socially responsible. In other words, they follow the principles of Corporate Social Responsibility (in Dutch Maatschappelijk Verantwoord Ondernemen). The Triple P approach is often used to describe these principles: People, Profit, Planet.

Corporate Social Responsibility can be described as a way of doing business aimed at economical results (Profit), with respect for social aspects (People), within the ecological conditions (Planet).

Lobbying for NuStar, in SEAD's opinion, only serves the P for Profit. The story that Mr. Bot has for the Dutch MPs must be really convincing: NuStar has built a 3.8 barrel facility in Amsterdam, and it hires Dutch company Verwater to build their tanks in Amsterdam, St. Eustatius.

But we really wonder how the People and the Planet are served by NuStar's expansion in the Farm area. SEAD has asked Meines & Partners to give some clarification on this matter.

Open letter to NuStar Board of Directors

Dear Sirs,

This letter serves to inform you about current developments involving NuStar Energy L.P. (NYSE: NS). NuStar Energy L.P. is the second largest oil terminal operator in the USA and the fourth largest in the world. Their largest facility by far is located on the Dutch Caribbean island of St. Eustatius. With its capacity of 13 million barrels the terminal on St. Eustatius alone can hold as much as 25 per cent of all NuStar's terminals in the USA combined (50.6 million barrels). The operation on this island is therefore a key factor in NuStar Energy's overall results.

At the NAPTP MLP Investor Conference in May 2011, NuStarGP Holdings, LLC (NYSE: NSH), which owns general partner interests in NuStar Energy L.P. and manages the business affairs of NuStar Energy L.P., stated that they were constructing another million barrels capacity on St. Eustatius. However, these plans have generated considerable unrest amongst the population of the island. Petitions against the current plans have been organized. Protests against the proposed expansion have led to repeated questions being asked to the relevant Ministers in the Dutch Parliament. Interest groups have also appealed to UNESCO.

The concerns and protests are about the proposed location of NuStar's additional tanks and associated new jetty. Their proximity to residential areas, schools, the island's only swimming beach, recreational areas and the airport is considered a threath to the inhabitants' health, safety and general quality of life. Unique eco systems and coral reefs will be damaged and limit the chances to get on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

In addition, unique cultural heritage will be affected or even destroyed by the current plans as the site includes extensive 18th century slave cemeteries and a private colonial plantation cemetery dating back to 1719. The destruction of slave cemeteries is a particularly sensitive issue on an island of which the population predominantly descends from enslaved Africans.

 

What affects the inhabitant's perception of NuStar Energy as a responsible corporate citizen is the fact that alternatives are available. However, these will involve higher investments and NuStar is therefore consistently turning them down. This leads to the notion that in the eyes of NuStar Energy, the people of St. Eustatius - the island that contributes more to NuStar Energy's profits than any other of their sites - are not worth spending more money for. This negative perception of NuStar Energy has already started to spread - to the Dutch politcal arena and internationally.
http://no-to-nustar-expansion-steustatius.blogspot.com/

 

Good corporate citizenship has rightly become an important part of a company's sustainability. NuStar Energy L.P. is currently putting theirs at risk by not showing respect to the community that harbors the biggest contributor to their profits.

 

Sincerely 

250 Signatures Reached!

The online petition against NuStar expansion reached 250 signatures today.

A lot of people posted their comment alongside their signature, to let us know why they are signing.

So did Victor Sams, and we couldn't agree more:

"You should know when you’re being played for the fooled. Saying yes to the expansion at the farm, is worse than selling your soul for gold. This is selling the soul for coins!!!"

Statians Inspect Terminal by Boat

Source: The Daily Herald, July 23, 2011

SEAD Launches Online Petition: Please Sign

Change.org|Start an Online Petition »

Text of the Online Petition

We
St. Eustatius Awareness and Development (SEAD) Movement and other concerned citizens on the island of St. Eustatius, Dutch Caribbean

Conclude

That the proposed location for expansion of NuStar Energy L.P. in The Farm area on St. Eustatius (with an additional 40 tanks and a new to be built jetty) will:

1. Destroy a very valuable historical site which contains three possible slave cemeteries (possibly one of the largest ever found in the Caribbean!), an 18th century plantation cemetery, two possible slave villages, and a plantation complex;
2.  Have a dramatic impact on the island’s scenic views that will hamper tourism development and the atmosphere of a rural area that St. Eustatius (as The Historical Gem) is famous for;
3.  Increase the risk of accidents, major oil spill, damage to the island’s ecosystem in an area very close to schools, residential, touristic & recreational areas, and in the approach route of an airport;
4. Lead to the destruction of several natural reef systems in the Statia Natural Marine Park because of the new to be built jetty;
5. No longer give access to The Lower Town (main) beach of the island and popular dive sites.

And request

1. That NuStar Energy L.P. will look for other areas to build their new terminal, even if this would mean bigger investments;
2. That our concerns are heard by government, that government will not try to prevent an open discussion, and that the people of St. Eustatius are involved in the decision making process;
3. New research on how to improve the tourism sector and other economical development that will benefit the island.

NB The photo is an edited image of what the Farm area would look like when the proposed 40 new oil tanks are built.