UPDATE LICENSING PROCEDURE:
The Executive Council of St. Eustatius has received a formal notice of the withdrawal of the building permit application for the construction of 31 tanks, a jetty, related buildings, pipeline and infrastructure and the Cul-de-Sac area, the maritime permit application and the hindrance permit application. NuStar has indicated that they do not intend to move forward with the project as described in the application. All activities related with the NuStar terminal expansion project have been put on hold until further notice. The amendment of the spatial development plan will proceed in its final form.
NUSTAR TERMINAL EXPANSION PROJECT
NuStar Energy L.P. is a pipeline and terminal operator with terminal and storage facilities in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Turkey. They are intending an expansion at their Statia Terminal in Tumble Down Dick Bay, St. Eustatius. The expansion project will benefit economic development on the island. It will create opportunities for employment and contribute towards infrastructure and social facilities. The expansion will also be in compliance with stringent environmental and safety legislation. More information on how this is being implemented can be found under Links.
Project description
The expansion project consists of a marine part (loading jetty) and a terrestrial part (tank farm with connecting pipeline and auxiliary buildings). Initially, the new jetty was planned south of the existing jetty, adjacent to the Cul-de-Sac area. Based on feedback from the community however, the location was changed to an area north of the existing jetty though not in the Northern Reserve, so that it will not be visible from the Lower Town area. The new jetty will be equipped with a Vapor Recovery Unit that will eliminate emissions from vessels loading and offloading at the jetty.
The primary components of the land-based part of the expansion are a new tank farm of 31 tanks in the Cul-de-Sac area and a connecting pipeline between the new tank farm and the existing terminal. The tanks will be surrounded by concrete containment systems that are designed to prevent major oil spills in case of an emergency.
In total, the expansion is designed and constructed consistent with the best available (Dutch PGS 29 code, the most stringent in the world) health & safety and environmental measures to prevent or eliminate the possibility of water, air and soil pollution. The new and existing facilities will be subject to annual inspections by Dutch environmental and safety officials. Overall, the project is set up in such a way that environmental impact will be kept to a minimum. Where adverse effects could not be excluded completely, mitigating measures are proposed to diminish the residual impact to such an extent that the environment and natural beauty of the island will be protected under all circumstances. The entire environmental impact assessment (EIA) is available for download here.
Project significance
The project represents a vast, multimillion dollar investment in St. Eustatius and will give the island a tremendous economic boost, both in the short- and long-term. This will express itself in the creation of 250 to 500 construction jobs in the two-year construction period, and around 40 permanent jobs in the long run. In the long run the community on St. Eustatius will benefit from the spin off of this project.
More information will be shared by the Island Council and NuStar in Town Hall Meetings.
Public notification and participation
The public will be continuously informed concerning decisions in the process of the expansion of NuStar. Town Hall Meetings will be posted on this website beforehand.
Legal documents can be consulted at the Planningsburo of St. Eustatius and on this website under Planning decisions and permits as well as under Documents.
For questions we would like to refer you to our Frequently Asked Questions or to our Contact page