On Thursday, the Biden Administration’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it would not reopen a key U.S. oil refinery in the Virgin Islands, despite a coming national shortage in diesel fuel that could prove catastrophic to the country.
According to the Daily Caller, the St. Croix refinery was first shut down in June of 2021 after the administration demanded a “Prevention of Significant Deterioration” permit required by the Clean Air Act that would prove the refinery’s capabilities of reducing air pollution if reopened. [emphasis, links added]
The refinery is owned by West Indies Petroleum Limited and Port Hamilton Refining and Transportation, LLC.
The St. Croix refinery, one of the largest oil refineries in the world, was capable of producing over 600,000 barrels of crude oil per day, processing that oil into gasoline and heating oil, which is a form of diesel.
Heating oil is now 65 percent more expensive in October 2022 than this time last year, according to Bloomberg.
The U.S. currently has only about 26 days left of diesel fuel in commercial inventories, with the Energy Information Administration (EIA) admitting that one gallon of diesel now costs $1.58 more than it did in November of last year.
In addition, Biden’s EPA is considering another anti-diesel plan that would make prices even worse, by forcing oil companies to store a mandatory minimum amount of diesel in their fuel tanks.
“I am committed to prioritizing the health and safety of underserved and overburdened communities across this country and holding polluters accountable,” said EPA Administrator Michael Regan.
“This will ensure protections for St. Croix by requiring the refinery to operate in compliance with environmental laws designed to protect people’s health and the environment.”
The counterproductive move by the Biden Administration reflects its far-left “green energy” approach to energy policy, which has included shutting down the sale of all oil leases on federal land, as well as stifling domestic oil production in favor of so-called “renewable” forms of energy such as wind, solar, and electric.
These policies led to a spike in gas prices earlier in 2022, a crisis that was subsequently exacerbated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Although Biden has turned to raiding the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) as a means of temporarily reducing gas prices in order to improve his public image, gas prices have continued to rise after a brief drop, and the coming diesel shortage could spell disaster for the United States if truck drivers are no longer able to transport food and other goods across the country.
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Biden will end up reducing super power to a 3rd world nation all over a tonally fake crisis Bidens new home in 2024 should be in prison with both the Clintons and Obama
We have to remember Biden’s pledge to end the use of fossil fuels. The measures that he has taken in this article are consistent with that pledge. Yet, shortages and high prices will be blamed by the White House and its supports on the greed of oil companies.
Governments don’t care about cost. Private enterprise has to. Compliance can get expensive and standards rarely stand still. Environmentalists will never be satisfied so resistance to their demands is logical.
Just like it was under that idiot Bill Clinton the EPA Stormtroopers will soon confiscate your car and force you to drive four h wheel Tinder Box EV. We have e even more reasons to have Biden Impeached and the EPA under new management. Reminds me of a bumper sticker .HELP YOUR GOVERNEMENT DESTROT T Y AMERICA JOIN A ENVORMENALISTS GROUP