Employees put out of work in February by the closure of St. Croix’s HOVENSA oil refinery will receive assistance from the United States government, officials announced last week.
The aid totals $7,841,250, and about $3.6 million of that will be released initially, according to a press release from the US Department of Labor. The aid, which came in the form of a “National Emergency Grant,” will be used to fund training and employment programmes, according to a DOL press release.
When HOVENSA’s operations ceased, 1,158 of the refinery’s employees were laid off, as were “many more” who were employed by 17 contractors working at the facility, according to the DOL.
John de Jongh Jr., governor of the US Virgin Islands, praised the grant in a statement posted on his website, stating that it will provide “a little more comfort” to the affected workers.
See the May 24, 2012 edition for full coverage.