Protestors concerned about adverse environmental impact.
There’s a new business in Frederiksted town – or trying to be – https://www.raisingcane.vi. The company intends to form local partnerships to grow 9,850 more acres of sugarcane, a feat that would see Raising Cane supplying Cruzan Rum and Diageo with almost half of the molasses they need to run their operations.
As of Nov. 2021, Estate Prosperity had over 100 acres of land in use for the cultivation of sugarcane, according to information found on Raising Cane’s website. Here’s what their website says:
| “Our starter crop is sugar cane, and our St. Croix farm is the first in many deoncerned about cades to grow it on a production scale in order to create a local supply for our islands’ rum distillers.
With our fellow farmers, we are working to solve the problems of water infrastructure and access to land to make local farming profitable. Above all, we want to make farming an attractive career choice for the next generation; one that not only rewards the soul, but that also provides a good living.” |
Sounds good, right?
Not so fast! Local residents are up at arms over this – and one of our candidates for Governor (Senator Kurt Vialet) is in the thick of the issue.
Plans, it appears, were on track. However, things changed quickly when it was discovered that Raising Cane had intentions of building a rum distillery, and worked with Mr. Vialet to amend a zoning law that cleared the way for Mr. Apfel’s company to move forward with its distillery plans without the required processes of rezoning.
The community (nearly 1000 signatures on the petition) wants the building permit and earth change permits for Raising Cane’s distillery revoked. They also want the non-germane amendment to Act 8569(b) repealed, and want the Decision Makers to know that passing zoning changes into law without public notice is illegal. Act 8569(b) allowed the Mahogany Rd Distillery permits to be passed but also opens up the possibility of any new distillery of any size to open on nearly any agricultural land in the Virgin Islands.
During a recent meeting at a Vialet election fundraiser, the senator told around 30 protesters he believed the bill was “good” and an economic stimulus for Frederiksted. He also said they should contact the V.I. Department of Planning and Natural Resources with their complaints including water table issues and destruction to mangroves. More than one person said they called and their phone calls were not returned.
“This is the first I’m hearing about any environmental concerns,” Vialet told the group, adding that DPNR can issue cease and desist orders for violations.
During that meeting, Vialet said the distillery will not be similar to Cruzan Rum or Diageo, but is a micro-distillery. Around 200,000 gallons of rum will be produced per year versus seven million gallons by the full-scale factories.
Vialet told the Source that Apfel is renovating the historic buildings on the property and planning a tourist destination with tours of the rum factory and rebuilt ruins. There will be an additional 20 jobs at the location, he said. His support of the project and the new law was based on economic benefits for Frederiksted, he said. However, due to the backlash, he said he will request that Apfel “doesn’t touch anything until we have the meeting.”
Sara Zuckerman, who lives near the Raising Cane Farm, is one of the residents with deep concerns about having a distillery next door in Estate Prosperity. She and the protesters who met with Vialet believe the law was passed illegally without a public hearing. Some said Vialet demonstrated “a lack of transparency” and was not performing his “due diligence” in vetting the bill.
They also complained bitterly about the lack of response from DPNR. Zuckerman and the others believe all distilleries, even micro-distilleries, should be located in industrial zones.
“I’m worried about having a factory in my backyard. While it is a micro-distillery, the factory footprint is huge and the plans even show room for growth,” she said. “Agricultural land is allowed so many exceptions, I’m worried about the spent cane-husk waste and vinasse (distillery byproduct) polluting our groundwater, soil, and the run-off so close to the West End beaches.”
Vialet said he didn’t see an adverse environmental impact due to the small scale of the project. Nevertheless, a draft amendment is in the works and will be presented to the 34th Legislature during the next session, although it’s unclear whether or not the new bill will stop the West End rum distillery.