Venezuela gives the US an island owned by Citgo

[Bushknew]

Source: El Universal

President Hugo Chávez announced in the Fifth Summit of the Americas that Venezuela has given an island owned by Citgo, a US-based subsidiary of Venezuelan state-run Petróleos de Venezuela (Pdvsa), to the US. The island is located in New Jersey, in front of the city of Philadelphia.

Petty's Island has approximately 392 acres and is in the Delaware River, off the coast of Camden City, (the poorest city in the US).

Chávez stressed that this move is to strengthen ties with the United States.


Read more: http://english.eluniversal.com/2009/04/21/en_eco_esp_venezuela-gives-the_21A2299365.shtml

---

Let the hate begin.

[Bicoastal]

1. Venezuela owns land in the middle of the Delaware river?

Who knew? :shrug:

[xchrom]

2. reads a little like an onion piece. nt

[MADem]

3. He probably doesn't want to pay taxes on it anymore.

CITGO may have owned the property, but it wasn't Venezuelan sovereign territory. If I own an island off the coast of say, Maine, it's not The Land of MADem--it's an island in Maine, and I'd pay property taxes to some county as a consequence of owning the land.

That's not "hate"-- that's just a straightforward analysis. He's been trying to economize lately. For a short period of time, he cut Joe Kennedy's program off at the knees, and that was due to cash flow issues.

[Bushknew]

6. Representatives of the former Governor of New Jersey, James McGreevey, blocked CITGO’s offer in 2004

Representatives of the former Governor of New Jersey, James McGreevey, blocked CITGO’s offer in 2004, the New York Times informed (October 2, 2004), with the intention of "leaving the island to developers for a hotel, a conference center, a golf course and 300 homes."

http://www.farminguk.com/news/Venezuela-Gift-for-United-States-by-President-Chevaz.15314.asp

[MADem]

8. Well, that was five years ago. Corzine's been in charge for some time now.

McGreevey probably wanted the tax benefits...after all, wildlife refuges don't chip in to the coffers.

He was on his way out by then anyway...if you recall, McGreevey did his "I am a gay American" speech and was out the door in November (less than a month later) that same year. He wasn't calling any shots by that stage--he was already under seige.

[Kolesar]

15. Your sig line is a howler

Just kickin' it :)

[MADem]

18. It looks just like an old buddy of mine!

He lasted for over two decades, and travelled the world with me.

[Judi Lynn]

13. ""We never stopped the program:"" Citgo Chief executive Alejandro Granado

Citgo to continue to provide free oil to poor
January 7, 2009 04:49 PM

It looks like you'll be able to call Joe for free oil after all.

Venezuelan oil company Citgo Petroleum Corp. said it planned to continue supporting a program run by Joseph P. Kennedy II that provides free heating oil to 200,000 low-income residents and Native American tribes in 23 states, including Massachusetts, just two days after Kennedy announced that Citgo was temporarily dropping out of the program.

On Monday, Kennedy, president of Citizens Energy Corp., said Citgo had to halt contributions because of plunging oil prices and the widening recession, which hurt its revenue. As a result, Kennedy warned he that he would have to cut the program by one-fifth in Massachusetts and shutter it completely in other states this year, unless he could persuade Citgo to change its mind or raise other contributions. He also said Citizens would lay off 20 staffers.

But it turns out the angst was the result of a misunderstanding. "We never stopped the program," Citgo chief executive Alejandro Granado said at a press conference today at Citizens Energy's offices in South Boston.

More:
http://www.boston.com/business/ticker/2009/01/citgo_reverse_p.html

[MADem]

16. No, they just signaled their INTENTION to...which produced Joe's anguished press conference

and decision to lay off 20 people and scale the program back to its start-up days.

The press coverage--which was widespread and rather negative (not regarding the program, but regarding the "pull the rug out" aspect of this announcement)--probably had a role in changing their "intentions."

Unless Joe Kennedy is a total drooling idiot who doesn't understand a thing that is said to him...? I don't think he is.

The CITGO thing coincided with the end of Bush's term. Most people saw it as a way for Chavez to say "Well, we have no need to poke Bush in the eye anymore, so Eff You, USA!" Of course, the winter was very severe, and that promised and expected help was sorely needed. I don't think HC and Co. anticipated the "Eff You" backlash, where people who liked the fact that Chavez was poking Bush in the eye became resentful that he'd use poor people as pawns.

[Blue_Tires]

4. shame it's in the U.S.

I had my 'Jurassic Park' joke ready to fire...

[bertman]

5. Come on, Blue_Tires, you got to tell it now. Don't keep us in suspense.

[Richard D]

7. Here's a pic

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=petty%27s+island&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=49.043149,82.96875&ie=UTF8&ll=39.963866,-75.102153&spn=0.023354,0.040512&t=h&z=15

[Dr.Phool]

9. A Trojan Island?

[MADem]

17. It looks rather nice. Might be a bit of an EPA mess, though, with all those tanks.

"Now, CITGO must remove structures associated with former petroleum operations and complete cleanup of industrial contamination before the island can be transferred to the state for ownership and management," the news release from the DEP adds. Source: mercopress.com

[marshall]

21. They shit all over the island, now we can clean it up

Pretty shrewd move.

[MADem]

23. Someone posted Corzine's statement below--it changes hands in 2020 if all goes well.

I'm thinking the taxes on that baby are large. Maybe the cleanup costs are larger. Maybe not, though--CITGO won an award for "Environmental Stewardship" recently for their Chesapeake Bay facility. http://www.vheadline.com/readnews.asp?id=78724

If they used the same standards and practices in NJ, it'll be a simple trick to get rid of all those tanks and pipes and crap and unload the facility.

HC and VZ does have cash flow problems so it makes sense that he'd be interested in divesting himself of assets he's not really using. He's giving large amounts of oil to Cuba (in exchange for doctors and nurses) and he has a lot of "social program" balls in the air. And of course, the lowered price per barrel of oil couldn't have come at a worse time for him--I suspect he was counting on prices staying a bit higher. That means he's got to increase output. On the bright side for him, at least he's got plenty of the stuff.

[0xDEADBEEF]

10. Improvement

It's good to see Hugo Chavez finally paying proper respect to the Office of the President of the United States of America.

It's as if something magically changed overnight, to improve our foreign relations.

[Judi Lynn]

14. This president hasn't supported an armed coup against him, and hasn't made a point

of bringing officials of the opposition which controlled Venezuela until Chavez to Washington, entertaining them in the Oval Office, hasn't organized and funded national work lock out strikes, and referenda to remove him from office.

http://www.venelogia.com.nyud.net:8090/uploads/whitehouse-sumate-01.jpg

http://www.voltairenet.org.nyud.net:8090/IMG/jpg/sumate3902.jpg

Maria Corina Machado, Súmate opposition leader

[yurbud]

11. Does this mean that Fox News will demand we return the land to Venezuela?

We can't be taking gifts from that commie!

[Dumak]

12. Don't worry, they'll figure out something wrong with it

right-wing media just has to get together and figure out what it should be

[MADem]

19. Not even they can be that stupid. The land was never VZ sovereign territory.

It always was part of New Jersey. CITGO pays taxes on it--to New Jersey. They'll pay taxes on it, too, until they clean it up. Corzine can't and will not accept a "gift" that is soaked in petroleum and needs a clean-up.

I'm reminded of that Family Guy episode, where, because of a map quirk, the Griffins secede from the USA to "Petoria." The "Can't Touch This" musical number was absolutely brilliant!

[damntexdem]

20. Quick, bomb it! Blast that commie Island right out of the Delaware River.

Use nukes! After all, it's only Camden City that's nearby!

Oh, wait -- he gave it to us! Ok, build another Gitmo there!

;-)

[Judi Lynn]

22. Statement from Gov. Corzine's office discussing the donation of Petty's Island

April 22, 2009 - 3:58pm

GOVERNOR CORZINE MARKS EARTH DAY BY ACCEPTING DONATION OF PETTY’S ISLAND ON BEHALF OF NEW JERSEY’S RESIDENTS
By Governors Press...
GOVERNOR CORZINE MARKS EARTH DAY BY ACCEPTING DONATION

OF PETTY’S ISLAND ON BEHALF OF NEW JERSEY’S RESIDENTS TRENTON – Governor Jon S. Corzine celebrated Earth Day today by announcing the finalization of plans to accept the donation of Petty’s Island on behalf of the residents of New Jersey, fulfilling his promise to preserve one of the Delaware River’s largest islands as an urban oasis for wildlife that will be enjoyed by people throughout the region.

“Earth Day is a fitting time to consummate the donation of this special place,” Governor Corzine said. “Petty’s Island has become an important home to bald eagles, kestrels and a wide variety of waterfowl. We are opening a new chapter in the island’s long history by restoring it and giving it back to nature and the people of New Jersey.”

In January, the Natural Lands Trust, a state land-preservation board, voted to accept CITGO Petroleum Corp’s offer of a conservation easement for the island, located in Pennsauken. Governor Corzine commended CITGO’s decision to donate the island and sign an agreement with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to complete the cleanup of contamination. In the coming months, CITGO will begin removal of the tank farm. The DEP also will conduct an inventory of plants and wildlife.

“This is a remarkable opportunity to enhance the overall ecological health of the Delaware River and establish a much-needed sanctuary for wildlife in a heavily urbanized river corridor,” DEP Acting Commissioner Mark N. Mauriello said. “Thanks to Governor Corzine’s leadership and vision, Petty’s Island will be cleaned up and become a sanctuary for people as well, a place to unwind and appreciate the stunning diversity of wildlife that thrives along this stretch of the Delaware.”

“The preservation of Petty’s Island represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to restore and manage a spectacular natural area in the midst of one of the most urbanized areas of New Jersey for the benefit of our children and future generations, and I cannot think of a better way to celebrate Earth Day,” said Michael Catania, Chairman of the New Jersey Natural Lands Trust. “I’d like to thank Governor Corzine for his leadership, and to convey our heartfelt appreciation to CITGO for its vision and commitment to making to this dream become a reality.”

CITGO has agreed to create a $2 million stewardship fund to allow the Natural Lands Trust to manage the island. The company is setting up another $1 million fund to assist in establishing a cultural and education center. The eventual recreational development of the island will be limited to passive activities, such as trails for hiking and bicycle riding.

The Natural Lands Trust plans to coordinate supervised group tours after the tank farm is dismantled and removed. General public access will be allowed after the cleanup is completed and title is transferred to the state.

The DEP must certify that the cleanup has met state standards before the title can be transferred. The earliest the transfer can occur is 2020, which is three years following the expiration of a lease an active shipping terminal has with CITGO. This gives CITGO time to address any potential contamination at the shipping terminal property.

The nearly 400-acre island provides nesting and foraging habitat for a pair of American bald eagles. It also provides habitat for great blue herons and state-endangered black-crowned night-herons. Songbirds migrating along the river corridor use the island’s woodlands and wetlands for habitat and cover.

To further observe and promote Earth Day, Governor Corzine celebrated the preservation of Presby Memorial Iris Gardens in Montclair and helped kick off the “NJ Inspections: Making the Garden State Safer and Greener” campaign

http://www.politickernj.com/governors-press-office/29216/governor-corzine-marks-earth-day-accepting-donation-petty-s-island-beha