Beautiful Virgin Islands

Thursday, Jul 24, 2025

Hon Penn claims VIP Gov’t was looking to build runway through Hans Creek

Hon Penn claims VIP Gov’t was looking to build runway through Hans Creek

Without providing any proof to support his claims, National Democratic Party (NDP) Chairman and Eighth District Representative Hon Marlon A. Penn accused the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) administration of planning to build an airport runway through Hans Creek on Beef Island.

VIP Chairman and Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) has; however, said he has never heard or seen of any such plans and called it “imaginary”.

Hon Penn was at the time responding to a comment made by Dr Wheatley during the Party Leaders Debate held at Eileene L. Parsons Auditorium last evening, March 11, 2023.

Earlier, Dr Wheatley, responding to a question about the environment, said it was fighting for the environment that brought him into the political life, recalling that it was in 2006 when the then NDP administration was coming forward with a Beef Island development, which was going to dig up a 10-acre salt pond on Beef Island and destroy an environmentally pristine area known as Hans Creek.

The Premier said he and members of the Virgin Islands Environmental Council stood up against it and since then he has been fighting for the environment.

Virgin Islands Party (VIP) Chairman and Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) has; however, said he has never heard or seen of any such plans to put a runway through Hans Creek and called the claims by Hon Marlon A. Penn as ‘imaginary’.



‘Imaginary plan’- Premier Wheatley

Hon Penn used time on a different question to respond to Dr Wheatley, saying he was concerned that former Premier Andrew A. Fahie was “running a runway through the entire Hans Creek.

“I didn’t hear anything about that activism,” Hon Penn stated.

Dr Wheatley also used time on a different question to respond to Hon Penn, saying: “This is the first time I am learning about some, I would say, imaginary plan to put a highway through Hans Creek.”

The Premier explained that Beef Island is privately owned, besides the airport.

“That land is privately owned and I have never seen and never heard of any plan to put a highway through Hans Creek.”

Dr Wheatley noted; however, that his Government had intentions to extend the runway at Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport, “where it is right now, [to] over 6000 ft to get direct flights from New York, Boston, North Carolina.

“I am aware of no plans to put a runway through Hans Creek and I would never support any plans to do that,” Dr Wheatley stated.

It was the controversial Hans Creek Development Project that the NDP administration was pushing in 2006 that many believe cost it the elections in 2007.

Without providing any proof to support his claims, National Democratic Party (NDP) Chairman and Eighth District Representative Hon Marlon A. Penn accused the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) administration of planning to build an airport runway through Hans Creek on Beef Island.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
×