VINLEC warns that copper theft puts lives and equipment at risk

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of VINLEC Thornley Myers is sending a stern warning to those guilty of stealing bits of copper from the utility company’s electricity system.{{more}}

Myers, speaking to SEARCHLIGHT on Friday, June 15, said that the practice is unsafe and generally undermines the integrity of the country’s electricity system.

This warning comes days after an individual fled VINLEC’s compound at Lowmans Bay, after being caught redhanded by a security guard last Wednesday, June 13.

According to the company’s CEO, at around 9:45 p.m, the individual was found attempting to cut off the copper wire that bonds and grounds the fuel tanks at the company’s fuel storage facility.

Unfortunately, the culprit was able to get away, but he left behind his tool bag, which according to the CEO, was well stocked to do the job.

The act was risky, Myers explained, because there was the possibility that the tools could ignite the 300,000 gallons of fuel stored at the facility. The copper wire is grounding wire, which is used to protect human life and also the equipment at the plant.

This most recent incident, Myers explained, was just one of many, in which people have entered VINLEC’s compound and stolen the metal.

Others have ventured on to poles to steal the copper wire in utility lines, the CEO told SEARCHLIGHT.

People traditionally use the copper for the shaping of spears to be used in spear fishing, Myers said.

“But clearly, since the market for scrap metal has developed in St Vincent, it has developed way beyond just the occasional individual in a fishing community using it to make an arrow,” Myers said.

He further explained that there have been increasing incidents of theft of copper from utility poles.

“It has been of concern to our board of directors and this matter has reached to the attention of the prime minister…so it is an issue which we have raised time and time again,” Myers said.

In the March 26, 2012 sitting of Parliament, Dr Douglas Slater, this country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, in response to a question posed by Member of Parliament for Central Kingstown St Claire Leacock, noted that in 2011, some 3.663 million, kilograms of scrap metal, valued at EC$1.946 million was exported.

Of that, over 13,000 kilograms was copper, which was exported at a value of EC$238,000.

One local dealer told SEARCHLIGHT that metals such as aluminum and copper are usually exported to the United States, while the market for metals such as iron is as far as Bangladesh and China.

He further explained that in terms of quantity, he and two other exporters of copper and aluminum, together ship about 10 containers a year.

Exporters in other metals would ship about five containers a week, he explained.

While acknowledging that the issue of the theft of metals such as copper was a problem, he, however, contended that the export of scrap metal is good for the environment, seeing that it provides an avenue to get rid of unwanted metal.

But the officials at VINLEC say that there are three issues involved, the first being the economic cost associated with the theft of the metal.

“Because once people remove the copper from our lines, we have to replace it.”

The second, Myers explained, was the technical aspect, because the quality of power is compromised and the issue of safety was also important.

Dr Vaughn Lewis, Manager of Engineering at VINLEC, explained that copper is used primarily for grounding purposes.

Approximately 10,000 utility poles across the country carry copper components to ground the system and the entire underground network is lined with copper, Lewis explained.

“The equipment used to generate electricity is also very expensive. The copper is there to protect the equipment, and people are endangering this expensive equipment when they steal the copper from our lines and from our stations,” he told SEARCHLIGHT.

So too, equipment at the power plants are bonded together to protect the equipment by minimizing the risk of fire.

The copper on utility lines is also there to reduce the risk of power surges, in the case of storms and lightning, Lewis explained.

By removing the copper lines, the lightning arrestors, which divert the electricity in order to protect VINLEC and householder’s equipment, are useless.

The problem of the theft of copper has reached the stage that people were now stealing bits of copper from air conditioning units.

Rudolph Daize, Proprietor of Ruddy’s Electrical Contracting Company Ltd told SEARCHLIGHT that he too has been a victim of the theft of copper.

“They’re located on wooden wheels on the compound and they would enter the compound at night and steal portions from the wooden wheel,” Daize explained.

“It is a very serious, serious problem that we are facing right now,” he said.

He explained that he has lost hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of copper wire over the last year and that the matter was getting worse, as thieves have started entering his work trucks and stealing bits of copper found on those too.

“They would go into the wire harness and cut out the copper wire from the vehicle…they are working vehicles!” he exclaimed.

It was only a matter of time before the demand for other metals begins to grow, before people begin stealing iron gates and fences, he contended.

“It’s something that needs to be looked at seriously,” he said.

Daize said that he was of the view that persons who are in the business of exporting copper should be licensed and those bringing the copper should provide proof of obtaining the copper legitimately.

There has been some degree of success for Daize, however, in that two residents of Lowmans Bay were recently charged and convicted and are now each serving five years in prison, after being found guilty of stealing from the businessman, he said.

However, the officials at VINLEC say that they are depending on public to be the eyes of the company and to report any civilian seen tampering with the utility poles to the police.

Myers also told SEARCHLIGHT that although he is calling for the copper exporting industry to be regulated, ideally, he would prefer to see an all-out ban on the export of the metal.