Creditors of Hess subsidiary HONX claim that the company is merely using its bankruptcy filing as a way to put a pause on the company’s many incoming lawsuits. The claims against HONX include lawsuits related to harm suffered because of asbestos contamination at its Virgin Islands refinery. Creditors state that the asbestos lawsuits should be allowed to proceed despite HONX’s bankruptcy filing because the company has no operations or assets to disrupt. Additionally, creditors argue that the asbestos cases should proceed because HONX has enjoyed numerous tax breaks from the Virgin Islands while only doing damage to the island’s water and air supply.
[C]reditors allege that Hess, a $37 billion energy company, is abusing U.S. bankruptcy laws to dodge 900 claims stemming from asbestos contamination at a St. Croix refinery that it operated for decades […] Asbestos at the refinery caused lung disease and cancer, including mesothelioma, according to the official creditors committee in the bankruptcy case.
Source: Hess creditors seek dismissal of Virgin Islands bankruptcy | Reuters