Nearly 50 people gathered at the Curriculum Center on St. Thomas Tuesday evening for a public meeting with officials of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to discuss various issues of environmental concern. Topics of discussion ranged from pollution emitted by cruise ships to the heated subject of the sewage crisis.
A Nadir resident, representing one of 79 families formed to combat waste problems in that area, complained that the smell of sewage is so bad that it is difficult to sleep. Eating is also a problem, she added, "I have to close all of the windows to try to block the odor."
The infrastructure here has been poorly maintained for a long time, according to Bill Muszynski, acting administrator of the EPA's Region 2, which includes the Virgin Islands. Furthermore, for decades the territory's sewage treatment facilities have failed to comply with EPA standards, he said.
That does not happen anywhere else in the U.S., Muszynski explained. He said that elsewhere the public demands higher standards and local governments take more pride. He recommended that residents put pressure on the Department of Public Works, the operator of the territory's wastewater system and landfills, so that action is taken.
In 1984 the U.S. Justice Department's Environmental Enforcement Section and the V.I. government entered into a consent decree aimed at bringing the territory's sewage system into compliance with federal law. When Public Works failed to meet the standards set in the decree, the V.I. government was ultimately fined, Muszynski said.
Today, as the V.I. government struggles to pay fines dating back years, he said, the EPA is now turning to the courts to force the V.I. government into compliance. "This is the only way to get people's attention," said Muszynski.
However, Muszynski made it clear, "We are not just trying to penalize. We are also offering technical assistance in a variety of ways." He said EPA has routinely assisted Public Works by providing training to staff operating treatment plants.
In addition, the EPA has contributed $13.5 million of the $23 million needed to build the new Mangrove Lagoon Wastewater Treatment Plant on St. Thomas. The new plant, scheduled to be operational in the next 18 months, will replace five current facilities, including the one plaguing Nadir residents.
In the meantime, however, the EPA wants to make sure that these facilities are in compliance, Muszynski said.
Many at the meeting, including EPA staff, supported the steps that Public Works is now taking to create a waste management authority. "There would be more accountability," said one St. John resident. But formation of such an authority is a long ways away, according to Muszynski.
On Monday evening, Muszynski met with St. Croix residents to hear their concerns. Representatives of Public Works did not attend either meeting.
