May 30, 2001 – Under pressure from two federal agencies to rectify conditions at St. Croix's Anguilla Landfill, the Virgin Islands government is working hard to comply.
The Environmental Protection Agency has ordered that access to the landfill be regulated, and that certain materials be handled more responsibly, while the Federal Aviation Administration has warned that the nearby Henry Rohlsen Airport will be deemed unsafe unless the dump is closed by the end of next year.
The territory, meanwhile, has yet to choose an alternative site, or finalize a plan to manage solid waste in accordance with federal regulations. The technical assistant to the Public Works commissioner, Sonia Nelthropp, said recently that despite the difficulties, the government will comply with all requirements on time. "The deadline that we stop accepting solid waste at the site is December 2002. We are in the process of establishing guidelines for security of the site and monitoring what is coming into the dump."
At the same time, Nelthropp said, there is a move to address the concerns with birds that feed on the garbage. "There are mitigation funds available for that."
Nelthropp has teamed with Kent Bernier, the governor's economic policy advisor, to develop the territory's waste management strategy and put together a plan for financing it. With the deadline for relocating the Anguilla dump less than two years away, there also is the need to identify a new site. According to Bernier, the ideal solution would be to site the landfill where it will achieve two purposes: satisfy the FAA's concern about scavenging birds flying in the path of aircraft, and at the same time positioning a garbage transfer site to accommodate eventual disposal by methods acceptable to the EPA.
Bernier believes such a site can be identified by the end of summer. "Within 90 days we'll have an answer on the permanent solution, we are still in negotiations." Bernier said the government wants to make certain that the proposal is in full federal compliance before it is presented to the public.
Once the immediate waste management crisis is resolved, the next challenge will face not only the government, but the entire population. According to Nelthropp, residents will have to adjust to a set of new rules about disposal of household waste, and probably some new costs associated with them. "We are going to be responsible to personally address the disposal of garbage. In a modern society, residents are responsible for disposing of waste."
Given the history of how people often avoid unwelcome rules by breaking them,
Nelthropp said the government is preparing to deal with non-compliance. She believes residents will refrain from illegally dumping garbage and junk if they are properly encouraged to comply with regulations. "We must offer incentives to force compliance of all rules and regulations regarding solid waste management."
Government planners are said to be studying several approaches to financing a new system, including charging fees for household pickups where possible, and for dumping at the landfill.
