Nov. 19, 2002 – During the first two weeks of December, Public Works Department crews will be making their annual sweep through St. John to pick up the heavy refuse that people have been wanting to get rid of but couldn't haul to the Susannaberg transfer station.
At the end of this article is the schedule of where crews will be making pickups each day.
Ira Wade, Public Works deputy commissioner for St. John, said he hopes people will take advantage of this opportunity to get rid of old appliances, mattresses, furniture and construction debris, instead of leaving their items at the public trash bins or along the side of the road.
"Like they normally do," he added.
Wade said that some people put the items in the bins, which is worse than leaving them alongside, because crews then have to haul the objects out before they hook the bins up to the dump trucks to be carted to the transfer station.
In Wade's opinion, the worst site on all of St. John is at Adrian. People "dump everything there — tires, batteries, appliances, furniture and auto parts," he said. The site is half a mile from the Susannaberg transfer station, and residents could just as easily take their stuff and drop it off there.
Tires, batteries, paint and oil are not to be disposed of in the trash bins. While Public Works authorities are working on ways to get rid of environmentally harmful items, there is no way at the moment to get rid of old tires or batteries legally except to take them back where you bought them. Those with used oil can drop off five gallons at a time at the collection igloo at the Susannaberg transfer station.
This week, Wade said, Public Works installed larger blue bins in place of the smaller green ones at most locations. He said one exception is next to the Legislature Building, where there isn't enough space for one of the larger bins. With the new containers, "We've expanded capacity by 50 percent," he said.
He reminded residents that only garbage — and not construction debris, appliances, furniture or other large items — is to be placed in the large red bins found at several locations around town. Those bins are transported directly to the Bovoni dump on St. Thomas.
Wade said Public Works also has expanded the Susannaberg transfer station weekend hours.
The facility now is open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. It formerly closed at noon. Weekday hours remain unchanged: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Public Works accepts old cars at Susannaberg. However, Wade said all gasoline, oil, coolant and tires must be removed.
To have Public Works pick up your large appliances during the annual sweep, remove all doors, lids and Freon gas. Place all materials to be picked up at the end of your driveway on the public or estate road.
Wade said his crews will make every effort to get up all roads but cannot go into driveways. Those who live on unpaved and barely accessible roads should take their items to one of the locations listed below or straight to the Susannaberg transfer station.
When and where pickups are scheduled
Here's the daily schedule of large-item pickups in the annual sweep:
Dec. 2 — the Coral Bay area at Hansen Bay, Zootenval and Emmaus and at Coral Bay Marine.
Dec. 3 — Mandahl, Concordia, John's Folly, Quacco and Zimmerman, Calabash Boom, Johnson's Bay, Friis Bay, Sander's Gut and Hard Labor.
Dec. 4 — Estate Carolina, Kinghill Road, the southeast section of Bordeaux Mountain Road, Little Plantation, Penn Point, Meadow View, Gerda Marsh Estate Road and Upper Carolina. Ajax Peak residents are asked to bring their items to where their estate road meets Centerline Road.
Dec. 5 –Mamey Peak, the northwest section of Bordeaux Road and Estate Adrian. Crews also will make another sweep through Coral Bay areas already visited.
Dec. 6 — Cruz Bay visits to Gifft Hill, Regenback, Beverhoudtberg, Susannaberg and Grunwald.
Dec. 9– the northwest section of Bethany, the northwest section of Enighed above Sunset Ridge, the valley section of Enighed, Pastory and Pocketmoney Hill.
Dec. 10 — Rendezvous, Ditliff Bay, Fish Bay, Klein Bay, Chocolate Hole and Great Cruz Bay.
Dec. 11 –the southwest section of Bethany at Power Boyd Plantation, the southwest section of Enighed at Pine Peace, Upper Contant and Roy Sewer Hill.
Dec. 12 — Cactus Hill, Pond Mouth Drive, Frank Bay, Flag Hill, the Elaine Sprauve Public Library and Circle Drive.
Dec. 13 — the Cruz Bay town area, including all government agencies. And a final drive will be made of all areas previously visited.
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