Residents of St. Thomas should soon get some relief from overflowing garbage bins as GEM Construction – a private, government-contracted waste hauler – gets its equipment back on the road and functioning.
Mechanical problems prevented the contractor from keeping its appointed rounds since last weekend, according to Stella Saunders, V.I. Waste Management Authority communications manager.
“By the end of the day they should be caught up,” Saunders said Friday morning.
“Because of the backlog it’s going to take a while,” she said.
VIWMA staff and other contracted haulers have been working since Wednesday to relieve the problem at bin sites in the affected areas, which included Altona, Frenchtwon, Mahogany Estate, Savan, Hospital Ground, Polyberg, Sugar Estate and Estate Thomas, according to Saunders.
She said the workers have been out picking up the spillage around the bins and then going back for the illegally left bulk waste.
“People are still dumping illegally,” Saunders lamented.
Waste Management is responsible for solid waste collection in the territory. The authority has several sub contractors who handle bin sites, the green VIWMA receptacles as well as house-to-house pick up.
