Landfill Tipping Fee to Start in January
A tipping fee going into effect next month may raise the cost of doing business in the U.S. Virgin Islands, but Roger Merritt, executive director of the Waste Management Authority, made the case at a virtual town hall meeting Wednesday that it was necessary for operating the territory’s two landfills.
2021-12-09 12:12:56 - VI News Staff
A fee for dropping garbage at the landfills has been controversial for 10 years. In a Senate hearing in December of 2011, May Adams Cornwall, the director of WMA then said, “It’s clear we’re going to have to impose fees.”
But her efforts faced opposition and no fee was implemented for years and when some were implemented six years later, they lasted only one day. Garbage haulers stopped hauling garbage, the fee was put on hold, and then the two hurricanes hit.
Merritt told the 50 people online for the virtual meeting that haulers had concerns in 2017 about the fee being based on tonnage. In response, the fee to go into effect on Jan. 10 will be based on volume — cubic yards.
The fee will be $2.50 per cubic yard. A hauler will pay $50 when emptying a 20-yard bin and $75 for a 30-yard bin. There will be no reduction if the bin is less than full.
Merritt said by making the charge by volume instead of by tonnage as landfill tipping fees are traditionally assessed; it would be easier for haulers to calculate the charge to be passed on to their customers.
Merritt said the $2.50 fee was very low to help the haulers ease into it. The fee will increase to $3.75 the second year; $5 the third year; $6.25 the fourth year and $7.50 the fifth year.
One hauler asked what was being done about illegal dumping at public waste bins. Merritt said long-awaited cameras had been installed at public bin sites across the territory and images of illegal dumpers were being captured. He said the public could expect to see some violators being fined.
Also, there were questions about when recycling programs would be initiated. Merritt talked about grant money for a waste divergent program to help prolong the life of the landfills. Waste that can be reused like uncontaminated soil will not be charged a tipping fee.
Diane Brook wanted it known that no recycling was being done at the Peter’s Rest Convenient Center. Merritt said residents might have been confused because there was once an aluminum recycling place in the same area. However, because residents must separate cardboard, plastic, and electric appliance at the center that could also lead residents to believe the materials are being recycled. Merritt said that when the territory’s planned five new convenience centers come on line the Authority hopes to have ways of recycling.