Tipping Fees Implementation Takes Effect August 1; Waste Management To Host Town Halls Territory-Wide

The Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority (WMA) has invited St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix solid waste and waste water haulers along with the general public to a series of town hall meetings, where the implementation of tipping fees and waste water disposal fees will be discussed.

The implementation is said to take effect on August 1, according to WMA.

The fees will apply only to the commercial haulers, according to WMA. Representatives from WMA’s Solid Waste and Waste Water Divisions will be available to discuss the details and methodology of the implementation process on all three islands.

The tipping fees implementation was delayed late last year, with WMA basing its decision to delay on “ongoing improvements at the three receiving solid waste disposal facilities.”

But Waste Management last year came under pressure from lawmakers and residents alike, who decried the new fees as too sudden and even too costly. Senator Novelle Francis and former Kenneth Gittens spoke openly about the matter at the time, and Mr. Francis  proposed legislation, which was forwarded to Governor Kenneth Mapp by the full Senate, calling for a delay in implementation.

The tipping fee per ton ranges from $31.28 to $65.26 depending on the type of material being disposed, W.M.A. says. Once implemented, the fees will be levied and collected from all solid waste haulers and other direct customers that deliver solid waste to the three W.M.A. disposal facilities, including the St. Croix Transfer Station, the Bovoni Landfill in St. Thomas and the Susannaberg Transfer Station in St. John.

According to W.M.A., each load of solid waste delivered will be weighed and categorized at the waste disposal facilities’ scale house upon arrival.  The fees will be calculated based on the type of waste delivered and the weight of the load. If a customer has less than 1 ton to dispose, while the units of the fee are in tons, the rate will be converted to pounds to apply the appropriate charge.

The meetings will take place on the following dates and at the following locations:

• St. Croix Curriculum Center, July 13, 2017 @ 6:00 – 8:00 pm • St. John Legislative Complex, July 17, 2017 @ 6:00 – 8:00 pm

• St. Thomas Curriculum Center, July 18, 2017 @ 6:00 – 8:00 pm

For more information, contact the Office of Communications Management at 340-715-9188 or email [email protected].