Derelict vehicles site to remain in Sea Cows Bay- Greg Massicote
This information was confirmed by Mr Greg Massicote, the Manager of the Department of Waste Management, while giving his testimony last year before the House of Assembly’s Standing Finance Committee.
The Committee was at the time examining the draft estimates for the year 2015. When asked by Third District Representative Honourable Julian Fraser RA when the derelict vehicle site would be removed from Sea Cows Bay, Mr Massicote advised that “there is no alternative site for the vehicles”.
When quizzed by the veteran Legislator Fraser on what measures were being taken to find an alternative site, the Manager reported that they were searching “but to no avail”.
With the fact that the vehicles will be at the Sea Cows Bay location for a very long time, the Manager suggested that an alternative could be to purchase a car crushing machine, a bailer that would be used to crush derelict vehicles which would assist in managing the amount of vehicles on the site.
Meanwhile, the Department of Waste Management Manager advised lawmakers that he had received in his budget a mere $75,000 to collect and dispose of derelict vehicles. This he said was insufficient to appropriately tackle the problem.
Jost van Dyke garbage disposal drama, eviction & swarms of flies!
In the same hearing, the Member for the Second District Honourable J. Alvin Christopher enquired about the waste disposal on Jost van Dyke (JVD).
He was told by the Manager of the Waste Management Department that garbage on JVD was being collected and disposed of on the dump site on JVD. However, he advised that the shipment was in the process of moving to the transfer station on Tortola by December 1, 2014.
That he said would cost a whopping $152, 788.00 to cover this activity which he noted was not reflected in the 2015 estimates. The funds were required to haul the waste from JVD to Pockwood Pond for final disposal.
Meanwhile, Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Health and Social Development Mrs Petrona N. Davies, whose portfolio is that of Solid Waste, informed the Standing Finance Committee (SFC) that the current dump site on JVD was private property and they had been evicted as the land owner was tired of them using the land and that the transfer station was very necessary.
The PS further stated that the transfer station for bringing the garbage from JVD to Tortola needed to be operable by December 2014 as the waste needed to get off of Jost Van; hence the $152, 788.00 was necessary. She further stated that the landowner, however, had threatened to increase the rent from $2,000.00 to $10, 000.00 per month, if they did not remove the waste from his land.
She also reported that the land owner had requested that they move earlier in the year 2014, however, the Ministry requested a two-month extension which turned into ten months, hence the landowner’s frustration and latest threat to increase the rent.
The Minister for Health and Social Development Honourable Ronnie W. Skelton added that there were “swarms of flies during the summer months and this could be a potential health hazard.”
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10 Responses to “Derelict vehicles site to remain in Sea Cows Bay- Greg Massicote”
People in the bvi too $%^^& nasty. Why should govt be stuck with a bill for removing people old cars? Pure !@$%%% nonsense.
If the man.... was living in it he would find an alternate site. Why do the NDP continue to use outsiders to manage the affairs of Virgin Islanders? They have made us second class citizens in our country.