ST. CROIX — Senator Novelle Francis, above, is urging the Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority (W.M.A.) to comply with the Senate’s mandate to educate the public on tipping fees, a press release Mr. Francis’s office issued today has made known.
Legislation sponsored by Mr. Francis, now Act 7946, delayed the implementation of tipping fees from October 1, 2016 to January 1, 2017 to allow the W.M.A. to fully educate the public on changes in waste disposal fees and methods. According to Mr. Francis, the W.M.A. has not taken any steps to fulfill the public education requirement since the extension was granted.
The senator, who was recently reelected to serve in the 32nd Legislature, is concerned by the agency’s lack of compliance.
“Virgin Islanders are no closer to understanding the changes that will result from the implementation of these new fees and disposal methods,” Mr. Francis stated. “It is disturbing that the Authority has not given any attention to this public education mandate on tipping fees, especially when it has very aggressively been promoting other initiatives that also support solid waste management.”
The first-term Democrat’s office has attempted to get a timeline of the authority’s public education campaign. “Right now, the clock is ticking and it looks like the W.M.A. doesn’t have a plan,” Mr. Francis said. “The Legislature gave the authority time and funding to facilitate a smoother transition into this new practice. The public deserves the benefit of a comprehensive effort to fully educate them on the ramifications of the planned tipping fees. They should not be shortchanged on this important issue.”
Tags: senator novelle francis, tipping fees, waste management authority
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