Abandoned vehicle Photo Credit: GETTY IMAGES
The knock-on effects of the green waste fire that raged for weeks at the Bovoni landfill is still being felt by the community. One such impact is the effort to remove derelict vehicles from housing communities across the territory.
“We’re literally at the mercy of the administrators, both St. Thomas and St. Croix, to advise us of when that ban has been lifted,” said Jimmy Farmer, director of asset management at the V.I. Housing Authority, during a VIHA board meeting on Wednesday. “Unfortunately, until such time, there will be derelict vehicles within the public housing developments.”
With removals on hold until further notice, the number of derelict vehicles littering public housing communities are increasing, said VIHA Executive Director Robert Graham. He explained that he is “working with the policy advisor to the governor to increase the attention from the administrators on that issue.” Based on his conversations, Mr. Graham understands that the locations at the landfill where the vehicles would ordinarily be stored are “full or not accessible.”
Despite the challenges, Mr. Graham told board members that an interim solution is urgently needed, “because what happens is that individuals are just dumping the vehicles in the public housing area because there is no resistance to that.”
He added, “What we have asked the administration to do is include a vehicle identification number and match that with the last registration of the vehicle,” said the executive director, explaining VIHA's solution to the growing problem. That way, the last registered owner can be charged with the responsibility of towing the derelict vehicle to an appropriate disposal site.
What cannot be allowed to continue, Mr. Graham declared, is the VIHA continuing to subsidize the disposal of vehicles. “We’re paying for individuals to dispose of vehicles on public housing,” he noted, saying that discussions on the subject with the governor’s policy advisors are expected to continue next week.
