Oct. 8, 2004 – Barbara Alperen, who lives at the East End of St. John, was glad she went to St. Thomas on Thursday so she was spared the worst of the smoke drifting across Pillsbury Sound from Tortola.
"It was really bad when I came home, but today I don't smell it," she said Friday.
According to Planning Commissioner Dean C. Plaskett, Pockwood Pond Landfill on Tortola caught fire early Wednesday. The fire was under control by Friday morning.
Plaskett said in a news release that the fire's fuel contained mainly construction debris and yard waste such as tree trimmings and branches. He said the 50-foot high pile "was not expected to contain any hazardous material."
Alperen was amazed that the British Virgin Islands government still burned waste at its landfill.
"Ecologically, nobody should be allowed to do that," she said.
However, she pointed out that she could see smoke coming from a fire somewhere in the Coral Bay area, which appeared to be causing a light haze late Friday afternoon.
The local government allows residents to burn off land to clear it for building and to burn yard waste although both create an unpleasant environment for neighbors.
Erica McDonald, administrator at Myrah Keating Smith Community Health Center, said no one had requested treatment for smoke-related complaints.
Plaskett advised people with allergies or respiratory ailments to remain indoors when possible.
He said that should the fire flare and the smoke become bothersome, people should relocate.
He said he had notified the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency about the problem.
Plaskett said people affected by the smoke should call Planning's Environmental Protection Division at 774-3320.
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