As his third nominee for what is widely regarded as one of the most critical positions in his cabinet, Gov. Charles Turnbull has turned to Rafael Jackson, who worked his way up within the ranks in a 24-year career in the old Division of Tourism before retiring four years ago.
Jackson, reached in San Juan, P.R., Saturday morning, told the Source that coming out of retirement to take on the job "is going to be quite a challenge, but I'm looking forward to it."
Turnbull said Jackson will assume the position of acting commissioner on March 21 and that Monique Sibilly-Hodge will continue in that capacity until then. Sibilly-Hodge's permanent position is assistant commissioner for St. Thomas-St. John.
As to what his top priorities will be, Jackson said, "I'm not in a position to discuss that until I sit down and go into it with the governor."
Jackson, who currently resides in the Fort Myers area on Florida's west coast, said he expects to relocate to St. Thomas "within three weeks." In a meeting with the governor Friday before accepting the nomination, he outlined his ideas "to jump-start the territory's tourism promotion program," according to a Government House release.
The governor said he turned to Jackson because of "his many years of hands-on experience" within Tourism, "as well as his well-rounded knowledge of who's who in the travel industry worldwide," the release stated. Turnbull pledged his support "to making Jackson's leadership of the department a success."
In his resume, Jackson describes himself as having a "working leader" management style, "offering motivation and inspiration to working associates, staff and other sales personnel" and says he is "a firm believer" in the management-by-objective approach. He represents himself as having a "highly developed ability to anticipate and/or identify problem areas" and as being "skilled in finding solutions and developing innovative approaches to old and new problems."
A native of St. Croix, "Raffy" Jackson got into the travel business in 1960 when he joined Caribair as a reservation agent. After four years there and eight years with Farrelly's Travel Services on St. Croix, he joined the old Tourism Division in 1972 as a sales promotion manager in the New York office. He took courses in tourism management and marketing in 1976 and 1977 at the Office of Fellowship and Training in Washington, D.C.; the University of Nebraska, and the University of Wisconsin.
Within Tourism, he subsequently became regional sales manager in the Chicago office, assistant division director for sales and marketing, regional sales manager in the New York office and overall assistant division director. He has been a member of the American Society of Travel Agents, the Interamerican Travel Agents Society, the Society of Incentive Travel Executives and Meeting Professionals International.
After his retirement, he worked for a year as marketing director for Prestige Airways.
His experience has encompassed ticketing and dispatching, leading tour groups, coordinating visits for travel professionals, supervising marketing activities in the mainland and foreign Tourism offices, setting goals and developing long-range plans. His resume noted that "for about one year, after the resignation of Commissioner Auguste Rimpel," he "was directly responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Division of Tourism, including all budgeting and financial matters."
Tourism, which was elevated from a division to a department in the Schneider administration, has been without a commissioner since Turnbull took office nearly 14 months ago. If confirmed, Jackson would become the first Virgin Islander to head Tourism in more than nine years, after Leona Bryant left the position. Gov. Roy Schneider initially named mainland career tourism administrator David Edgell to the post; after Edgell's resignation, Wylie Whisonant, a mainland associate of Edgell's, took over.
Turnbull first nominated Democratic Party stalwart Clement "Cain" Magras, who served in an acting capacity until last summer, when the Senate rejected the nomination in the wake of sexual harassment allegations lodged against the former senator by a female Tourism employee. The governor then nominated local businessman Michael Bornn, who ran the department in an acting capacity until Turnbull withdrew his nomination in October, citing personal incompatibility after Bornn publicly disagreed with him about floating a $300 million bond issue to deal with government debt and meet payroll.
Jackson's nomination must be approved by the 23rd Legislature. Sen. V. Anne Golden, who chairs the Senate Rules Committee, which will first consider the nomination, recalled knowing Jackon when he worked in the New York Tourism office under her father, Arnold Golden, at the time he was commissioner of the old Commerce Deparment. She pronounced him "an excellent choice," the Daily News reported.
Dick Doumeng, a retired St. Thomas hotelier active for many years in local and regional tourism organizations, was among those interviewed by the governor for the job — after his name was put forth by the St. Thomas-St. John Hotel and Tourism Association.
He said Jackson "certainly has had the experience" within Tourism, if not in the private sector. "Perhaps we pushed the governor in the direction that he at least looked to someone who had experience," he said. "From that standpoint, it's refreshing that we don't have to tell him what a tour operator is, or which airlines serve us."
But Doumeng said it remains to be seen whether Jackson "can motivate us all to participate and have the dialogue we need with the airlines and tour operators and hotel chains."
Doumeng, who met with Turnbull on Feb. 11, said the governor called to tell him of Jackson's selection about five minutes before it was announced to the media. "I had known his decision about a week ago — most of us had," said the retired hotelier. While feeling "relieved that I can go back to the sunset," he said, "I feel good about my willingness to serve. A lot of people were surprised that I would be willing." He said the strengths he would have brought to the job included being a hotel owner, having worked in all phases of the hospitality industry, and being known throughout the Caribbean tourism industry.
Although his meeting with the governor focused on the commissioner position, Doumeng said he offered the governor his services "beyond that."
RAFFY JACKSON SEES TOURISM AS 'A CHALLENGE'
As his third nominee for what is widely regarded as one of the most critical positions in his cabinet, Gov. Charles Turnbull has turned to Rafael Jackson, who worked his way up within the ranks in a 24-year career in the old Division of Tourism before retiring four years ago.
Jackson, reached in San Juan, P.R., Saturday morning, told the Source that coming out of retirement to take on the job "is going to be quite a challenge, but I'm looking forward to it."
Turnbull said Jackson will assume the position of acting commissioner on March 21 and that Monique Sibilly-Hodge will continue in that capacity until then. Sibilly-Hodge's permanent position is assistant commissioner for St. Thomas-St. John.
As to what his top priorities will be, Jackson said, "I'm not in a position to discuss that until I sit down and go into it with the governor."
Jackson, who currently resides in the Fort Myers area on Florida's west coast, said he expects to relocate to St. Thomas "within three weeks." In a meeting with the governor Friday before accepting the nomination, he outlined his ideas "to jump-start the territory's tourism promotion program," according to a Government House release.
The governor said he turned to Jackson because of "his many years of hands-on experience" within Tourism, "as well as his well-rounded knowledge of who's who in the travel industry worldwide," the release stated. Turnbull also pledged his administration's support "to making Jackson's leadership of the department a success."
In his resume, Jackson describes himself as having a "working leader" management style, "offering motivation and inspiration to working associates, staff and other sales personnel" and says he is "a firm believer" in the management by objective approach. He represents himself as having a "highly developed ability to anticipate and/or identify problem areas" and as being "skilled in finding solutions and developing innovative approaches to old and new problems."
A native of St. Croix, "Raffy" Jackson got into the travel business in 1960 when he joined Caribair as a reservation agent. After four years there and eight years with Farrelly's Travel Services on St. Croix, he joined the old Tourism Division in 1972 as a sales promotion manager in the New York office. He took courses in tourism management and marketing 1976 and 1977 at the Office of Fellowship and Training in Washington, D.C.; the University of Nebraska; and the University of Wisconsin.
Within Tourism, he subsequently became regional sales manager in the Chicago office, assistant division director for sales and marketing, regional sales manager in the New York office and overall assistant division director. He has been a member of the American Society of Travel Agents, the Interamerican Travel Agents Society, the Society of Incentive Travel Executives and Meeting Professionals International.
After his retirement, he worked for a year as marketing director for Prestige Airways.
His experience has encompassed ticketing and dispatching, leading tour groups, coordinating visits for travel professionals, supervising marketing activities in the mainland and foreign Tourism offices, setting goals and developing long-range plans. His resume noted that "for about one year, after the resignation of Commissioner Auguste Rimpel," he "was directly responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Division of Tourism, including all budgeting and financial matters."
Jaskson's nomination must be approved by the 23rd Legislature. Tourism, which was elevated from a division to a department in the Schneider administration, has been without a commissioner since Turnbull before took office nearly 14 months ago. If confirmed, Jackson would become the first Virgin Islander to head Tourism in more than nine years, after Leona Bryant left the position. Gov. Roy Schneider initially named mainland career tourism administrator David Edgell to the post; after Edgell's resignation, Wylie Whisonant, a mainland associate of Edgell's, took over.
Turnbull first nominated Democratic Party stalwart Clement "Cain" Magras, who served in an acting capacity until last summer, when the Senate rejected the nomination in the wake of sexual harassment allegations lodged against the former senator by a female Tourism employee. The governor then nominated local businessman Michael Bornn, who ran the department in an acting capacity until Turnbull withdrew his nomination in October, citing personal incompatibility after Bornn publicly disagreed with him about floating a $300 million bond issue to deal with government debt and meet payroll.
Sen. V. Anne Golden, who chairs the Senate Rules Committee, which will first consider the nomination, recalled knowing Jackon when he worked in the New York Tourism office under her father, Arnold Golden, at the time he was commissioner of the old Commerce Deparment. She pronounced him "an excellent choice," the Daily News reported.
Dick Doumeng, a retired St. Thomas hotelier active for many years in local and regional tourism organizations, was among those interviewed by the governor for the job — after his name was put forth by the St. Thomas-St. John Hotel and Tourism Association.
He said Jackson "certainly has had the experience" within Tourism, if not in the private sector. "Perhaps we pushed the governor in the direction that he at least looked to someone who had experience," he said. "From that standpoint, it's refreshing that we don't have to tell him what a tour operator is, or which airlines serve us."
But Doumeng said it remains to be seen whether Jackson "can motivate us all to participate and have the dialogue we need with the airlines and tour operators and hotel chains."
Doumeng, who met with Turnbull on Feb. 11, said the governor called to tell him of Jackson's selection about five minutes before it was announced to the media. "I had known his decision about a week ago — most of us had," the retired hotelier noted. While feeling "relieved that I can go back to the sunset," he said, "I feel good about my willingness to serve. A lot of people were surprised that I would be willing." He said the strengths he would have brought to the job included being a hotel owner, having worked in all phases of the hospitality industry, and being known throughout the Caribbean tourism industry.
Although his meeting with the governor focused on the commissioner position, Doumeng said he offered the governor his services "beyond that."
Jackson, reached in San Juan, P.R., Saturday morning, told the Source that coming out of retirement to take on the job "is going to be quite a challenge, but I'm looking forward to it."
Turnbull said Jackson will assume the position of acting commissioner on March 21 and that Monique Sibilly-Hodge will continue in that capacity until then. Sibilly-Hodge's permanent position is assistant commissioner for St. Thomas-St. John.
As to what his top priorities will be, Jackson said, "I'm not in a position to discuss that until I sit down and go into it with the governor."
Jackson, who currently resides in the Fort Myers area on Florida's west coast, said he expects to relocate to St. Thomas "within three weeks." In a meeting with the governor Friday before accepting the nomination, he outlined his ideas "to jump-start the territory's tourism promotion program," according to a Government House release.
The governor said he turned to Jackson because of "his many years of hands-on experience" within Tourism, "as well as his well-rounded knowledge of who's who in the travel industry worldwide," the release stated. Turnbull also pledged his administration's support "to making Jackson's leadership of the department a success."
In his resume, Jackson describes himself as having a "working leader" management style, "offering motivation and inspiration to working associates, staff and other sales personnel" and says he is "a firm believer" in the management by objective approach. He represents himself as having a "highly developed ability to anticipate and/or identify problem areas" and as being "skilled in finding solutions and developing innovative approaches to old and new problems."
A native of St. Croix, "Raffy" Jackson got into the travel business in 1960 when he joined Caribair as a reservation agent. After four years there and eight years with Farrelly's Travel Services on St. Croix, he joined the old Tourism Division in 1972 as a sales promotion manager in the New York office. He took courses in tourism management and marketing 1976 and 1977 at the Office of Fellowship and Training in Washington, D.C.; the University of Nebraska; and the University of Wisconsin.
Within Tourism, he subsequently became regional sales manager in the Chicago office, assistant division director for sales and marketing, regional sales manager in the New York office and overall assistant division director. He has been a member of the American Society of Travel Agents, the Interamerican Travel Agents Society, the Society of Incentive Travel Executives and Meeting Professionals International.
After his retirement, he worked for a year as marketing director for Prestige Airways.
His experience has encompassed ticketing and dispatching, leading tour groups, coordinating visits for travel professionals, supervising marketing activities in the mainland and foreign Tourism offices, setting goals and developing long-range plans. His resume noted that "for about one year, after the resignation of Commissioner Auguste Rimpel," he "was directly responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Division of Tourism, including all budgeting and financial matters."
Jaskson's nomination must be approved by the 23rd Legislature. Tourism, which was elevated from a division to a department in the Schneider administration, has been without a commissioner since Turnbull before took office nearly 14 months ago. If confirmed, Jackson would become the first Virgin Islander to head Tourism in more than nine years, after Leona Bryant left the position. Gov. Roy Schneider initially named mainland career tourism administrator David Edgell to the post; after Edgell's resignation, Wylie Whisonant, a mainland associate of Edgell's, took over.
Turnbull first nominated Democratic Party stalwart Clement "Cain" Magras, who served in an acting capacity until last summer, when the Senate rejected the nomination in the wake of sexual harassment allegations lodged against the former senator by a female Tourism employee. The governor then nominated local businessman Michael Bornn, who ran the department in an acting capacity until Turnbull withdrew his nomination in October, citing personal incompatibility after Bornn publicly disagreed with him about floating a $300 million bond issue to deal with government debt and meet payroll.
Sen. V. Anne Golden, who chairs the Senate Rules Committee, which will first consider the nomination, recalled knowing Jackon when he worked in the New York Tourism office under her father, Arnold Golden, at the time he was commissioner of the old Commerce Deparment. She pronounced him "an excellent choice," the Daily News reported.
Dick Doumeng, a retired St. Thomas hotelier active for many years in local and regional tourism organizations, was among those interviewed by the governor for the job — after his name was put forth by the St. Thomas-St. John Hotel and Tourism Association.
He said Jackson "certainly has had the experience" within Tourism, if not in the private sector. "Perhaps we pushed the governor in the direction that he at least looked to someone who had experience," he said. "From that standpoint, it's refreshing that we don't have to tell him what a tour operator is, or which airlines serve us."
But Doumeng said it remains to be seen whether Jackson "can motivate us all to participate and have the dialogue we need with the airlines and tour operators and hotel chains."
Doumeng, who met with Turnbull on Feb. 11, said the governor called to tell him of Jackson's selection about five minutes before it was announced to the media. "I had known his decision about a week ago — most of us had," the retired hotelier noted. While feeling "relieved that I can go back to the sunset," he said, "I feel good about my willingness to serve. A lot of people were surprised that I would be willing." He said the strengths he would have brought to the job included being a hotel owner, having worked in all phases of the hospitality industry, and being known throughout the Caribbean tourism industry.
Although his meeting with the governor focused on the commissioner position, Doumeng said he offered the governor his services "beyond that."
RAFFY JACKSON SEES TOURISM AS 'A CHALLENGE'
As his third nominee for what is widely regarded as one of the most critical positions in his cabinet, Gov. Charles Turnbull has turned to Rafael Jackson, who worked his way up within the ranks in a 24-year career in the old Division of Tourism before retiring four years ago.
Jackson, reached in San Juan, P.R., Saturday morning, told the Source that coming out of retirement to take on the job "is going to be quite a challenge, but I'm looking forward to it."
Turnbull said Jackson will assume the position of acting commissioner on March 21 and that Monique Sibilly-Hodge will continue in that capacity until then. Sibilly-Hodge's permanent position is assistant commissioner for St. Thomas-St. John.
As to his top priorities, Jackson said, "I'm not in a position to discuss that until I sit down and go into it with the governor."
Jackson, who currently lives in the Fort Myers area on Florida's west coast, said he expects to relocate to St. Thomas "within three weeks." In a meeting with the governor Friday before accepting the nomination, he outlined his ideas "to jump-start the territory's tourism-promotion program," according to a Government House release.
The governor said he turned to Jackson because of "his many years of hands-on experience" within Tourism, "as well as his well-rounded knowledge of who's who in the travel industry worldwide," the release stated. Turnbull also pledged his administration's support "to making Jackson's leadership of the department a success."
In his resume, Jackson describes himself as having a "working leader" management style, "offering motivation and inspiration to working associates, staff and other sales personnel" and says he is "a firm believer" in the management-by-objective approach. He represents himself as having a "highly developed ability to anticipate and/or identify problem areas" and as being "skilled in finding solutions and developing innovative approaches to old and new problems."
A native of St. Croix, "Raffy" Jackson got into the travel business in 1960 when he joined Caribair as a reservation agent. After four years there and eight years with Farrelly's Travel Services on St. Croix, he joined the old Tourism Division in 1972 as a sales promotion manager in the New York office. He took courses in tourism management and marketing 1976 and 1977 at the Office of Fellowship and Training in Washington, D.C.; the University of Nebraska; and the University of Wisconsin.
Within Tourism, he subsequently became regional sales manager in the Chicago office, assistant division director for sales and marketing, regional sales manager in the New York office and overall assistant division director. He has been a member of the American Society of Travel Agents, the Interamerican Travel Agents Society, the Society of Incentive Travel Executives and Meeting Professionals International.
After his retirement, he worked for a year as marketing director for Prestige Airways.
His experience has encompassed ticketing and dispatching, leading tour groups, coordinating visits for travel professionals, supervising marketing activities in the mainland and foreign Tourism offices, setting goals and developing long-range plans. His resume notes that "for about one year, after the resignation of Commissioner Auguste Rimpel," he "was directly responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Division of Tourism, including all budgeting and financial matters."
Jaskson's nomination must be approved by the 23rd Legislature.
Tourism, which was elevated from a division to a department in the Schneider administration, has been without a commissioner since Turnbull took office nearly 14 months ago. If confirmed, Jackson would become the first Virgin Islander to head Tourism in more than nine years, after Leona Bryant left the position. Gov. Roy Schneider initially named mainland career tourism administrator David Edgell to the post; after Edgell's resignation, Wylie Whisonant, a mainland associate of Edgell's, took over.
Turnbull first nominated Democratic Party stalwart Clement "Cain" Magras, who served in an acting capacity until last summer, when the Senate rejected the nomination in the wake of sexual harassment allegations lodged against the former senator by a female Tourism employee.
The governor then nominated local businessman Michael Bornn, who ran the department in an acting capacity until Turnbull withdrew his nomination in October, citing personal incompatibility after Bornn publicly disagreed with him about floating a $300 million bond issue to deal with government debt and meet payroll.
Sen. V. Anne Golden, who chairs the Senate Rules Committee, which will first consider the nomination, recalled knowing Jackon when he worked in the New York Tourism office under her father, Arnold Golden, when he was commissioner of the old Commerce Deparment. She pronounced him "an excellent choice," the Daily News reported.
Dick Doumeng, a retired St. Thomas hotelier active for many years in local and regional tourism organizations, was among those interviewed by the governor for the job — after his name was put forth by the St. Thomas-St. John Hotel and Tourism Association.
He said Jackson "certainly has had the experience" within Tourism, if not in the private sector. "Perhaps we pushed the governor in the direction that he at least looked to someone who had experience," he said. "From that standpoint, it's refreshing that we don't have to tell him what a tour operator is, or which airlines serve us."
But Doumeng said it remains to be seen whether Jackson "can motivate us all to participate and have the dialogue we need with the airlines and tour operators and hotel chains."
Doumeng, who met with Turnbull on Feb. 11, said the governor called to tell him of Jackson's selection about five minutes before it was announced to the media. "I had known his decision about a week ago — most of us had," the retired hotelier noted.
While feeling "relieved that I can go back to the sunset," he said, "I feel good about my willingness to serve. A lot of people were surprised that I would be willing." He said the strengths he would have brought to the job included being a hotel owner, having worked in all phases of the hospitality industry, and being known throughout the Caribbean tourism industry.
Although his meeting with the governor focused on the commissioner position, Doumeng said he offered the governor his services "beyond that."
Jackson, reached in San Juan, P.R., Saturday morning, told the Source that coming out of retirement to take on the job "is going to be quite a challenge, but I'm looking forward to it."
Turnbull said Jackson will assume the position of acting commissioner on March 21 and that Monique Sibilly-Hodge will continue in that capacity until then. Sibilly-Hodge's permanent position is assistant commissioner for St. Thomas-St. John.
As to his top priorities, Jackson said, "I'm not in a position to discuss that until I sit down and go into it with the governor."
Jackson, who currently lives in the Fort Myers area on Florida's west coast, said he expects to relocate to St. Thomas "within three weeks." In a meeting with the governor Friday before accepting the nomination, he outlined his ideas "to jump-start the territory's tourism-promotion program," according to a Government House release.
The governor said he turned to Jackson because of "his many years of hands-on experience" within Tourism, "as well as his well-rounded knowledge of who's who in the travel industry worldwide," the release stated. Turnbull also pledged his administration's support "to making Jackson's leadership of the department a success."
In his resume, Jackson describes himself as having a "working leader" management style, "offering motivation and inspiration to working associates, staff and other sales personnel" and says he is "a firm believer" in the management-by-objective approach. He represents himself as having a "highly developed ability to anticipate and/or identify problem areas" and as being "skilled in finding solutions and developing innovative approaches to old and new problems."
A native of St. Croix, "Raffy" Jackson got into the travel business in 1960 when he joined Caribair as a reservation agent. After four years there and eight years with Farrelly's Travel Services on St. Croix, he joined the old Tourism Division in 1972 as a sales promotion manager in the New York office. He took courses in tourism management and marketing 1976 and 1977 at the Office of Fellowship and Training in Washington, D.C.; the University of Nebraska; and the University of Wisconsin.
Within Tourism, he subsequently became regional sales manager in the Chicago office, assistant division director for sales and marketing, regional sales manager in the New York office and overall assistant division director. He has been a member of the American Society of Travel Agents, the Interamerican Travel Agents Society, the Society of Incentive Travel Executives and Meeting Professionals International.
After his retirement, he worked for a year as marketing director for Prestige Airways.
His experience has encompassed ticketing and dispatching, leading tour groups, coordinating visits for travel professionals, supervising marketing activities in the mainland and foreign Tourism offices, setting goals and developing long-range plans. His resume notes that "for about one year, after the resignation of Commissioner Auguste Rimpel," he "was directly responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Division of Tourism, including all budgeting and financial matters."
Jaskson's nomination must be approved by the 23rd Legislature.
Tourism, which was elevated from a division to a department in the Schneider administration, has been without a commissioner since Turnbull took office nearly 14 months ago. If confirmed, Jackson would become the first Virgin Islander to head Tourism in more than nine years, after Leona Bryant left the position. Gov. Roy Schneider initially named mainland career tourism administrator David Edgell to the post; after Edgell's resignation, Wylie Whisonant, a mainland associate of Edgell's, took over.
Turnbull first nominated Democratic Party stalwart Clement "Cain" Magras, who served in an acting capacity until last summer, when the Senate rejected the nomination in the wake of sexual harassment allegations lodged against the former senator by a female Tourism employee.
The governor then nominated local businessman Michael Bornn, who ran the department in an acting capacity until Turnbull withdrew his nomination in October, citing personal incompatibility after Bornn publicly disagreed with him about floating a $300 million bond issue to deal with government debt and meet payroll.
Sen. V. Anne Golden, who chairs the Senate Rules Committee, which will first consider the nomination, recalled knowing Jackon when he worked in the New York Tourism office under her father, Arnold Golden, when he was commissioner of the old Commerce Deparment. She pronounced him "an excellent choice," the Daily News reported.
Dick Doumeng, a retired St. Thomas hotelier active for many years in local and regional tourism organizations, was among those interviewed by the governor for the job — after his name was put forth by the St. Thomas-St. John Hotel and Tourism Association.
He said Jackson "certainly has had the experience" within Tourism, if not in the private sector. "Perhaps we pushed the governor in the direction that he at least looked to someone who had experience," he said. "From that standpoint, it's refreshing that we don't have to tell him what a tour operator is, or which airlines serve us."
But Doumeng said it remains to be seen whether Jackson "can motivate us all to participate and have the dialogue we need with the airlines and tour operators and hotel chains."
Doumeng, who met with Turnbull on Feb. 11, said the governor called to tell him of Jackson's selection about five minutes before it was announced to the media. "I had known his decision about a week ago — most of us had," the retired hotelier noted.
While feeling "relieved that I can go back to the sunset," he said, "I feel good about my willingness to serve. A lot of people were surprised that I would be willing." He said the strengths he would have brought to the job included being a hotel owner, having worked in all phases of the hospitality industry, and being known throughout the Caribbean tourism industry.
Although his meeting with the governor focused on the commissioner position, Doumeng said he offered the governor his services "beyond that."
EPA THREATENS TO ASSUME MANAGEMENT OF DUMPS
Editor’s note: According to Jim Casey, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s V.I.. coordinator, the agency has determined that the V.I. government has not met the conditions to implement a satisfactory solid waste regulatory program. A regulatory program, which would be implemented by the Department of Planning and Natural Resources, entails permitting, inspection and enforcement of federal regulations at landfill facilities. At the territory’s landfills, DPNR would have oversight of the Department of Public Works, the operator of the local facilities.
After years of failure by the V.I. government to live up to agreements with the federal government on managing its solid waste facilities, an official of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Friday it is on the verge of taking regulatory oversight of local landfills. At a meeting of the Senate Planning and Environmental Protection Committee in Frederiksted, the EPA’s Jim Casey said the V.I. government was under orders to meet compliance standards four years ago at the landfills on St. Croix and St. Thomas and the transfer station on St. John.
Casey said a design and management plan complying with provisions of the law "should have been realized in October 1996."
The EPA is very concerned, he said, "that the Anguilla and Bovoni Landfills and the Susannaberg transfer station aren’t in compliance . . . with required criteria." If there isn't any progress by the local government, he added, the EPA is "not going to approve the Virgin Islands’ regulatory program."
And if that happens, "the authority of the territory to regulate the landfills will come under the auspices of the EPA," Casey said.
Planning and Natural Resources Commissioner Dean Plaskett said his department has spearheaded the task of putting together a regulatory program that will meet federal requirements.
"There are still some things we can do in the interim," Plaskett said. "It is not a done deal we aren’t going to get a certified program."
Casey said the EPA has issued two enforcement actions against the government for Clean Water Act violations and wetlands concerns at the Bovoni Landfill. Conditions in the decree call for the Public Works Department to clean up soil saturated with oil, solvents and used batteries. Toxic chemicals in the soil are running off into the nearby Mangrove Lagoon, Casey said.
"Unfortunately, the Department of Public Works hasn’t been diligent in meeting provisions it entered into," he said. "The activities at Bovoni Landfill have caused great displeasure for those . . . who have been working with Public Works." He said the EPA is "hoping to provide assistance but also escalate the enforcement as necessary."
Public Works Commissioner Harold Thompson Jr. said his department is set to circulate a request for proposals on solid waste management facilities on St. Croix and St. Thomas.
"We can’t afford to mess up this time," he said, "because the landfills of the Virgin Islands have a lifespan alarm clock ticking which will sound off in a little over four years." And, he added, there is "another alarm clock," owned by the Federal Aviation Administration, "which can send some serious financial signals to our economy."
Thompson was referring to the FAA’s order to have the Anguilla Landfill closed by the end of 2002 because of its proximity to the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport. Birds and smoke from frequent fires at the dump pose a threat to aircraft, the FAA has said.
According to Thompson, construction and start-up of the first solid waste facility, which will be on St. Croix, is estimated to take two and a half years.
After years of failure by the V.I. government to live up to agreements with the federal government on managing its solid waste facilities, an official of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Friday it is on the verge of taking regulatory oversight of local landfills. At a meeting of the Senate Planning and Environmental Protection Committee in Frederiksted, the EPA’s Jim Casey said the V.I. government was under orders to meet compliance standards four years ago at the landfills on St. Croix and St. Thomas and the transfer station on St. John.
Casey said a design and management plan complying with provisions of the law "should have been realized in October 1996."
The EPA is very concerned, he said, "that the Anguilla and Bovoni Landfills and the Susannaberg transfer station aren’t in compliance . . . with required criteria." If there isn't any progress by the local government, he added, the EPA is "not going to approve the Virgin Islands’ regulatory program."
And if that happens, "the authority of the territory to regulate the landfills will come under the auspices of the EPA," Casey said.
Planning and Natural Resources Commissioner Dean Plaskett said his department has spearheaded the task of putting together a regulatory program that will meet federal requirements.
"There are still some things we can do in the interim," Plaskett said. "It is not a done deal we aren’t going to get a certified program."
Casey said the EPA has issued two enforcement actions against the government for Clean Water Act violations and wetlands concerns at the Bovoni Landfill. Conditions in the decree call for the Public Works Department to clean up soil saturated with oil, solvents and used batteries. Toxic chemicals in the soil are running off into the nearby Mangrove Lagoon, Casey said.
"Unfortunately, the Department of Public Works hasn’t been diligent in meeting provisions it entered into," he said. "The activities at Bovoni Landfill have caused great displeasure for those . . . who have been working with Public Works." He said the EPA is "hoping to provide assistance but also escalate the enforcement as necessary."
Public Works Commissioner Harold Thompson Jr. said his department is set to circulate a request for proposals on solid waste management facilities on St. Croix and St. Thomas.
"We can’t afford to mess up this time," he said, "because the landfills of the Virgin Islands have a lifespan alarm clock ticking which will sound off in a little over four years." And, he added, there is "another alarm clock," owned by the Federal Aviation Administration, "which can send some serious financial signals to our economy."
Thompson was referring to the FAA’s order to have the Anguilla Landfill closed by the end of 2002 because of its proximity to the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport. Birds and smoke from frequent fires at the dump pose a threat to aircraft, the FAA has said.
According to Thompson, construction and start-up of the first solid waste facility, which will be on St. Croix, is estimated to take two and a half years.
EPA PUTS PRESSURE ON LANDFILL MANAGEMENT
Editor’s note: According to Jim Casey, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s V.I.. coordinator, the agency has determined that the V.I. government has not met the conditions to implement a satisfactory solid waste regulatory program. A regulatory program, which would be implemented by the Department of Planning and Natural Resources, entails permitting, inspection and enforcement of federal regulations at landfill facilities. At the territory’s landfills DPNR would have oversight of the Department of Public Works, the operator of the local facilities.
After years of failure by the Virgin Islands to manage solid-waste facilities according to agreements with the federal government, the Environmental Protection Agency said Friday that it was on the verge of taking regulatory oversight of local landfills.
At a session of the Senate Committee on Planning and Environmental Protection in Frederiksted, the EPA’s Jim Casey said the V.I. government should have been in compliance at Department of Public Works landfills on St. Croix and St. Thomas and the transfer station on St. John four years ago.
Casey said a design and management plan that complies "with provisions of the law should have been realized in October 1996."
"The EPA is very concerned . . . in that the Anguilla and Bovoni Landfills and the Susannaberg Transfer Station aren’t in compliance . . . with required criteria," he said. "The EPA has determined we are not going to approve the Virgin Islands’ regulatory program" if there is no any progress, he said.
"The authority of the territory to regulate the landfills will come under the auspices of the EPA," he said.
Dean Plaskett, commissioner of the Department of Planning and Natural Resources, said his agency has spearheaded the task of putting together a regulatory program that will meet federal requirements.
"There are still some things we can do in the interim," Plaskett said. "It is not a done deal we aren’t going to get a certified program."
Casey said the EPA had issued two enforcement actions against the government for Clean Water Act violations and wetlands concerns at the Bovoni Landfill on St. Thomas. The decree calls for Public Works to clean up soil saturated with oil and solvents and used batteries. Toxic chemicals in the soil are running off into nearby Mangrove Lagoon, Casey said.
"Unfortunately, the Department of Public Works hasn’t been diligent in meeting provisions it entered into," he said. "The activities at Bovoni Landfill has caused great displeasure for those . . . who have been working with Public Works.
"In a nutshell," continued Casey, "we’re hoping to provide assistance but also escalate the enforcement as necessary."
Public Works Commissioner Harold Thompson Jr. said his department was set to circulate a request for proposals on solid-waste management facilities on St. Croix and St. Thomas.
"We can’t afford to mess up this time, because the landfills of the Virgin Islands have a lifespan alarm clock ticking, which will sound off in a little over four years," Thompson said. "Added to that scenario is yet another alarm clock owned by the Federal Aviation Agency, which can send some serious financial signals to our economy."
Thompson was referring to the FAA’s order to have the Anguilla Landfill closed by the end of 2002 because of its proximity to the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport. Birds, and smoke from frequent fires at the dump, pose a threat to aircraft.
Thompson said construction and start-up of the first solid-waste facility, which will be on St. Croix, is estimated to take two and a half years.
After years of failure by the Virgin Islands to manage solid-waste facilities according to agreements with the federal government, the Environmental Protection Agency said Friday that it was on the verge of taking regulatory oversight of local landfills.
At a session of the Senate Committee on Planning and Environmental Protection in Frederiksted, the EPA’s Jim Casey said the V.I. government should have been in compliance at Department of Public Works landfills on St. Croix and St. Thomas and the transfer station on St. John four years ago.
Casey said a design and management plan that complies "with provisions of the law should have been realized in October 1996."
"The EPA is very concerned . . . in that the Anguilla and Bovoni Landfills and the Susannaberg Transfer Station aren’t in compliance . . . with required criteria," he said. "The EPA has determined we are not going to approve the Virgin Islands’ regulatory program" if there is no any progress, he said.
"The authority of the territory to regulate the landfills will come under the auspices of the EPA," he said.
Dean Plaskett, commissioner of the Department of Planning and Natural Resources, said his agency has spearheaded the task of putting together a regulatory program that will meet federal requirements.
"There are still some things we can do in the interim," Plaskett said. "It is not a done deal we aren’t going to get a certified program."
Casey said the EPA had issued two enforcement actions against the government for Clean Water Act violations and wetlands concerns at the Bovoni Landfill on St. Thomas. The decree calls for Public Works to clean up soil saturated with oil and solvents and used batteries. Toxic chemicals in the soil are running off into nearby Mangrove Lagoon, Casey said.
"Unfortunately, the Department of Public Works hasn’t been diligent in meeting provisions it entered into," he said. "The activities at Bovoni Landfill has caused great displeasure for those . . . who have been working with Public Works.
"In a nutshell," continued Casey, "we’re hoping to provide assistance but also escalate the enforcement as necessary."
Public Works Commissioner Harold Thompson Jr. said his department was set to circulate a request for proposals on solid-waste management facilities on St. Croix and St. Thomas.
"We can’t afford to mess up this time, because the landfills of the Virgin Islands have a lifespan alarm clock ticking, which will sound off in a little over four years," Thompson said. "Added to that scenario is yet another alarm clock owned by the Federal Aviation Agency, which can send some serious financial signals to our economy."
Thompson was referring to the FAA’s order to have the Anguilla Landfill closed by the end of 2002 because of its proximity to the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport. Birds, and smoke from frequent fires at the dump, pose a threat to aircraft.
Thompson said construction and start-up of the first solid-waste facility, which will be on St. Croix, is estimated to take two and a half years.
LEGAL REPRESENTATION SPARKS RIFT IN WAPA BOARD
Members of the Water And Power Authority governing board locked horns Thursday over legal representation for themselves in a lawsuit brought by a St. Croix resident seeking to halt the sale of assets of the public utility. One member stormed out of the meeting on St. Croix, accusing another of spreading false information about the board in the community.
At issue was a call by member Claude "Tappy" Molloy for open discussion of the legal representation issue versus the desire of other members to take the matter up in executive session.
Board member Dean Plaskett, commissioner of Planning and Natural Resources, accused Molloy of using the media to spread false information about the role of cabinet members in the negotiations between Southern Energy and WAPA. "When you all will be making false accusations, I will take the steps necessary to defend myself," Plaskett said as he grabbed his binder of documents and left the meeting.
Gail Watson Chiang contends in her lawsuit against the V.I. government that any agreement between Southern Energy and the administration is illegal because there has been no bidding process opened up to other companies who may be interested in purchasing WAPA assets.
At Thursday's meeting, Molloy questioned the role of attorneys Tom Broas and Derek Hodge in representing the governing board at a court proceeding last week. It was revealed at the meeting that they are the attorneys of record for Winston and Strawn, the governor's legal advisors on the negotiations with Southern Energy.
It was also stated at the meeting that Plaskett had a confrontation with Chiang and her attorney, Lee Rohn, during a court hearing last week and that a Territorial Court marshal had to intervene as Plaskett vehemently denied Rohn's allegation that Southern Energy paid for Plaskett to attend a horse-racing event in Florida.
Also at the meeting, board members unanimously elected former senator Carol Burke as chair, former St. John administrator William Lomax as vice chair, and Licensing and Consumer Affairs Commissioner Andrew Rutnik as secretary. Molloy was named to chair the board's Finance Committee, with Rutnik and former board chair J. Arthur Downing as members. Al Franklin and Plaskett will co-chair its Planning Committee, with Lomax and Housing Parks and Recreation Commissioner Ira Hobson as members.
At issue was a call by member Claude "Tappy" Molloy for open discussion of the legal representation issue versus the desire of other members to take the matter up in executive session.
Board member Dean Plaskett, commissioner of Planning and Natural Resources, accused Molloy of using the media to spread false information about the role of cabinet members in the negotiations between Southern Energy and WAPA. "When you all will be making false accusations, I will take the steps necessary to defend myself," Plaskett said as he grabbed his binder of documents and left the meeting.
Gail Watson Chiang contends in her lawsuit against the V.I. government that any agreement between Southern Energy and the administration is illegal because there has been no bidding process opened up to other companies who may be interested in purchasing WAPA assets.
At Thursday's meeting, Molloy questioned the role of attorneys Tom Broas and Derek Hodge in representing the governing board at a court proceeding last week. It was revealed at the meeting that they are the attorneys of record for Winston and Strawn, the governor's legal advisors on the negotiations with Southern Energy.
It was also stated at the meeting that Plaskett had a confrontation with Chiang and her attorney, Lee Rohn, during a court hearing last week and that a Territorial Court marshal had to intervene as Plaskett vehemently denied Rohn's allegation that Southern Energy paid for Plaskett to attend a horse-racing event in Florida.
Also at the meeting, board members unanimously elected former senator Carol Burke as chair, former St. John administrator William Lomax as vice chair, and Licensing and Consumer Affairs Commissioner Andrew Rutnik as secretary. Molloy was named to chair the board's Finance Committee, with Rutnik and former board chair J. Arthur Downing as members. Al Franklin and Plaskett will co-chair its Planning Committee, with Lomax and Housing Parks and Recreation Commissioner Ira Hobson as members.
SENATOR CITES OPINION AGAINST RITZ CLOSING ROAD
The Legislature's legal counsel appears to have put up a roadblock to the Ritz-Carlton Hotel's $75 million expansion plans, according to a release from Sen. Adlah "Foncie" Donastorg, a vocal opponent of the resort's plan to acquire a section of what is known as the Bluebeard's Beach Road and close it to traffic.
A 37-page document issued in response to a request from Donastorg for a legal opinion concluded it would be illegal to close the public road running through the property to be developed, and also illegal for the government to sell or even give the section of road to the hotel, according to the release distributed to the media Friday.
Plans by the hotel to acquire and close the road have long been in dispute.
At a Senate hearing last Dec. 21, Coastal Zone Management Committee members, Environmental Association of St. Thomas-St. John members and Ritz-Carlton attorney James Hindels debated the legality of the CZM permit issued to the hotel for the project. There is no mention of closing the road in the permit application, and CZM board members said at the meeting that they had received no information about the road, or of Ritz plans to close it.
Also under debate is whether the governor can dispose of the land, since it is held in public trust.
"The road was dedicated to the public in 1965 by Henry H. Reichhold," Donastorg's release stated.
In the recent Beal Aerospace case on St. Croix, a Territorial Court judge ruled that the government could not sell the property commonly known as Camp Arawak that had been deeded to the people of the Virgin Islands by a private donor.
However, Ritz-Carlton attorney James Hindels, in a letter responding to Donastorg's press release, faulted the senator for failing to note that assistant legislative counsel Yvonne Tharpes stated in her legal opinion that "the portion of road which the hotel needs in order to expand the hotel can properly be abandoned."
Donastorg said in his release that the opinion from the Office of Legal Counsel supports his view that a public road cannot be sold to a private party. However, he said, according to the legal opinion, the hotel can proceed with its expansion plans without closing the road.
His release stated that "Bluebeard's Beach Road provides access to Bluebeard's and Vessup beaches as well as to homes on Cabrita Point."
Hindels countered that the 550-foot stretch of road "lies wholly within the Ritz-Carlton property and provides access to no one's home." Further, the attorney said, beach access with parking "within a few feet of the southerly side of Bluebeard's Beach" has existed since the hotel was built nearly a decade ago. In addition, he said, the hotel has already provided for an additional public access on the north side of the beach.
The section of road to be closed "ends some 200 feet from the beach at the front door of the old Bluebeard's Beach Club Hotel's reception area, now in ruins," Hindels wrote. "From there, a person would have to cross over the wreckage of the old hotel to reach the water."
In a late-night session on Dec.15, the Legislature authorized the governor to give or sell the land to the hotel. Donastorg adamantly opposed the move, stating that "no maps, permits or other pertinent documents were supplied to review the measure."
The next day, Planning and Natural Resources Department officials said that the Ritz Carlton's CZM permit did not grant the hotel permission to build on or use the public road.
At the Dec. 21 hearing, called to review the Dec. 15 action, Hindels made a presentation of the hotel plans with maps and photos. He said that there would still be beach access and that the development would not interfere with public use of Great Bay or the Muller or Vessup Bay beaches. The expansion would help the economy, he said, a point no senator challenged.
The Ritz-Carlton permit application states that 76 percent of the 27.2 acres to be developed will be maintained as "usable open space."
Donastorg said he hopes a way will be found "for Ritz to build without closing this road. Otherwise, they may be forced into a frustrating and protracted court battle."
A 37-page document issued in response to a request from Donastorg for a legal opinion concluded it would be illegal to close the public road running through the property to be developed, and also illegal for the government to sell or even give the section of road to the hotel, according to the release distributed to the media Friday.
Plans by the hotel to acquire and close the road have long been in dispute.
At a Senate hearing last Dec. 21, Coastal Zone Management Committee members, Environmental Association of St. Thomas-St. John members and Ritz-Carlton attorney James Hindels debated the legality of the CZM permit issued to the hotel for the project. There is no mention of closing the road in the permit application, and CZM board members said at the meeting that they had received no information about the road, or of Ritz plans to close it.
Also under debate is whether the governor can dispose of the land, since it is held in public trust.
"The road was dedicated to the public in 1965 by Henry H. Reichhold," Donastorg's release stated.
In the recent Beal Aerospace case on St. Croix, a Territorial Court judge ruled that the government could not sell the property commonly known as Camp Arawak that had been deeded to the people of the Virgin Islands by a private donor.
However, Ritz-Carlton attorney James Hindels, in a letter responding to Donastorg's press release, faulted the senator for failing to note that assistant legislative counsel Yvonne Tharpes stated in her legal opinion that "the portion of road which the hotel needs in order to expand the hotel can properly be abandoned."
Donastorg said in his release that the opinion from the Office of Legal Counsel supports his view that a public road cannot be sold to a private party. However, he said, according to the legal opinion, the hotel can proceed with its expansion plans without closing the road.
His release stated that "Bluebeard's Beach Road provides access to Bluebeard's and Vessup beaches as well as to homes on Cabrita Point."
Hindels countered that the 550-foot stretch of road "lies wholly within the Ritz-Carlton property and provides access to no one's home." Further, the attorney said, beach access with parking "within a few feet of the southerly side of Bluebeard's Beach" has existed since the hotel was built nearly a decade ago. In addition, he said, the hotel has already provided for an additional public access on the north side of the beach.
The section of road to be closed "ends some 200 feet from the beach at the front door of the old Bluebeard's Beach Club Hotel's reception area, now in ruins," Hindels wrote. "From there, a person would have to cross over the wreckage of the old hotel to reach the water."
In a late-night session on Dec.15, the Legislature authorized the governor to give or sell the land to the hotel. Donastorg adamantly opposed the move, stating that "no maps, permits or other pertinent documents were supplied to review the measure."
The next day, Planning and Natural Resources Department officials said that the Ritz Carlton's CZM permit did not grant the hotel permission to build on or use the public road.
At the Dec. 21 hearing, called to review the Dec. 15 action, Hindels made a presentation of the hotel plans with maps and photos. He said that there would still be beach access and that the development would not interfere with public use of Great Bay or the Muller or Vessup Bay beaches. The expansion would help the economy, he said, a point no senator challenged.
The Ritz-Carlton permit application states that 76 percent of the 27.2 acres to be developed will be maintained as "usable open space."
Donastorg said he hopes a way will be found "for Ritz to build without closing this road. Otherwise, they may be forced into a frustrating and protracted court battle."
EPA ON VERGE OF ASSUMING MANAGEMENT OF DUMPS
Editor’s note: According to Jim Casey, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s V.I.. coordinator, the agency has determined that the V.I. government has not met the conditions to implement a satisfactory solid waste regulatory program. A regulatory program, which would be implemented by the Department of Planning and Natural Resources, entails permitting, inspection and enforcement of federal regulations at landfill facilities. At the territory’s landfills, DPNR would have oversight of the Department of Public Works, the operator of the local facilities.
After years of failure by the V.I. government to live up to agreements with the federal government on managing its solid waste facilities, an official of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Friday it is on the verge of taking regulatory oversight of local landfills.
At a meeting of the Senate Planning and Environmental Protection Committee in Frederiksted, the EPA’s Jim Casey said the V.I. government was under orders to meet compliance standards four years ago at the landfills on St. Croix and St. Thomas and the transfer station on St. John.
Casey said a design and management plan complying with provisions of the law "should have been realized in October 1996."
The EPA is very concerned, he said, "that the Anguilla and Bovoni Landfills and the Susannaberg transfer station aren’t in compliance . . . with required criteria." If there isn't any progress by the local government, he added, the EPA is "not going to approve the Virgin Islands’ regulatory program."
And if that happens, "the authority of the territory to regulate the landfills will come under the auspices of the EPA," Casey said.
Planning and Natural Resources Commissioner Dean Plaskett said his department has spearheaded the task of putting together a regulatory program that will meet federal requirements.
"There are still some things we can do in the interim," Plaskett said. "It is not a done deal we aren’t going to get a certified program."
Casey said the EPA has issued two enforcement actions against the government for Clean Water Act violations and wetlands concerns at the Bovoni Landfill. Conditions in the decree call for the Public Works Department to clean up soil saturated with oil, solvents and used batteries. Toxic chemicals in the soil are running off into the nearby Mangrove Lagoon, Casey said.
"Unfortunately, the Department of Public Works hasn’t been diligent in meeting provisions it entered into," he said. "The activities at Bovoni Landfill have caused great displeasure for those . . . who have been working with Public Works." He said the EPA is "hoping to provide assistance but also escalate the enforcement as necessary."
Public Works Commissioner Harold Thompson Jr. said his department is set to circulate a request for proposals on solid waste management facilities on St. Croix and St. Thomas.
"We can’t afford to mess up this time," he said, "because the landfills of the Virgin Islands have a lifespan alarm clock ticking which will sound off in a little over four years." And, he added, there is "another alarm clock," owned by the Federal Aviation Administration, "which can send some serious financial signals to our economy."
Thompson was referring to the FAA’s order to have the Anguilla Landfill closed by the end of 2002 because of its proximity to the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport. Birds and smoke from frequent fires at the dump pose a threat to aircraft, the FAA has said.
According to Thompson, construction and start-up of the first solid waste facility, which will be on St. Croix, is estimated to take two and a half years.
After years of failure by the V.I. government to live up to agreements with the federal government on managing its solid waste facilities, an official of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Friday it is on the verge of taking regulatory oversight of local landfills.
At a meeting of the Senate Planning and Environmental Protection Committee in Frederiksted, the EPA’s Jim Casey said the V.I. government was under orders to meet compliance standards four years ago at the landfills on St. Croix and St. Thomas and the transfer station on St. John.
Casey said a design and management plan complying with provisions of the law "should have been realized in October 1996."
The EPA is very concerned, he said, "that the Anguilla and Bovoni Landfills and the Susannaberg transfer station aren’t in compliance . . . with required criteria." If there isn't any progress by the local government, he added, the EPA is "not going to approve the Virgin Islands’ regulatory program."
And if that happens, "the authority of the territory to regulate the landfills will come under the auspices of the EPA," Casey said.
Planning and Natural Resources Commissioner Dean Plaskett said his department has spearheaded the task of putting together a regulatory program that will meet federal requirements.
"There are still some things we can do in the interim," Plaskett said. "It is not a done deal we aren’t going to get a certified program."
Casey said the EPA has issued two enforcement actions against the government for Clean Water Act violations and wetlands concerns at the Bovoni Landfill. Conditions in the decree call for the Public Works Department to clean up soil saturated with oil, solvents and used batteries. Toxic chemicals in the soil are running off into the nearby Mangrove Lagoon, Casey said.
"Unfortunately, the Department of Public Works hasn’t been diligent in meeting provisions it entered into," he said. "The activities at Bovoni Landfill have caused great displeasure for those . . . who have been working with Public Works." He said the EPA is "hoping to provide assistance but also escalate the enforcement as necessary."
Public Works Commissioner Harold Thompson Jr. said his department is set to circulate a request for proposals on solid waste management facilities on St. Croix and St. Thomas.
"We can’t afford to mess up this time," he said, "because the landfills of the Virgin Islands have a lifespan alarm clock ticking which will sound off in a little over four years." And, he added, there is "another alarm clock," owned by the Federal Aviation Administration, "which can send some serious financial signals to our economy."
Thompson was referring to the FAA’s order to have the Anguilla Landfill closed by the end of 2002 because of its proximity to the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport. Birds and smoke from frequent fires at the dump pose a threat to aircraft, the FAA has said.
According to Thompson, construction and start-up of the first solid waste facility, which will be on St. Croix, is estimated to take two and a half years.
FRATERNITY HEAD TO LEAD ST. THOMAS WORKSHOPS
The general president of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, Adrian Wallace, has come to St. Thomas to conduct risk management workshops Saturday with the organization's two local chapters.
According to Gov. Charles W. Turnbull, historian of one local chapter, "It is very unusual for the general president to conduct this type of seminar."
Government House was to host a reception in Wallace's honor Friday evening.
According to Gov. Charles W. Turnbull, historian of one local chapter, "It is very unusual for the general president to conduct this type of seminar."
Government House was to host a reception in Wallace's honor Friday evening.
ANDREW BORNN IS REMEMBERED BY HIS SON
Your trips to the Post Office or Cuzzins Restaurant in town will no longer be the same. That familiar, ever-jovial, Mr. Nice Guy, life-of-the party, Andy Bornn has passed on.
Andrew H. Bornn, 79, of St. Thomas, Virgin Islands died Thursday, Feb. 17, 2000 at Aiken Regional Medical Centers, Aiken, South Carolina after a long illness.
Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Cathedral. Viewing will be from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the John Thomas Funeral Home. Entombment will be in the Western Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in his memory to the St. Thomas Humane Society, 7041 Estate Nadir #26, St. Thomas, VI 00802.
Friends of Andy’s generation from his native Trinidad and Tobago and St. Thomas knew him as glass-blower, skin diver, sailor, soccer player, painter, owner of Purina (Ralston) House, premier distributor of salt-fish, and most of all — Carnival mas’ man.
His more recent younger friends which numbered in the trillions, knew him as owner of Wintberg Gardens Nursery and Feed Store, a businessman, self-taught horticulturist, naturalist, and animal lover — particularly dogs, birds and horses. To all, no matter how briefly you knew him, Andy Bornn was one thing – the epitome of the simple effervescence of life.
A very modest person, however, Andy, was a driving force in the revival of VI Carnival in 1952, one of the founders of the St. Thomas Humane Society and the Gypsies Carnival Troupe, member of the former Blue Mantas Spear Fishing Club and a highly regarded volunteer fireman.
Andy Bornn is survived by his wife, attorney Edith L. Bornn; three sons, David Bornn, Steven Bornn and Michael Bornn; daughter-in-law Brigitte Bornn and step-grandchild Richard Lazarus all of St. Thomas; sisters, Rafita Bornn Smith and José Bornn Attale of Port of Spain, Trinidad. He is also survived by sister-in-law Angela Bacher and her husband Fred Bacher of Sea Isle City, NJ and numerous nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and a special companion.
Funeral arrangements are by the Jackson-Brooks Funeral Home of Aiken, South Carolina and the John Thomas Funeral Home of St. Thomas.
Andrew H. Bornn, 79, of St. Thomas, Virgin Islands died Thursday, Feb. 17, 2000 at Aiken Regional Medical Centers, Aiken, South Carolina after a long illness.
Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Cathedral. Viewing will be from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the John Thomas Funeral Home. Entombment will be in the Western Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in his memory to the St. Thomas Humane Society, 7041 Estate Nadir #26, St. Thomas, VI 00802.
Friends of Andy’s generation from his native Trinidad and Tobago and St. Thomas knew him as glass-blower, skin diver, sailor, soccer player, painter, owner of Purina (Ralston) House, premier distributor of salt-fish, and most of all — Carnival mas’ man.
His more recent younger friends which numbered in the trillions, knew him as owner of Wintberg Gardens Nursery and Feed Store, a businessman, self-taught horticulturist, naturalist, and animal lover — particularly dogs, birds and horses. To all, no matter how briefly you knew him, Andy Bornn was one thing – the epitome of the simple effervescence of life.
A very modest person, however, Andy, was a driving force in the revival of VI Carnival in 1952, one of the founders of the St. Thomas Humane Society and the Gypsies Carnival Troupe, member of the former Blue Mantas Spear Fishing Club and a highly regarded volunteer fireman.
Andy Bornn is survived by his wife, attorney Edith L. Bornn; three sons, David Bornn, Steven Bornn and Michael Bornn; daughter-in-law Brigitte Bornn and step-grandchild Richard Lazarus all of St. Thomas; sisters, Rafita Bornn Smith and José Bornn Attale of Port of Spain, Trinidad. He is also survived by sister-in-law Angela Bacher and her husband Fred Bacher of Sea Isle City, NJ and numerous nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and a special companion.
Funeral arrangements are by the Jackson-Brooks Funeral Home of Aiken, South Carolina and the John Thomas Funeral Home of St. Thomas.
