Repairs have been made to the trash compactor at the Susannaberg transfer station, and the device is being reassembled for testing, although the station is still not expected to reopen until April, St. John's top Public Works Department official said Friday, Jan. 14.
Deputy Commissioner Ira Wade said the compactor would be loaded with trash Friday to determine its working capabilities. The repairs have progressed to the point that "today we're actually going to hook the trailers up and stress it down with garbage to see what it can do," he said.
"We know structurally it's fine," he added. "We still have some auxiliary electrical problems, and that's going to continue to be a problem a little longer."
The compactor has been out of service since mid-November, leaving Public Works without a means to process the tons of household trash generated by residents and tourists. Department officials closed the transfer station shortly after the machine broke down and have since then required trash haulers to barge collections themselves to the Bovoni landfill on St. Thomas. This has produced protests from private haulers, who cite the out-of-pocket costs the barging entails and say they must pass them on to clients.
Wade also provided an update on Monday's bulk waste pickup at two island locations. More than a hundred cubic yards of old furniture and appliances was collected, he said. Three large bins were reported filled at the drop-off point in Pine Peace, and two others at the other site, in Coral Bay.
Accumulations of abandoned mattresses and other furniture items by roadside trash bins had prompted Public Works officials to organize the one-day bulk waste collection. Wade said the program was well received by the community but noted that additional large items were left at both collection sites the following day. People are still "depositing refrigerators and furniture, which they're not supposed to do," he said.
Those who missed the pick-up date, he said, will need to wait for the transfer station to reopen to take their bulk waste there. He said this should happen by April but added that, when it does, residents may find themselves required to pay tipping fees to drop off their large solid waste items.
Wade said he's continuing to meet with Public Works solid waste managers to decide what items will be accepted at Susannaberg. "One of the things that's definitely off the table is construction and demolition debris," he said. "That can go straight to Bovoni."
