Nov. 29, 2004 –– Residents can no longer bring tires to the Bovoni Landfill. Landfill contractor Lester Ashby closed the landfill Nov. 19 saying there is no more room to store the tires.
Enrique Rodriguez, general manager of Rodriquez Auto Parts and chairman of the V.I. Tire Dealers Association, said Monday he has limited space to store the tires, and soon the car owners will be left on their own. It is illegal to dump tires anywhere except the landfill.
The tires have been accumulating for years while Ashby has been wading through government bureaucracy awaiting permission to use the tire shredder he purchased three years ago. Most recently, Ashby was told he needed to have the area where he wants to situate the shredder rezoned.
This was the last in a series of hurdles Ashby has experienced trying to put the shredder in use.
He said last month that he was on the verge of sending it back to the states. (See "Tale of a Tire Shredder: No Happy Ending in Sight"). Meantime, a rezoning hearing on the Bovoni parcel in question is scheduled for 10 a.m., Dec. 6, in the Department of Planning and Natural Resources conference room at Cyril E. King Airport. The property is shown as R-1 residential. The rezoning would change it to P for public, according to the hearing notice.
On hearing of the closing of the landfill, Rodriguez wrote Senate President David Jones requesting he call a Committee of the Whole meeting to hear the rezoning request. He told Jones, "The request has a special urgency, as the landfill is not accepting any tires from any business."
Rodriguez said Monday he has not heard back from Jones. Jones told the Source Saturday he won't call a lame duck session of the 25th Legislature. He said pending matters can be taken up by the 26th Legislature.
The public hearing is the first step in the rezoning process. To take effect, rezonings must be approved in turn by DPNR, the Senate and the governor.
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