The V.I. Waste Management Authority Governing Board unanimously authorized VIWMA to contract Rumina Construction to build a tipping floor at the Susannaberg Transfer Station on St. John, during the board’s regular meeting this week. The contract is not to exceed $271,128 and will be paid from a Fiscal Year 2010 U.S. Department of Interior grant, according to a statement from VIWMA.
VIWMA Executive Director May Cornwall said she expects the cost of trash collecting on St. John to be significantly reduced with the construction of the tipping floor. Currently the authority spends about $94,000 per month for the collection and transportation of solid waste from St. John to the Bovoni landfill on St. Thomas.
The tipping floor will allow solid waste to be sorted into noncompactable and compactable material. All noncompactable waste will be placed into bins and transported to the Bovoni landfill once the bins become full, and all compactable waste will be compacted at the Susannaberg Transfer Station and then transported to the Bovoni landfill. This should save about $22,000 per month according to VIWMA.
In other actions, the VIWMA board:
– approved draft legislation to submit to the Legislature to add VIWMA environmental enforcement and compliance officers to the list of peace officers with arrest powers, and other legal changes;
– a three-month contract extension with VIESCO to operate the Mangrove Lagoon Wastewater Treatment Plant in Bovoni, St. Thomas, and at the St. John Wastewater Treatment System, for a cost of $656,250;
– a contract amendment with VIESCO to buy critical replacement parts and specific new equipment for the plant at the Mangrove Lagoon Wastewater Treatment Plant, St. Thomas, at a cost of $185,000, funded from 2004 PFA bond proceeds;
– a contract with New Image Electric for electrical upgrades at the Mangrove Lagoon Wastewater Treatment Plant for $196,000 for one year, with a funding source from 2004 PFA bond proceeds;
– a $76,000 contract for engineering services from Veolia Water North America for engineering for emergency project management and engineering services at the LBJ, Fig Tree and Lagoon Street pump stations on St. Croix, during March and April 2012, with funding from 2004 PFA bond proceeds;
– Engineering and Construction Administration Services Contract with Geoffrey Watson to provide services specific to VIWMA Capital Improvement Plan projects, in the amount of $57,200;
– and a $146,000 contract for engineering and construction services with INECO to engineer and execute the Lagoon Street Pump Station Phase 1-Electrical MCC Upgrade;
The board authorized Cornwall to enter into a service contract through Jan. 31, 2014, with VIESCO for the daily operation, maintenance and management of the Mangrove Lagoon Wastewater Treatment Plant and Pump Station, the St. John Wastewater Systems, with complete transition of all operation, maintenance and management responsibilities back to VIWMA on Jan. 31, 2014. The contract is for $219,750 per month, for a total contract amount of $1,531,250, from the V.I. government’s General Fund.
It also authorized the purchase of a 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD Regular Cab Truck with stake bed and liftgate tailgate for use by the St. Thomas solid waste division at a cost of $46,240 from local V.I. government funding.
And it authorized Cornwall to enter into a 10-month service agreement contract with Marco St. Croix Inc. for the collection, processing and removal of some 250,000 scrap tires from the Anguilla landfill to an off-island disposal vendor. The contract costs $100,000 per month for a total of $1,000,000 and not to exceed a $1,100,000 budget over the course of the 10 months and is funded by a DOI grant.
