EPA to do Municipal Solid Waste Study of U.S. Virgin Islands Landfills
CHARLOTTE AMALIE — As part of their continuing efforts to help the territories recover from the long-term impacts from Hurricanes Irma and Maria, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) announced they are collaborating to complete a municipal solid waste study of the landfills in the territory.
The study is supported through federal grants and contracts to assist the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources (VIDPNR) and the U.S. Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority (VIWMA) to solve landfill capacity overflow.
“The U.S. Virgin Islands was already facing a waste management crisis when Hurricanes Irma and Maria struck the islands, worsening the problem,” says EPA Regional Administrator Pete Lopez. “Working with our federal, territory and education partners, this study will help create environmentally and economically sustainable long-term waste management strategies, including waste reduction and recycling programs.”
A solid waste characterization study allows the government to understand the composition of materials discarded in the waste stream.
Read more: http://vifreepress.com/2019/05/epa-to-do-municipal-solid-waste-study-of-u-s-virgin-islands-landfills/
