Marking a significant accomplishment for the Caribbean territory, the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) on December 23 earned U.S. EPA approval of a municipal solid waste landfill permit program that will help it develop solid waste program capacity.
The approval enables the expansion of existing landfills, construction of new landfills, and design and operational flexibilities such as alternative daily cover and alternative financial assurance mechanisms. These authorities reportedly are essential to ensuring that solid waste can be safely and sustainably managed.
“With much excitement, the United States Virgin Islands reached a historic moment by receiving the authority to permit landfills,” said Division of Environmental Protection (DEP) Director Kathlyn P. Worrell-George. “I am ecstatic that the [DEP] team and I were able to play a major role in such a triumphant achievement.”’
