Marco St. Croix refuses to remove excavator and trash-filled bins from Mon Bijou site until WMA pays

ST. CROIX — The owner of Marco St. Croix said he does not intend to remove his bins filled with garbage or his excavator that remain at the closed Mon Bijou bin site despite requests to do so from the Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority because he is owed money and there are ongoing legal proceedings.

“We’re actually going through a case right now in court,” Shawn Baptiste, owner of the trash removal and water delivery company, said. Baptiste discussed the situation after WTJX published an article Thursday detailing the Waste Management Authority’s plans for the bin site. Baptiste said he needs to get paid. “They sent me an email stating to move my stuff,” he said. “How can I move my stuff when you’re trying to get a different vendor at the site and then owing me so much money?”

Daryl Griffith, WMA interim executive director and chief financial officer, said the Authority owes Baptiste for work completed following the hurricanes of 2017. He said, however, WMA has made monthly payments. “He’s been paid over $35 million from the Authority, and he’s owed about $8 million now,” Griffith said. “As long as he provides the correct invoices, the Authority will continue making payments towards him, and we’ll seek to get help from the Legislature to make it whole.”