WMA Announces Temporary Halt on Waste Disposal Fines for Christiansted Businesses

Moratorium announced after the Consortium highlights economic stress and lack of awareness among business owners regarding waste disposal laws

The V.I. Waste Management Authority announced on Monday that the authority is enacting a moratorium on the waste disposal citations issued to Christiansted businesses— relieving financial stress caused, according to the business owners, by the citations and associated $1,000 fines. The moratorium will last until until July 29th, according to VIWMA.

The citations, first issued in May, were given to business owners who violated VI Code Title 19, subsection 1563, which mandates that either businesses dispose of their waste at the Anguilla Landfill themselves, or hire a designated business trash hauler. After business owners told the Consortium that they were unaware of the law and unable to pay the fines due to the lack of business traffic caused by road closures and repairs in Christiansted, St. Croix Administrator Samuel Sanes advocated for the charges to be dropped and proposed an educational campaign on waste disposal regulations.