ST. CROIX — The Mon Bijou bin site that has been closed for the past five months will reopen for household waste disposal on Wednesday following necessary safety repairs, according to a Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority official.
Although the site will eventually be transformed into a modern convenience center, Marco St. Croix was on the scene today to remove the compromised concrete ramp.
“That ramp has been demolished because that ramp was falling apart and it would have fell out at any time,” Daryl Griffith, WMA interim executive director and chief financial officer, said.
Now that the unsafe ramp has been removed, Griffith said the Authority will reopen the site Wednesday as it continues moving forward with plans to convert it into a convenience center.
“We’re going to begin the design process at the end of January for the Mon Bijou bin site to turn it into a convenience center, similar to what we have in Peter’s Rest,” he said.
In addition to removing the concrete ramp, Griffith said the bins will be placed closer to the fence to make it easier for residents to drop off garbage. He stressed that businesses are not authorized to use the bin site.
“Only household waste should be disposed of at public bin sites as illegal dumping is a punishable offense,” he said.
The Mon Bijou bin site has been closed since July 15. WMA officials provided WTJX with an update on the bin site’s closure on December 19, noting a change in plans to complete a long-term project that would convert the site into a convenience center opposed to simply making temporary repairs.
READ MORE: “Convenience center for Mon Bijou bin site slated for 2025; WMA provides updates on STT/STJ sites”
Griffith stressed that WMA is now able to reopen the bin site after working with the contractor to demolish the concrete ramp.
“It was all about a safety concern,” he said, noting WMA did not want any vehicles to fall through the ramp.
Marco St. Croix is the contractor who managed the bin site prior to its closure. The contractor was at odds with WMA over past due payments owed.
Shawn Baptiste, Marco St. Croix owner, said his company will continue to manage the bin site when it reopens, noting that he worked out his financial issues with WMA. He said he is on schedule to reopen the bin site on Wednesday if the weather cooperates, noting that his crew was working to remove the concrete ramp today.
“We’re done already,” he said about the initial demolition of the ramp when contacted this afternoon.
