Gov. Charles Turnbull has sent legislation to the Senate that will allow the Virgin Islands to maintain control of fines levied against federal environmental lawbreakers in the territory.
The three bills, if approved, will strengthen the territory’s environmental protection laws and "provide guidance and balance between development and the environment," a Government House release said Wednesday.
The first bill would update the V.I. air pollution-control program, the second would add a new chapter to regulate the use of underground storage tanks for fuel and oil and the third would amend the V.I. Code to update the territory’s water pollution-control program.
According to Turnbull, the bills are necessary to bring the Virgin Islands into compliance with federal law and are the result of meetings with federal regulatory agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency.
"The enactment of these proposals is important to preclude federal intervention," Turnbull said in his transmittal letter to the Legislature. "We must ensure that the necessary safeguards are put in place to protect our air, and the ground and surface waters, from contamination."
Other proposals include transferring the Narcotics Strike Force from the Office of the Governor to the V.I. Police Department for budgetary purposes only. Another proposal would place the Office of Collective Bargaining under the Division of Personnel, also for budgetary purposes.
The governor is also seeking an appropriation from the Health Revolving Fund for the fiscal year Oct. 1 through Sept. 30, 2000.