The V.I. Waste Management Authority began hauling tons of sludge Monday from St. Thomas’ closed, former Airport Lagoon Wastewater Treatment Plant to Bovoni Landfill. The plant, long the main water treatment on St. Thomas, has been inactive since 2007 when the treatment plant at Red Point came online. According to a statement from WMA, truckers plan to haul about 10,000 cubic yards of sludge over roughly four to eight weeks, weather permitting.

Because the long-stagnant sludge may emit some odors, WMA will be using scented misters to help mask any smells, according to WMA.

The lagoon and its sludge are the legacy of the old treatment plant, which was replaced by a more advanced system that process the wastewater more and discharges much cleaner water at the end. The territory’s treatment plants had been under an EPA consent decree to improve since 1984, with EPA complaints about the plants going back considerably further. The Red Point plant came on line in 2007 and major upgrades to the Anguilla wastewater treatment plant on St. Croix were completed somewhat later.