compost site on our own property against the rules?

You mean waste MISmanagement authority who has done nothing since it's creation by Dejongh but waste our public funds and not have anything remotely like recycling ongoing after all these years, turned down all offer of free help and partnerships with legitimate parties to recycle while spending millions on studies and other costly partnerships that will never fly? Those idiots who contract out all the jobs at enormous expense while sitting on their fat behinds in air-conditioned offices driving up their utility bills which we pay with our tax dollars?

Can't really tell you as they seem to make up the rules to suit themselves as they go.

Friends tell me there are two women who have been driving around our area of stx in a brand new WM SUV harassing people like this.

This is about as stupid as it gets, although we have had some other dealings with them in recent years that showed them as pretty stupid as well.

Sent Op's link to a friend to see if she knoew what was going on and here's the response:
"Got a quick reply back from high up in EPA. They have no idea what's going on with that.

I have my suspicions about what they're up to in this regard (preparing public for "the burn", and needing every shred of combustible material to make their numbers try to work, even at staggering $135-150 per ton).

However, that said, my guess is if WMA is publicly pushed on this one, they will back down"

they can kiss my rear end, I'm composting, though it's in a little nook hidden away; good soil is not something that needs to be paid for, not with the abundance of plant life we have on this island.

I would suggest that if anyone is approached by WMA regarding this, you require them to tell you exactly what the local rule, regulation and/or ordinance is that they are basing this stupidity upon. Plus, are they not trespassing by coming upon your property, uninvited?

Alana has the right approach.

'WHAT law or regulation am I violating...show me the law"?

Meanwhile my neighbor thinks diesel and gasoline are pesticides.
His property is waterfront.
He had been spraying his yard for months with gas...to kill the weeds.

It took 6 months of calls to Fire Dept., Health Dept. and DPNR to get action.

Standard reply..".not my job" to stop him .. try calling.....???

Finally an agent from DPNR water pollution came out an made him stop.

Sloop Jones is right.
This administration is strictly "pass the buck, not my job, mon" when it comes to getting action or help from any Gov. agency, if and when you need it. You have to be relentless and expend incredible time and energy because simply no one wants to be responsible for doing anything since they all get paid to do nothing, anyway. Not to mention the red tape involved............if and when, you may, eventually,
find someone to help. It's all very discouraging.
Next time, go directly to EPA!

We own the lot next door to our house and I do the same thing with my trimmings and such.

They're just trying to drum up tipping fees for their landfill sites.

I'd just ignore them.

No-one I have asked, (inculding it seems 1 senator that a friend inquired of) seems to know of any law that prhibits landowners from biodegrading their organic waste (yard cuttings/organic material) on their own property so next time someone encounters this, get the law that they are quoting.

If WMA was user friendly, the would have separate bins for compost/yard waste, reg. household garbage and appliances especially since they all get tossed in the same bin anyway and then sorted (unlless they don't sort). They should have them located at different spots around the islands so one does not have to travel all the way to the dump and be exposed to all that noxious smell and horrendous dust.
Of course, there are so few bins, now, anyway, that one must take their garbage on an island tour before disposing of it.

The WM women told our friend at our house that they didn't know why we could not do the pile of green waste, but they knew we couldn't!
He got names and some phone # supposedly for us, so I will follow up with them next week. Should be interesting.

Here's another comment I got from someone in the know re; recycling.

"I find this flabbergasting. Onsite composting has been a focus of: 1) our interns working on the islands, 2) a subject of many of our VIRP meetings, and 3) a strategy highlighted in our VIRP Options report. So, if this is true, for VIWMA not to be forthright about this "policy" as it relates to all three of those points above, and in all the forums and opportunities for their engagement as inherent with all three, again, is befuddling at the least."

Find the names and contact number for the WM women as this needs to be corrected.
Send them to me and I will pass on.

this is really very strange. everyone i know does this with yard waste

What the real abomination is that they seem to be targeting residences that have organic material composting sites.
What about all those horrendously neglected properties that are complete and utter eyesores with garbage strewn all over, rusting, cars, tires, trash piled up. You probably drive by a few each day. That's who they need to contact and bother.

I compost meat and veg scraps. Everything that can stay out of the trash and be reused is good.

We are on a main road, and we have a lot of yard, so do a lot of cutting. A pretty big pile of stuff at times, but not near anyone's house. Especially getting into storm season, trim all the palms and the bushes, and trees, etc etc. Plus some guy crashed into our yard and took out about 30 linear feet of bougainvillea hedge, that was close to 20 years old...so more than your average compost pile...but even more reason for us to dispose/ maintain it this way...we'll see what they say when I call them next week.

Just sent you a PM.

What about all the people who dump the trees, limbs, leaves on empty lots or near guts. The road where I live has major water damage because of people seem to feel the empty lot/gut area is a convenient location rather than taking to the dump, but it blocks the water coming down the hill that needs to go into the gut.

If people are fined for leaving trees/limbs on their own yard, then more people will dump on empty lots (private property) or into the guts. I saw a silver truck unload a truck full of tree limbs TODAY! So, much for the water drainage we need from the road or the 'no dumping' sign on the tree.

Im just happy when the liter is biodegradable.

why not garden and compost at the same time...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1C9zP5uJrE

this probably would be best on STT, though there's some small lots on STX also that would benefit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxsfAqNhZYk