TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums US VI and Puerto Rico One if by land, two if by sea

After years of talk, the first step to making a marina real in Coral Bay has occurred.

http://newsofstjohn.com/2014/07/22/happening-marina-coming-coral-bay/

I have mixed feelings about it.

I am interesting in seeing local opinions. I am a land based annual visitor.

On the one hand, how could a marina that provides a pump out service and skilled labor jobs be a bad thing for the community.

On the other hand, new businesses on STJ fail at an alarming rate (more so than on the mainland) and Coral Bay has got to be a tough market.

I like the Moravian Church site better, more protected. Pumpout in Coral Bay and some real DPNR enforcement would be a boon. A lot of the Coral Bay residents are pretty unhappy about the plan.

Cheers, RickG

A customs office would be nice. If you want to stay in STJ the last night, even at Maho, you have long ride to Cruz Bay an other check in spot would be very convenient.

A pump out station on St John would be a waste of money and a joke like the ones in St Thomas where the pump out trucks go around the corner and pump the waste into the ocean.
All the older building and hotels pump out into the ocean.
Due to the winds and currents the water clears out almost instantly.

Benji owns the pump out boats and it's not a waste of money, except who will pay for the pump outs?

Some of the trucks may be doing as you say. If you ever witness that please take a photo or better yet, a video of the act. That is a federal crime and goes right over the top of the local bureaucrats. The fines for conviction are pretty substantial. If you've spent any time at either of the two major WWTPs on STT you would have seen quite a few pump out trucks coming in and dumping on a daily basis. Some of them multiple times per day. If I take your blanket statement literally then yes, everybody pretty much pumps into the ocean. Here is where one would need to clarify the difference between treated and untreated waste. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" /> the major treatment plants on all three of the USVI do pump into the ocean after treatment much like in the states where most treatment plants pump into a nearby river which eventually typically flows to an ocean.

Does the Marriott count as an older hotel? I know the guy that runs their WWTP. What about the Island Beachcomber? Their waste certainly does not go into Lindbergh Bay. Neither of the Best Westerns do either. I can't speak for the oldest buildings downtown because I have not had reason to work there. All of the larger hotels I'm aware of on STT also run their own desalination plants. It could be very problematic to pump raw waste into the same area that you are drawing salt water out of to make fresh.

I am sorry, but you know not of what you speak. The EPA keeps a very close eye on what is pumped into the ocean. If you had to file the reports every month, you would know.

I do know what I speak and am not the only one.
I has been five years since.
I'm sure there are many here who have seen it being done.
I hope it has changed for the better.

If you have been around for more then five years then you should have been aware of what was going on.

The above reply was from me I wasn't logged in

Kimber, I've stayed at the Marriott before it was called the Marriott And at the Island Beachcomber quite a few times in the early 70's and all the gray water went into the ocean.
With the increase in tourism I hope they have corrected it.

I'm sure a lot of things happened environmentally in the 70's that no longer happen.

Five years ago the waste from the holding tanks was still being pumped into the ocean by the tank trucks.
That's the reality of the situation. No candy coatings

Well it's obvious that Benji had a creative idea because he could head out 3 miles and legally dump it.
But like you mention "who is going to pay"?

Sail: This is not the 70s anymore. This isn't the 80s, even. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Wink.gif" alt="" /> I have been here for (gulp!) 20 years. Change comes slowly, but change does come. Grey water has to be treated before the effluent can be returned. I hate to tell you but some people are starting to recycle grey water for drinking.

Well, it's good to know you get the file reports on the waste water monthly,
I'll sleep better <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

Personally I never swim where there are more than 4 or 5 boats... especially in the Caribbean.

My concern is it a matter of time before Coral Bay becomes the West End of Tortola. We use to love to go to Tortola... not so much any more.

Economically it will bring riches... To who? And what else will it bring is the question?

Poof!!! It's already busier then Cruz bay was in the 80's
It's a worldwide population problem.
There's still Borneo!!! :grin

Sail445 you've been here far longer than I and I've no reason to not believe things that you saw in the 70s. In 40 years things are much different than what you describe. What happened even 5 years ago is pretty irrelevant. When you accept the current existing reality of the situation, you'll see there isn't a need to candy coat anything. I've been to every pump station and WWTP on all three islands, done inspections of the systems and written reports on existing conditions. The WMA is in the process of making improvements to many facilities in order to make them more reliable. Some improvements have been completed. As Nutmeg correctly and clearly stated, change is slow but it is happening.

Well Kimber that's good news, it's about time they got serious about it.
Keep up the good work.

It seems to me that simply using holding tanks while in an anchorage and dumping them when out between islands is the best solution.

That's what IYC instructs us to do...

Coral bay has a lot of boats the don't ever move, it is sort of like a floating
Mobile home park.

A lot of those boats don't have liveaboards.