DISTRICT COURT OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
DIVISION OF ST. THOMAS & ST. JOHN 
 
 
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,   
 
                   Plaintiff, 
v. 
 
GOVERNMENT OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS, VIRGIN 
ISLANDS PORT AUTHORITY, VIRGIN ISLANDS 
WASTE MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY, JOSEPH 
HODGE, ZULMA HODGE,  
 
                 Defendants. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Civ. No. 10-48 
 
 
ATTORNEYS: 
Mark Gallagher 
Rachel Evans King 
United States Department of Justice 
Washington, DC 
 
For the plaintiff United States of America, 
 
Grethchen Shappert 
Joycelyn Hewlett 
United States Attorney’s Office 
St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. 
 
For the plaintiff United States of America, 
 
Ian Clement 
Pamela R. Tepper 
V.I. Department of Justice 
St. Thomas, V.I. 
 
For the defendant Government of the Virgin Islands. 
 
Robert Goldsmith 
Law Office of Marjorie Rawls Roberts, P.C. 
St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. 
 
For the Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority. 
 
 
 
 
 
Case: 3:10-cv-00048-CVG-RM   Document #: 213   Filed: 10/03/18   Page 1 of 3
United States v. Government of the Virgin Islands 
Civ. No. 10-48 
Page 2 
 
ORDER 
 
 
On September 26, 2018, the Court held an evidentiary 
hearing in this matter. The Interim Executive Director of the 
Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority (“VIWMA”), Adrian 
Taylor, did not attend the hearing. VIWMA represented that 
Taylor was unavailable because he was needed in St. Croix to 
address a fire at the Anguilla landfill that had erupted hours 
before the scheduled quarterly hearing. In Taylor’s absence 
VIWMA personnel were unable to provide meaningful testimony with 
respect to the status of the landfills at the center of this 
case, including the Anguilla landfill that had erupted in fire 
at that time.  
At the conclusion of that hearing, the Court held a post-
hearing conference in chambers. At that conference, the Court 
highlighted the benefits of continuity in resolving the issues 
surrounding the Consent Decree in this case. The parties 
addressed the frequent turnover of the management team at VIWMA—
including 3 different executive directors in less than a 6 month 
period. Given that backdrop, the parties agreed that there was 
utility in providing the Court with prompt notice of significant 
developments at VIWMA, including changes in key personnel 
positions. The parties agreed to submit proposals addressing the 
Case: 3:10-cv-00048-CVG-RM   Document #: 213   Filed: 10/03/18   Page 2 of 3
United States v. Government of the Virgin Islands 
Civ. No. 10-48 
Page 3 
 
manner and means by which such notice could be provided to the 
Court.1  
The Court also discussed the need for a follow-up hearing 
to address the status of the landfills, including the September 
26, 2018, fire at the Anguilla landfill. 
The premises considered, it is hereby 
ORDERED that the parties’ briefs regarding the manner and 
means by which prompt notice of key changes at VIWMA would be 
provided to the Court shall be FILED no later than 7:00 P.M. on 
October 3, 2018; it is further 
ORDERED that an evidentiary hearing in this matter is 
SCHEDULED to begin promptly at 9:45 A.M. on October 11, 2018. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
S\________________ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   Curtis V. Gómez 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   District Judge 
 
 
 
                                                          
1 At the status conference, the Court indicated that briefs on the topic 
should be filed no later than 3:00 P.M. on September 3, 2018. At that time, 
no briefs were filed.  
Case: 3:10-cv-00048-CVG-RM   Document #: 213   Filed: 10/03/18   Page 3 of 3