I not understanding something, and maybe somebody smarter than me could explain it proper.

How a law could be here for more than ten years, supposed to protect people from bad vehicle smoke and all kinda toxic exhaust, and still never get enforced? Like… the law there, but the law not doing nothing. So is it really a law, or just a suggestion with paperwork?

That is why people calling this thing a “ghost law,” and I can’t even say that sounding too dramatic, because it really does seem like one. Bill 36-0109 trying to finally make it real by setting up an official vehicle emissions inspection program across the Virgin Islands. Which, to me, sound like something that should’ve already been happening long time now if the first law was serious.

And the reason this matter is not small, you know. This ain’t just about paperwork and stickers and testing people car for the fun of it. The Department of Planning and Natural Resources say vehicle exhaust carrying dangerous stuff in it, including benzene, and that could increase people chance of getting serious sickness like leukemia.

So lemme see if I have this right.

We know the fumes dangerous.
We know the law was passed.
We know nothing got enforced.
And now, ten-plus years later, everybody meeting to discuss how maybe they should start.

I not trying to be disrespectful, but what exactly was the plan all this time? Just breathe and hope for the best?

Because from what came out in the hearing, this emissions mandate been sitting down for about ten to twelve years with no implementation, no regulations, no real follow-through. And every time I hear something like that, I does wonder if passing laws here is just the easy part, and actually doing them is where everybody suddenly disappear.

And then this part really confuse me.

The same department supposed to oversee air pollution admitted that their air pollution control program is currently unmanned.

Unmanned.

So wait.

There is a law about emissions.
There is concern about public health.
There is a bill trying to enforce the law.
But the actual program responsible for the technical side ain’t even staffed?

I not understanding how that does work in real life. That sound like trying to start school with no teacher, no books, and no classroom, but still telling everybody education is a priority.

Apparently, DPNR been trying for two years now to hire an air pollution control manager and an environmental engineer, but they can’t get the positions filled because of salary and recruitment problems. Which, again, I understand people hard to hire sometimes. But if the system know it need people to function, and it still can’t get the people, then why everybody does act surprised when the law sitting there like a decoration?

So now the suggestion is to let BMV take the lead. BMV would handle the day-to-day inspections and operations, and DPNR would offer technical support when they can. And honestly, that probably makes more sense than waiting another ten years for a department with no staff to suddenly become ready.

But even with that, I still have questions.

Who making sure the plan could actually last?
Who funding it proper?
Who enforcing it for real this time?
And how many more laws walking around here like ghost before somebody notice they dead?

Because that is the part I can’t get over. Everybody seems to agree the bill means well. Everybody seems to agree the health risks are serious. Everybody seems to agree enforcement matters. But somehow agreement alone does never seem to move the thing.

So now we here, trying to revive a law that shoulda never been allowed to die in the first place.

And maybe this is normal to everybody else, but I sorry, I not understanding how something could be urgent, important, dangerous, overdue, and still left untouched for a whole decade.