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X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://legvi.org/
X-WR-CALNAME:Legislature of the United States Virgin Islands
X-WR-CALDESC:"United in Pride and Hope"
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BEGIN:VEVENT
CLASS:PUBLIC
UID:MEC-deda1e5a7775166024e4f421b32cccc3@legvi.org
DTSTART:20260601T140000Z
DTEND:20260601T220000Z
DTSTAMP:20260522T201000Z
CREATED:20260522
LAST-MODIFIED:20260522
PRIORITY:5
SEQUENCE:1
TRANSP:OPAQUE
SUMMARY:Committee on Health, Hospitals and Human Services
DESCRIPTION:Please be advised that the Committee on Health, Hospitals & Human Services will be conducting hearing on Monday, June 01, 2026, at 10:00 A.M., in the Earle B. Ottley Legislative Chambers, on St. Thomas.\nBLOCK I                                                                                                                                 10:00 A.M. – 1:00 P.M.\nThe Committee will receive testimony from the Department of Health regarding the Territory’s mental and behavioral health system, with emphasis on the use of appropriated funds, progress and timelines for facility construction and operational readiness, deployment of behavioral health vans, workforce recruitment and retention, community-based services, and interagency coordination. The Department is also expected to provide a detailed update on equipment and asset disposition from demolished or decommissioned facilities, current nursing shortages and stabilization strategies, and relocation plans for staff affected by ongoing renovation, demolition, or rebuilding projects to ensure continuity of public health services.\nInvited Testifier:\nHonorable Justa E. Encarnacion, Commissioner, VI Department of Health\n BLOCK II                                                                                                                                  1:45 P.M. – 4:00 P.M.\nThe Committee will receive testimony on landfill management practices and soil health across the Territory, with a specific focus on public health impacts. Testimony will examine the effects of waste and vegetation burning and the use of incineration methods on air quality, respiratory health, and vulnerable populations, including associated health risks, regulatory safeguards, and mitigation of harmful emissions. The members will also receive testimony on the state of soil health and its direct relationship to food quality, food security, and overall public health; including the importance of nutrient-rich soil in supporting safe, sustainable agricultural production. Additionally, testimony will address the benefits of composting green waste as a sustainable alternative to reduce landfill burden, enhance soil fertility, and mitigate environmental health risks, along with recommendations for policy, oversight, and sustainable land management practices to better protect the health and well-being of residents across the Territory.\nInvited Testifier(s):\nHonorable Louis E. Petersen, Jr., Ph.D., Commissioner, VI Department of Agriculture\nMs. Dawn Henry, Esq., Vice-President & Chief Executive Officer, Island Green Living Association\nDr. Polly Hoppin, Research Professor, Environmental Health Science and Health Policy, University of Massachusetts\nMr. Harith Wickrema, President, Island Green Living Association\nMs. Judith Enck, President, Beyond Plastics\nMr. Mark Lichtenstein, Executive Operating Officer, SUNY College of Environment Science\nMr. Scott Woods, CEO and Founder, Sustainable Generation\nMs. Jane Williams, Chairwoman, Sierra Club National Clean Air Team\nMrs. Sommer Sibilly-Brown, Founder/President, Good Food Coalition\nDr. Lisa Lewis, Dean of Nursing, University of the Virgin Islands\n
URL:https://legvi.org/events/committee-on-health-hospitals-and-human-services-34/
ORGANIZER;CN=Senator Ray Fonseca:MAILTO:senatorrayfonseca@legvi.org
LOCATION:Charlotte Amalie
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