Friday’s long-announced signing of a US $25 million grant agreement for the Emergency Debris Management Project (see related story) marks a turning point following decades of local authorities basically neglecting the ever-worsening dump crisis. It entails not only suppressing the smouldering fires, but salvaging damaged vessels still in Simpson Bay Lagoon and clearing any remaining hurricane debris on the island, as well as providing financing to improve the landfill’s management and decommissioning the Hurricane Irma dump.
Using means from the Dutch-sponsored Trust Fund for this purpose makes all the sense in the world, because it’s not only a public health and environmental issue, but an economic one too. A prime tourist destination like St. Maarten can obviously ill afford to have huge plumes of smelly and potentially toxic black smoke from burning trash hovering near and occasionally over the capital Philipsburg.
Addressing the current urgent situation was thankfully recognised as a priority by the Netherlands. The Interim Recovery Committee and World Bank subsequently worked with the Ministries of Health VSA and Environment VROMI to make it happen.
The job will probably bring some inconvenience, particularly for persons living right next to the landfill who may have to be relocated for their own safety because the health risk increases once the fire-suppression activities start. Options are being considered to close off part of that neighbourhood.
But perhaps the best news is government’s commitment to keep working with the World Bank on a second project for long-term solid waste management and environmental improvement, with an estimated budget of $35 million. It is to include key elements of the Roadmap for Sustainable Waste Management also mentioned in the ongoing court case by citizens over the dump hazard.
So, as the county gets ready to celebrate Christmas, there at least appears to be some light at the end of this very dark tunnel.
