Dear Editor,
I believe it’s time we begin to change the name of Philipsburg into a new name.
Once upon a time many decades ago, when entering Philipsburg, the main capital of St. Maarten, through Bush Road side, you could smell the cool pond breeze. Or if you would take the Front Street side, you would inhale the fresh Great Bay sea breeze. But for the last 30 years or more, Philipsburg has become a toxic area from the smoking stinking pollution from the Pondfill dump.
Since last year, after Hurricane Irma, the situation became worse than before, causing many people who live in the surrounding area to become sick of the continual toxic smoke.
Dear Editor, it will be of no surprise in the coming years that a greater number of people will be suffering from serious lung infections, lung deceases, and cancer. This kind of dump smoke is highly dangerous to one’s health. The more you inhale this cocktail of poisonous gasses every day, from the large amount of toxic materials and chemicals burning there, the more it will accumulate in the lungs, poisoning your blood, and affecting your kidneys, and your overall health. After a period of time it will create some form of sickness or disease.
This is not a suggestion, but a proven fact all over the world, where people have been exposed to toxic chemicals for long periods of time. It’s like the concentration camps during Hitler’s time in Germany. The only difference there is that the people instantly died of the concentrated gas poison in a closed-up area. Here it is having a slow poison effect in an open area. But in the end it will cause sickness and disease.
I don’t think our government seem to be taking this issue very seriously. Or they simply don’t care. Most of the big-time politicians don’t even live in Smoky Town anyway.
People’s lives and health are at stake. I believe we need to start putting a sign at the entry of the Prins Bernhard bridge coming from Bush Road stating: “Dear visitors, now entering ‘Smoky Town,’ previously called Philipsburg. You are now entering a danger zone of toxic pollution at your own health risk. For more proof of evidence please see and observe our dumpsite at your far left. Philipsburg has become an official ‘Smoky Town.’”
Dear editor, St. Maarten obtained its separate status in the year 2010. But there are many intellectuals on this island who want the “whole hog” and desire also independence. They want more freedom from the “blond hair and blue eyes” from Europe, or who we would consider as the new generation of the great-grandchildren from the former Dutch colonialists. But if this is the way we are being treated as a people of this little island called St. Maarten, still under Holland, then how will it be when we get our independence and become subject to the mercy of the mentality of our government? It’s a kind of scary to know what they will do or allow.
I can now agree and understand the concern of the Dutch authorities pertaining to this toxic dump issue. This persistent problem, where people’s health is at great risk, has indeed become a problem. As one politician once said: “Some top politician is getting the benefit from this situation.” The old people would say: “There is no smoke without a fire.”
The Dutchman of Kingdom Affairs, Mr. Raymond Knops, stated that it will take time before a prompt solution can be found for this problem for there now seems to be no short-term solution.
Well, dear Editor, I believe that when a solution is finally found, we all will be poisoned, dead, and buried. Only our children or grandchildren will be able to tell the tale of how this whole situation was resolved.
Citizen of Smoky Town
Name withheld at author's request.
