If the dump fire on Monday seemed worse than ever, that’s probably because it broke out in the provisional depot for mostly hurricane debris, which is considerably closer to Philipsburg than the sanitary landfill. The smoke was so bad that entire area had to be evacuated, including temporary shelters in the Little League Stadium and Festival Village, as well as the Government Building.
Some saw the latter as ironic, reasoning that the recurring problem would now at least be felt directly by public administration and other local authorities, so they might finally understand how serious the situation is. That it happened on the so-called Irma dump this time does not change the fact that the population and visitors alike for already quite a long period are frequently confronted with likely toxic fumes that constitute a real health hazard.
Of course, arson cannot be ruled out, especially as persons were seen shooting off fireworks there before, around New Year’s Eve. That such a blaze is even possible alone gives enough cause for concern.
All this means that the threat has now become double, which makes the urgency to do something about the issue even greater. What is currently happening on Pond Island forms a clear and present danger to society and its livelihood provided by the tourism economy.
Dutch State Secretary of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Raymond Knops has said that waste management and processing will play an important role in the recovery effort to be funded with 550 million euros made available by the Netherlands via the World Bank.
St. Maarten needs to do what is necessary to make sure he is held to those words.
