Readers may have sighed after hearing last week from Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure Miklos Giterson that data will be collected on what is disposed of at the landfill before a decision can be taken whether an incinerator or waste-to-energy plant is the best choice for the frequently-burning dump in Philipsburg. After all, during the past decades countless visits to such facilities abroad were made, tenders issued and Memos of Understanding (MOUs) signed.
However, it’s only now that a scale for weighing the incoming garbage trucks will be placed to get a better idea of the quantity, let alone the content. Upgrading the so-called waste roadmap is the first step in preparing a sustainable solution to this serious problem for which the minister said there is no easy fix.
Meanwhile, today a team of experts will go into the neighbourhood next to the landfill (see related story) to do a survey and talk about residents’ possible relocation. This is required for the subsurface fire suppression activities during which part of the area may have to be closed.
If it’s necessary to protect their wellbeing there doesn’t to appear to be much choice, never mind that at least sections of the settlements on Pond Island were illegally built and people really shouldn’t be living there anyway. Finding suitable alternative accommodations might be a tall order, but perhaps the St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation (SMHDF) could be involved.
All this means effectively tackling the smoking dump issue is understandably going to take a bit of time, with options such as low-cost trash separation and management, including recycling and reuse, also on the radar. The negative impact of China banning the import of recyclable plastics on the global market too should be considered.
But while the need to do things right rather than hastily is clear, so is the continued suffering among the population from the obviously unhealthy fumes. A sense of urgency is therefore most definitely called for.
