The dumping of raw sewage onto the landfill (see Friday paper) must be strongly condemned. St. Maarten Nature Foundation is rightly concerned, especially because the recent heavy rainfall and subsequent opening of the floodgates as well as the emergency runoff channel for Fresh Pond meant wastewater ending up in the sea at Great Bay Beach with cruise ships in port.
That the driver of the pump truck continued despite objections from witnesses makes the situation even more worrisome. The same goes for reported statements from the garbage facility’s managers that it happens all the time.
This environmentally-unfriendly practice is obviously forbidden. All sewage is to be taken to the processing plant on Illidge Road.
However, there are some indications that the latter is not always possible, for technical or other reasons. Trucks have been turned away in the past and resorted to depositing their polluting content elsewhere.
Doing so is still wrong under any circumstance and certainly not an acceptable solution, but a viable option should in principle always be available. A few years ago the purification facility was upgraded and expanded considerably to solve the capacity problems, but apparently there are still issues from time to time.
It’s like with the dumping of car wrecks on the sidewalk near the dump. The Bakker Recycling Plant at that location has been closed since its owner was arrested in March and there is simply nowhere else to put them.
VROMI Minister Christophe Emanuel said he was aware of the situation and intended to deal with it, but – again – a reasonable alternative is needed so the scrap metal doesn’t pile up in other places.
