Dear Editor,
The current state of St. Maarten’s sanitary landfill, also commonly referred to as “the dump,” is an undeniable problem. Recent years have seen an increase in the amount of garbage being brought to be dumped at the landfill as a result of an increase in garbage generation. This, coupled with worrisome management practices, has led to an alarming 32 (and counting) fires on the landfill this year alone. This predicament certainly has my full attention.
Brief history
While the fact that for years fires have been smouldering under the landfill is nothing new, the frequency in which these fires have erupted on the surface has steadily increased. The landfill, which was established in the early 1970s, has long since passed its lifespan, however, it continues to be the only option available for the dumping of the country’s garbage. This, in addition to St. Maarten’s larger waste problem has been a controversial topic for the past few years, especially as increasingly large fires seem to rage out of control.
As mentioned, the landfill has been smouldering underground for a number of years. Occasionally, a surface fire flares up, which spreads to areas nearby and this becomes hard to control as once it spreads it ignites other garbage. Other sources of these fires include garbage rummagers who gather and burn wires at the landfill that quickly spread out of control, the illegal dumping of garbage and debris from the French side of the island and lastly, suspected criminal activities contributing to the starting of fires.
Current challenges
Concerns about the management of the landfill and the potential for an increase of fires have been raised for some time. These concerns centred around what was considered a poorly constructed Terms of References (TOR) used in the bidding process to select a contractor and the poor performance of that contractor in living up to the TOR. At the request of the then VROMI Minister in 2016, the Government’s Accountants Bureau SOAB compiled an audit report of the management of the dumpsite and the quality of the TOR. An analysis of the TOR by SOAB revealed several weaknesses in both instances.
Given the continued poor performance of the contractor, I proposed earlier this year to “amicably terminate” the contract of the landfill management due to the inability of the company to responsibly handle the dump. However, after discovering that the penalty for dissolving the contract would cost more than the remainder of the contract, in addition to having to pay another contractor to actually carry out the works, it was decided to let the contract run out until it expires in December 2018.
Moving forward
I have identified several objectives that I am steadfast about achieving in my commitment to end St. Maarten’s waste problem: the total extinguishing of the underground fires, the structural improvement of the management of the dump, the establishment of a waste authority, and the introduction of a recycling programme. The development of a waste incinerator to significantly reduce the amount of garbage to be disposed of remains an option to be considered. However, this does not take away from the more immediate structural measures needed.
The goal is to suppress the current fires while working in parallel to put in place a sustainable waste solution. Given the constant smouldering of the underground fires and the inevitability of fires continuing, the best strategic solution is to first fully extinguish the underground fires, which would greatly lower the number and intensity of flare-ups.
To this end, the government, with financing from the Recovery Trust Fund, has identified a project that will be a large-scale operation to suppress the ongoing fires at both dumpsites. The proposed solution is to go section by section and extinguish these fires using heavy equipment and special fire suppression chemicals and techniques. Disappointingly, the fire suppression works have unfortunately taken longer to begin than initially anticipated. The Council of Ministers has been advised that social and environmental protections need to be strongly considered by the government before any work can begin. Though time-consuming, proper precautions have to be taken to ensure that all of the right components are included and that the right contractor is being selected that can fully handle the job.
A 6:00pm closing time of the landfill has been instituted to restrict the number of persons on the landfill at night, when a majority of the fires seem to start. Temporary security services have been set up to patrol both landfills as well as the VROMI yard, and a tender has been issued for the procurement of permanent security. Additionally, the Ministry is in final negotiations to put in place a garbage-sorting and -recycling station in the near vicinity of the dump where an effort will be made to properly sort the trash that ends up on the landfill.
The VROMI Ministry sees the establishment of a waste authority as a high priority necessity. To that end, a project manager has been contracted by the Ministry to set up the framework of such an authority. It is through this authority that St. Maarten’s waste-to-energy plans will be executed. Also, imperative will be the introduction of a formal recycling programme by the government as well as a partnership with community organisations that have already begun the process. This will go hand in hand with community awareness and school programmes on the importance of recycling.
During my first press briefing on January 17, 2018, I indicated that my number one priority in office was to find a solution to the problem of the continuous fire. With 8 ministers in the past 8 years and an ever-constantly changing vision, I acknowledge that over the years there have been numerous delays that have led to the unacceptable situation at the dump today. There are a number of identified approaches to the problem but each will take time to properly prepare. In the meantime, with the measures taken (closing of the dump at 6:00pm and hiring of permanent security), it is my intention that the nuisance surface fires will be better contained until the structural suppression of the fires can take place before the year’s end.
Miklos Giterson,
Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI
Dear Editor,
I bought the paper of Monday, September 17, 2018, and was very pleased with what I saw on the front page about the St. Maarten Academy students’ results. It was 50-50. I continued to read on page 8 and on after reading the whole article I was much more impressed.
I would like to congratulate each and everyone who was directly or indirectly involved in this achievement. This article should be an inspiration to all. No addendum. Once more, congratulations to all.
Russell A. Simmons
Dear Editor,
Chances of a prison sentence are bigger for Dutch citizens with a Moroccan or Antillean background than for African-Americans in the United States. For the same offense, young people with a non-western migrant background have a 5.6 times bigger chance of being regarded as a suspect than indigenous peers, for the same offence. This is shown by an analysis by PhD student Willemijn Bezemer, published by Control Alt Delete. For Moroccan-Dutch youngsters the chance to be considered a suspect is even 8.4 times as large.
Bezemer, who is affiliated with the Erasmus University, closely scrutinised research of the Scientific Research and Documentation Centre WODC. This study examined whether young people who claim to have committed a criminal offense are also in the police system. Bezemer concludes: “If we merely look at the group of youngsters that admits to have committed a criminal offense, youngsters with the aforementioned non-western migrant background are much more often considered a suspect by the police and much more legal action is taken against this group in comparison to indigenous youngsters.”
Another published study provides insight into the inequality further down the criminal justice chain. In an article of the Journal of Criminology, Moroccan-Dutch youngsters are 12 times more likely to be put in prison in comparison to their indigenous peers. For Antillean-Dutch youngsters the chance is 10 times as big. The disproportion with which these groups are detained is even higher than in the US. Pay attention! The chance for an African-American to be detained is 4 times bigger than for a white American.
Now we know how big of a difference there is in the chances to be considered a suspect. The obvious purpose is that everyone who performs criminal activities receives the same attention from the judiciary and the police – that is not the case in the Netherlands. It is important to discuss the cause: what role does their cultural background play, what is the impact of growing up in deprived areas, under-advice in education, discrimination on the labour market and other matters?
The researchers also mention racial profiling as one of the possible causes. They refer to the discrimination test with bicycles that we have carried out for the documentary “Zwart als Roet” of Sunny Bergman. It makes sense to look at this: the criminal justice chain starts with police contact. If, in that first interaction, the same chance differences are visible, we have a logical starting point for improvement. To begin with: the police and the judiciary must be transparent. They must make the relevant data available to scientists for further research.
Control Alt Delete
Controle Alt Delete has developed itself as an independent, critical and constructive organisation since December 2013 and actively campaigns against racial profiling. Info:
www.controlealtdelete.nl
Dear Editor,
I am asking for a space in your paper for this letter written directly to the Honourable Minister of Health, Emil Lee. This is the height of thievery around SZV. People paying everything to the SZV – taking out your money – you can’t get a doctor card. Why?
This is thieving Justice from workers. Why you take my money for and I can’t get a doctor card? If something happens you go by the hospital, you can’t show a payslip – that can’t work now.
Tell me what is fair to workers? Do your job and stop talking!
Name withheld at author's request.
Dear Editor,
This topic is about the reality of life. And below are different examples presently in our society of what deception is.
It is very unfortunate that what you see and hear is oftentimes not real and not true. The word deception means to be a fool not knowing you are being fooled.
In many marriages today and other relationships including friendship and business deals, people are very false. They will say the things you like to hear to gain your confidence and once they have it they deceive you. The reason why many marriages fail today is that in most cases it is deception. Some people married for help or money but their heart could care less about their partner. They forget the promise “for better or worst” when they are in divorce court.
A person can tell you “I love you” and in 10 minutes around the corner they can go and have sex with another partner (deception). This has to do with the heart of man. (man meaning both men and women)
If people understand the heart of man as God explains to us we will take our time to know people. Notice how people will go to extreme lengths to cover up evil and to make the wrong right.
Politics in St. Maarten today is all about deception. Most politicians could care less about you. The dump is a major health hazard in St. Maarten and for all these years it endangers the population in St. Maarten health and what is the end result? The problem continues.
But the fact is we deceive ourselves also. Many of us know they do not care but as sheep, we continue to suck up to people who do not care about us. Many of the churches today are all about deception. They are strict on you to pay tithe, but when you need help where is the church?
We have many pedophile priests presently and this behavior was always in the Catholic church, it is a part of that church history and culture. They often apologize but the carnage continues. Again, that is deception. We have many pastors in today’s churches that sleep with many female members and the congregation looks the other way like it does not exist.
The conclusion is to make it your business and try not to deceive people and not to be deceived also, take your time to know people in general. Make it your business to mind your own business. Prove all things, trust no person blindly. Patience is the key.
Remember these verses: Genesis 6:5 – Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Jeremiah 17:9 – The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? Proverbs 4:23 – Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
The Patriot Miguel Arrindell
