St. Maarten Private Eye

Fresh Pond Cess Pit Redux

Today, as I was idling my way with the traffic along Zagergut I was hit with a powerful and revolting stench, without looking I knew where it was coming from. Back in late February and early March I wrote two blog posts about the dumping of raw sewage into the Fresh Pond. It is still going on.

Photos below show that a fresh load, possibly two, of raw sewage has been dumped into the Zagersgut inflow to the Fresh Pond. It's past time that the media and the opposition started asking questions about the status of the current treatment plant, the planned upgrades and the island wide system that has been in Limbo since UNESCO scuppered Roy's deal with Intaquin. What's the story?

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As it happens, I don't really know the whole story, I don't think many people do, but maybe we can generate some discussion on here and turn the lights up on this issue. My understand is basically this, please correct me if I am wrong.

Roy wanted to award the contract to Intaquin to create an island wide coverage for waste, piping and treatment plants. GEBE, headed then by Mr. Lambert, claimed they had not been given an opportunity to present their own proposals and it was agreed for UNESCO to make a study on St. Maarten's situation and needs, evaluating both proposals. You can find the UNESCO Evaluation here.

The report makes many recommendations, none of which have been carried out, such as water testing in our ponds, in particular Fresh Pond and the effect the plant has upon it.

The recommendations went in GEBE's favor and William Marlin called for Roy to resign, which naturally he refused to do. That was 2 years ago. Last year Roy blamed it all on the Dutch.

My understand now is that GEBE are still waiting for the go ahead and funding for the project to start, Intaquin are threatening, or have already started, a law suit if this happens, seeking damages of several hundred thousand Nafs. Once the Govt gives the go ahead to GEBE, they may well be liable for a large sum.

If anyone has more on the story and information to add, please feel free to do so below.

LH

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