St. Maarten Private Eye

Do we have an experience / qualified environmental inspector(s) (professionals) within the sector of ROB/VROM who can carry out these duties?? Do VROM dept. produce up to date environmental permits (to companies), do the Island government have an environmental plan -/ action plan in place, incl. fire prevention / external safety etc? Because these are VERY IMPORTANT elements when preventing pollution and environmental calamities in a community.

Thanks for your reply.

Not much gets checked for anything around here except by foundations with very limited resources, the report was actually done by the AUC with Epic. We have requested the data to be released and we would like to see more tests, for PCB's, Prions, Chemicals, Metals and other substances that endanger the environment and people's health. We would also like to see tests made in Great Bay, Simpson Bay, the Salt Pond, Fresh Pond and other places. Really, it should be the Govt doing theses tests on a regular basis, but as I said, not much gets checked by them around here.

Flipper

Sophie, I take it you are a student? Well for the Dutch side there is a government environmental department by the name of VROM situated in the yellow building on the pondfill road.
This department job is to check such things. However the reality is they don't. Many times this department that prepares the permits for builders and developers don't check physically where the proposed building will be and they advise beautiful documents that does not deal with relevant topics such as pollution in general.
Noise pollution from Westin Hotel generator was approved by VROM.
Sewage coming from all buildings located around the lagoon, all these buildings have beautiful approval from VROM.
VROM also approved a nice natural pond that was located in the old dawn beach area be removed and replaced by an artifical stink tank on higher elevation, this artificial retention tank now channels dirty water down to the beach side. This culvert can easily be seen when visiting the Dawn beach, look for the public parking of 5 spaces at WESTIN, trust me they are supposed to have 5 parking spaces (also approved by VROM) once there look to your left for culvert. All wonderfully approved by VROM.
VROM also approves all those hillside scars that has become all too familair these days. Hillside scars made by developers who enjoy cutting out a chunk of mountain to fit more concrete.
So, yes we have a department that approves all the wonderful positive advice for all the new constructions that we see around us and that also includes the marine pollution that it comes with.
And if VROM has a bit of problem with approving, well then the Commissioners step in and do the approving for them.

Many kayak sportsman have openly stated their concerns in Oyster Pond regarding the sewage dumping that is openly going on. Oyster Bay Hotel at around 5pm every afternoon opens its sewage pipeline and empties their sewage waste into the lagoon. If you kayak ,you can literally see the pipe coming out at the end of the point on the lagoon side, I'll spare you the details of the smell. Captain Oliver's been doing it for years, the brothels run a pipeline also down to the lagoon releasing their sewage waste in the lagoon's far NW corner. Coral Beach Club has their sewage pipeline running under the lagoon concrete apartment bunkers. It's a shame that Vrom doesn't take these violation issues seriously and fine these establishments. Busby's beach bar is the only business in the area respecting the environment, septic trucks are regularily there.Would anyone care to guess how safe swimming is in Dawn Beach and Oyster Pond area? If this is how we treat our people and our guests, neglecting their safety and health ,watch out .....its only going to get worse.! Hey Vrom , wake up......!

To Marine Pollution 3, do you have a camera to take a picture of the sewage being released at Oyster Bay resort? I am a frequent boater in the area and I have always wondered where the stench comes from at 5pm when i get back to dock.
That corner of Oyster Bay is going through a high rise development as well, are they still dumping the sewage? even now with more apartments in the high rises?
I agree with another writer in that we should consider placing a sewage truck full of sh** in front of the government building for a protest, I would also place one over at the VROM department because they just go ahead and approve any building it seems under any condition. I wonder if the protestors would be issued a fine of we unleashed the contents at these buildings? how can we??? if we can prove that government and developers are randomly depositing sewage in all our ponds, lagoons and ocean harming and endangering our well being?

No, its not possible for me to get a picture. I have since temporarily relocated so its out of the question for me at this moment.Can anyone out there locally get a picture of that dumping at 5pm? It should be easy enough to get it.

Someone, take a sample of the seawater in Dawn beach! Evidence! We have to prove it to the blind/deaf people at VROM!!!!!
In the mean time, let's hope every drop of sewage water somehow finds it's way to Guana bay...if only water could go up the hill...ah too bad, the force Gravity is against us.
And for our next protest, we will have a full septic truck in front of the governement building relieve itself. Priceless! Let's see who'll dare to come out for a smoke...

YES, VROM is sleeping because the department don't have the knowledge & expertise when it comes to environmental and spatial problems of the island, so that's also one of the reasons VROM approves permits to BIG developers & companies (easy way OUT...), without taking these aspects into consideration. But I do hope the politicians (comm:Theo) start to take the environment serious before GREEN PEACE INT. pay a visit to the Island!!

That would be exactly what we needed right now, after the whole WODC report, NOVA coming here and then even more bad publicity about the way we neglect the environment.

Welcome to our beautifully polluted island, dear eco-tourists!

Why is it that we do seem to have and endless budget for beautification projects and not a shilling is left for VROM investigations? Why, I ask you!

Oh and let's see which commissioner has the VROM portfolio...
Could it possibly be .... and yes! it starts with a T.

No, there's no way he's gonna make business tough for WESTIN. Why would you do that to yourself?! Nope, the environment is the very last issue on the long TTD-list (stands for: Theo's To Do-list). First: beatification... then ... Carnaval ....

One more thing though, do we have like, an oasis in the harbor? It's just so green and oasislike... with all the palm trees and grass that's not yet turned yellow
interesting...