An Invitation for Expression of Interest - SXM Waste and Dump

For over a week I've been thinking about how to tackle this story and issue, an issue which has been blogged about many times here on SXM PE by various writers, and which I have been delegated to take on this time. It is an issue that the solution decided upon by our Exco will have a major impact on the future of the island, it's people and their health.

It's a vitally important issue, which since the govt advertisement placed in the papers (the DH at least) on the 28th February, nothing has been reported on since. If you missed the ad then you probably know nothing about it, fortunately for you, us 'Treehugger Types" notice these things :)

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Read it carefully because we, the public, environmentalists and users of SXM PE need to discuss it.

So there it is, an invitation to express interest in how to solve St. Maarten's garbage and waste disposal, an subject that we here and foundations have repeatedly called for solutions to. The Dump. And that ad my friends, is probably going to be only transparency you will see about it.

I could say 'hang on a moment', whatever happened to the TNO Report from over 2 years ago? Or the waste (d) trips, proposed fees and co-operation with the French side who, by the way, are way ahead of us in dealing with the problem. I could question decision making and competence, but it's been done already.

No, I won't get into those details, I'll leave that for others, because that is not why I am writing, few people here need me to remind you of who is responsible for the state of the island's environment, pollution and congestion. We can discuss history and responsibility when the next election comes, right now we need to focus on now and what we here can do to have an influence on the final solutions to the very serious and urgent problem of our waste.

Do you trust the Exco and their puppet Dept Directors to make the right choices and decisions on this vital piece of SXM infrastructure?

What to do? What can we do? We are not a foundation or a stakeholder, we have extremely limited means to get information such as paying lawyers to get documents and information about the landfill. We are not a waste disposal company and even if we started one, or someone else did, it wouldn't qualify to express an interest. SXM does not have any civil rights organizations or watchdog, as far as I can tell, SXM PE is it.

What we can do is this........

There are many smart and informed people that come and read on SXM PE and it is up to you to get involved and chip in some time and energy. While we cannot ourselves 'express and interest' we can:

1/ Contact those who can and who ~~perhaps~~ probably know nothing about the ad from our govt and assist them where we are able to, to take up the invitation.

2/ We can do our own investigations on the WWW to find and discuss the possibilities that exist for a small island like us and present them to our local media and the govt, putting it in the public spotlight, we all stakeholders really.

3/ We can ask that any govt officials, civil servants or lawyers who are reading this to send SXM PE any documents, studies and information pertaining to the dump and waste in SXM.

4/ We can ask thousands of professionals and organizations out there in the World via the internet to share ideas, information and contacts.

I will be doing my own investigations of possible solutions for St. Maarten's waste and will post them below in comments. I should just say though that the real solutions to the problem are multiple, setting up a recycling plant or processing facility without other add ons like taxes on some imports, public education about recycling and sorting, including enforcement, and more, would probably be a disaster.

The Wiki Page on recycling is a good place to start I think.......

Feel free to chip in anytime :)

Caribdude

Environment | Caribdude's blog | add new comment

Submitted by Caribdude on Sat, 2008-03-08 11:40.

I've compiled most of the news directly relevant to the dump over the past 2 1/2 years or so in a new thread now listed just below the Environment Thread.

The Great Salt Pond Dump

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I quite agree that the island's waste management needs inprove in order to protect public heath and the environment.
A new didposal suite may not be the answer to the problem but the management of the facitity. In order to acomplish this the public must be prepare to accept changes both in collection, disposal and management of the waste at the facility. There are other Caribbean countries which the goverment can use as a model. I visted the Disposal facilites in St. Lucia and I must say hats off for the Manager of the facitity.

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Theo took over responsibility for the dump last year from Roy, who has done bugger all except put together a sketchy deal to collect scrap for a private company.
It is my understanding that Theo or govt parties were in discussions with a foundation in Holland that would provide professional advice and help to find the best long term solutions for the island. They were even able to provide means of financing and aid from the EU. Of course the whole thing would have to be professional and transparent, an obvious hinderance when working with our govt who don't believe in such things.
The discussions have cooled and broken off, Theo went off looking for other possibilities and companies that he could make a 'deal' with and this press announcement is really a sign that he found someone suitable.

I urge the press of this island and the foundations to question Theo and request information about this Foundation in Holland and their proposal.

Mr Skittles

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The ad doesn't give much to work from and paints a far rosier picture of our dump than reality. Even though they claim management these past few years has been sorting garbage to a certain extent, the truth is that the landfill is presently a toxic liability. No one checks what goes in or where it gets put. No one.

Caribdude is right, it will take more than just contracting a waste company to treat and recycle our trash, it will take legislation and enforcement and education. I think import taxes based on the recyclability should be considered, with the French side too of course. And what did happen to working with the French side anyway? I thought the idea of these meetings recently was to increase cooperation.

I attended the ECODEC presentation about 16 months ago and remember they were basically given a brush off by Roy. Does anyone have their contact info? I Haven't found anything online.

Hady

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Seems a pretty desperate cry for help...
Here's what they did in Guangzhou, China.

Guangzhou Clearing up Garbage Problem

Guangzhou, the economic powerhouse of south China, is improving its garbage problem with new recycling centers and disposal measures.

With a population surpassing 10 million, the city produces some 5,500 tons of urban refuse everyday. The figure is increasing at rate of 6 percent on a yearly basis.

To solve the increasingly severe garbage problem, the city has invested a total of 10 million yuan (US$1.2 million) in building a modern refuse recycling center in the suburbs. The French-made system can dispose of 300 tons of solid waste everyday.

Random littering seriously pollutes the air, rivers, lakes and underground water. To deal with this problem, household garbage is now collected and then compressed for landfills or for incinerating. So far, 40 percent of refuse in the city is disposed of, and the city intends to achieve complete disposal.

Meanwhile, the local government is encouraging cooperation between the environmental sanitary department and scientific institutions for the development of advanced refuse disposal equipment. So far, a batch of advanced technology and equipment, such as airtight compressors and overwater refuse dredging boats, have been developed and used widely.

And more information can be found on http://www.wasteonline.org.uk/topic.aspx?id=20

Recycling, solar energy, compost, reducing waste, etc.

We don''t want to end up like Naples, Italy. Do we?

And what about this: http://www.cogelme.com/eng/e-products.htm
A recycling machine! Or we can always just ship the waste off, right?

Ultimately, we need to raise awareness. I still see lots of people dump garbage in the gutter. I hope this whole project will finally get some priority....

One more thing: how in the world does Heyliger expect big companies to hear his cry for help? I don't think they read the DH.

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Why is St Maarten still not composting it's green waste?

It's is actually a profitable business (nafl 43.000 annually), so why not?

Can't the commissioner of environment hold a petit rendez-vous for the creative minds?
Je pourrais vous aider, si vous avez besoin...

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I must say that although composting is a profitable business it may not be in St Maarteen. For effective management of waste one must conduct effect public education. The ground work must be done before decisions of this type can be made. Am into landfill management and must admit that public education is the key to effect waste management.

There are lots of profit in waste managemt I must say but it again depends on public education

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The collectivite of French SXM and the VERDE company that manages the waste on the French side in Cul De Sac is having an open house on April 3, 2008 from 8am-3pm.
Students and others who are interested in waste management are encouraged to visit the site and see how waste can be sorted, seperated, composted. Certain waste is recycled in Guadeloupe.
Glass is crushed, which is mixed with cement or used as gravel.
St.Maarten PRIDE foundation will be taking some students to the open house as an educational tour.

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I have heard Theo had a good offer of assistance from a Dutch Foundation/Organisation, but he shunned it and went off looking for other partners. Then the ad above appeared, I assume he found the partners he wants? If anyone knows the name of this group in Holland that Theo was dealing with back around Oct Nov time last year, please post it.

Links below to the open house at the French side dump.

French Side Dump open house - 4th April 2008

French side opens Eco Dump week - 27th March 2008

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