Dutch consultants here to discuss
waste disposal system for island
MARIGOT--Two consultants from waste management and energy systems companies in the Netherlands gave a presentation to Government officials of both sides of the island yesterday at the Mairie with regard to a feasibility study on the proposal to have a sustainable joint waste disposal system.
Present at the working meeting, which was closed to the press, were Dutch side Commissioner Roy Marlin, Sector Director Lionel Coombs, Sector Director of the Programming and Project Bureau Louis Brown, and Head of VROM Hensley Kwidama.
Also attending was department policy worker Melissa Peterson, together with the two consultants, Wilfrid Hesseling B.Sc. from the Department of Energy systems at TNO (Environment, Energy and Process Innovation) and Bob Boudewijn MSc, a Senior Consultant with Royal Haskoning.
In attendance from the French side were Director of the Cabinet Alex Richards, standing in for the Mayor, and Max Ogoundele, Head of Environment and Public Works. The meeting was delayed by almost an hour due to the late arrival of Romeo Fleming, who had just flown in from Paris.
In brief introductions for the benefit of the press earlier, Commissioner Marlin noted that useable areas on the island for solid waste disposal were getting smaller all the time.
“Big countries can afford to have different landfills and transfer waste from one country to another, but we can’t do that on a small island. Despite the expense, we have to provide a facility to dispose of this waste.”
The two consultants, who are here for a week, will be researching the project and meeting with stakeholders this week before presenting to the respective Governments what would be the ultimate solution for waste disposal, as well as determining the exact location for a disposal facility. Governments will then be given documentation to be used to solicit financing.
Marlin said financing would not necessarily come from Holland alone, but from a number of relevant funding agencies, including the Netherlands Antilles.
“It’s been two years since we first discussed this, and I do think we are now on the right track,” Marlin said following the meeting. “We are working on the feasibility study, working towards a solution and doing the necessary paperwork.”
A public meeting on this issue is scheduled at the Mairie for February 23 from 9:00am till 12:00noon.
