Dump fires
The frequent man-made fires on the garbage dump of St. Maarten are a major nuisance for several reasons. The smoke from all kinds of burning trash not only pollutes the air, but constitutes a serious health threat to surrounding areas, especially those downwind. For years these people regularly have had to put up with the penetrating stench, which some believe has already led to various cases of illness among residents.
Now it turns out that this year alone dealing with these fires has cost the tax payer 250,000 guilders, while the persons involved benefit from taking what is not is theirs in the first place, by burning rubber off copper lines or cutting car wrecks. In doing so, they apparently don’t have the slightest sense of responsibility to take measures to prevent fires, or in some cases even warn authorities when they do occur.
The problem has been going for too long already and creates a bad impression of the greater Philipsburg area, at a time when it is being beautified to the tune of millions of dollars. The people who see and smell these “dirty fires” include a large number of tourists on whom the island depends for its livelihood. In this day and age of increasing environmental awareness, allowing them to go on any longer would simply be uncivilised.
The building of a wall to close off the dump proved ineffective, because scavengers still come in from bordering properties. Perhaps authorities should put pressure on the owners of these properties that if they don’t want to be completely blocked off, they also have the responsibility to control access via their business.
Concentrating the wrecks to the top of “garbage hill,” so they can be better monitored, and installing an infrared surveillance camera are good ideas, while the deal reportedly made with a Dutch company to ship the car wrecks and scrap metal out for recycling should make a difference in the near future.
Making the dump more secure is not easy and no doubt costly, also because it is after all a place where businesses and people must be able to go with their trash that is not suited for regular garbage collection. Looking at what is now being spent to deal with the fires and the problems they create, however, leads one to wonder if it would not be worth it.
St. Maarten is not an impoverished country, at least not to the extent that people should be living off and in some cases even on the garbage dump. It is high time to get them off.
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