Dumpsite will last only
about 18 more months
PHILIPSBURG--Commissioner of Public Works Theo Heyliger says that with the lifespan of the Philipsburg dumpsite nearly expired, there is an urgent need for a structured solution to garbage disposal in Dutch St. Maarten.
He also said the Dutch side had nearly tripled the garbage collection it did for both residential and commercial properties and with the number of persons contracted to collect garbage there was still more work to be done.
Heyliger told reporters Monday that the Philipsburg dumpsite was extending closer and closer to Walter Nisbeth Road and would last only about 18 months longer before it was no longer usable.
He said that because of this he had already held some extensive discussions with the Government authorities in French St. Martin in a bid to find a solution for disposing of garbage for the entire island.
Those discussions have led to trips to France where Heyliger has been able to look at an environmentally-friendly garbage disposal plant. Not only will it be necessary to find a solution for the ultimate disposal of the garbage, but Heyliger said a study had to be made of the garbage collection process.
He said already the many garbage collectors did not have the proper equipment to do an effective job of collecting garbage. He also said there were concerns about duplication of routes because of the separation of residential and commercial garbage collection.
He said, “We don’t want duplication, but rather we want to have the collection of garbage for the household combined with the commercial, but we don’t want disputes, meaning we will not take away work from anyone, but properly structure the whole garbage collection system.”
