St. Martin News Network

This letter is in response to comments made by Commissioner Heyliger regarding the beach replenishment news article that appeared in the Daily Herald on Wednesday March 3, 2010.
In my email to Commissioner Heyliger I explained to him that on Tuesday morning, several trucks were seen hauling sand on the Belair Beach. At first I thought the trucks were stealing sand, so I placed a call at 7;30am to one of the ROB Inspectors.
The Inspector rushed to the scene and found out that the sand was being trucked to the beach for beach replenishment. The Inspector called me back and explained this to me, when I asked who is in charge of overseeing the project, he responded he did not know, he was not informed as to this beach replenishment.
Later on in the day I spoke to several key employees at the ROB/VROM office and they too confirmed that their departments were not aware that the Belair beach replenishment was started.
Commissioner Heyliger, no where in my email addressed to you did I state that Sint Maarten PRIDE foundation is against the Belair Beach replenishment.
My concerns are that this project started without notifying the General Public, there was no notice placed in the local media.
A sign should have been placed at the entrance to the beach notifying beach goers of the danger of truckers and backhoes on the beach.
The environmental groups should have been notified and consulted, the groups can offer advice on how to best carry out this project without disturbing nature and wildlife.
We have three qualified environmental specialists on the island trained and educated in environmental science and (marine) management, Mr. Rueben Thompson, Mr. Etienne Lake and Mr. Tadzio Bervoets.
Anyone one of these three gentlemen could have been approached to advise on the Belair Beach replenishment.
Another concern is that your office seemingly bypassed the department of ROB and VROM, a ROB Inspector should be placed to supervise the replenishment work on the beach,what is happening is that independent truckers and heavy equipment are doing whatever and there is no supervision from the department of public works and environment.
The fact that Susan Heller from Belair Beach Hotel knew about the beach replenishment work does not impress The Sint Maarten PRIDE foundation, the beach does not belong to the hotel.
All beaches are public and as such the General Public should have been notified via the media.
While a hotel is located on a beach and offer ocean front to it's visitors, we have for too long allowed hotels to make offhanded ownership remarks and claims which later result in blocking beach access as is the case with the Divi Hotel.
This case is a simple one, Sint Maarten PRIDE foundation questions the manner in which the Belair beach replenishment work is being carried out, would it have been so difficult to inform the General Public and seek advice from the environmental groups?

Jadira Veen
Sint Maarten PRIDE foundation