Philipsburg:--- Constant fires at the dump (sanitary landfill) on Pond Island have caused the Prosecutor's Office to launch an investigation into the causes of these fires and to see if Windward Roads can be held responsible confirmed Chief Prosecutor Hans Mos.Mos said his office requested information from Windward Roads since February when there was a huge fire on the dump and the company took almost three months before they provided some information and the report they dispatched to VROMI. Mos said he witnessed first-hand the effects the dump fire have on people working on AT Illidge Road and surrounding areas. He also saw some of the environmental effects these fires at the dump have on St. Maarten. This he said was the main reason why he requested information from Windward Roads.
The latest and largest fire on the dump took place on Wednesday night when a pile of tires that are stored on the dump was either set on fire or caught fire says Claudius Buncamper head of VROMI.
Windward Roads in their report to the head of VROMI Claudius Buncamper expressed concerns on the pile of car tires which they said is close to one million. Windward Roads says should this pile of tires catch fire it would take days for the fire department to bring it under control. However, the lack of high winds Wednesday night helped the firemen greatly as they were able to totally extinguish the fire by 6am Thursday morning. Buncamper said the fire started just after 9pm Wednesday night but by 01:00 am Thursday morning the firefighters had the fire under control. Concerns were raised about the health hazard toxic fire in the center of town would cause to the environment and the elderly. The management company for the landfill also expressed concerns about the amount of vagrants and illegal persons that are constantly on the dump looking for copper to resell.
The head of VROMI said that he believes the vagrants and persons who frequent the dump to search for valuables such as copper are the ones responsible for setting the fires. "These people would search for cable wires and burn them right there on the dump to get the copper which they would resell since the island has no recycling plant." It is believed that persons from the US territory would visit St. Maarten and they are the ones buying the copper and crushed cans from the vagrants who conduct business in around the dump. Buncamper said a number of people are doing business on the dump and he is certain none of them have licenses to operate there.
Buncamper said government had intentions of brining a shredder to St. Maarten to shred the tires before exporting them but the fire on Wednesday night thwarted that decision. Buncamper said right now government is planning to ship the old tires out in containers but he did not say how soon that will be done. While government might be planning to find solutions on what to do with these tires they did not say where they would continue to store tires in the future. Buncamper said garbage trucks from the French side of the island were caught taking their garbage to the landfill and that he said was stopped. "Trucks bearing French number plates are not allowed to enter the Sanitary Landfill."While the Prosecutor's Office is seeking information on who is responsible for the recklessness at the Sanitary Landfill and those responsible might face prosecution, it should be noted that the life time of that landfill is nearing its end and there is still no waste management plant in sight. The Minister of Environmental Affairs Theo Heyliger has said on a number of occasions that he is working on building a waste management plant but to date no contract has been signed. Several attempts by SMN News to get an update on the waste management plant from the Minister proved futile.
In the meantime, environmental watchdogs such as the St. Maarten Pride Foundation have expressed concerns on several occasions regarding the Sanitary Landfill. On Thursday, the foundation said there is much concern about the human health and environmental consequences of fires at the landfill, such as the fire which took place on Wednesday evening.
These landfill fires release fine ash and potentially cancer-causing substances and therefore pose both immediate and long-term health risks to those exposed to the smoke, gases and toxic fumes. The hazard and level of toxicity of landfill fires depends on the length of exposure to them and on the type of material that is burning.
Landfill fires generally release high levels of Carbon Monoxide (CO) which is harmful when inhaled as it displaces oxygen in the lungs thereby depriving the brain, heart and other vital organs of oxygen which can cause permanent damage.Another extremely serious concern during landfill fires is the emission of dioxins. Exposure to dioxins is a major concern due to their highly toxic potential and their persistence as organic pollutants. International studies have revealed that dioxins adversely affect a number of vital organs.
Even very low levels of dioxin emissions can have negative effects on the environment and on human health, in particular on the most vulnerable groups like infants and young children. Symptoms of short-term exposure to humans to high levels of dioxins include asthma, skin rashes and liver problems. Long-term and or repeated exposure to high levels of dioxins may lead to impairment of the immune system, cause nerve damage (particularly with infants), reproductive and developmental problems and an increased risk of diabetes and heart disease.
The poor management of St. Maarten's solid waste and by extension thereof the dump which government chooses to refer to as the "sanitary landfill" is a longstanding issue. St. Maarten Pride Foundation reminds Government of its duty to safeguard the health and overall wellbeing of the island's residents and its visitors alike. The landfill fires are a serious health concern and therefore deserve Government's undivided attention.
St. Maarten Pride Foundation advises the general public to safeguard their health by taking precautionary measures to avoid inhalation and exposure to toxic fumes and particles during landfill fires.
