PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (VROMI) Patrice Gumbs outlined plans to expand marine protection, strengthen environmental enforcement and update nature legislation during a continuation meeting of Parliament on the Nature Policy Plan.

The minister identified priority projects for the current and coming year, distinguishing between initiatives with funding already secured and measures for which the government is still seeking financial support.

The targets include protecting 15 percent of Sint Maarten’s national waters by 2027, increasing to 30 percent by 2030.

According to Gumbs, the Nature Foundation has secured funding from the Blue Marine Foundation to identify additional marine areas for protection. The same initiative is supporting the drafting of legislation intended to give the identified areas formal legal protection.

The proposed legislation forms part of a broader effort to establish a national legal framework for protected areas.

Gumbs also informed Parliament that a lawyer has been contracted to review and amend the existing Nature Ordinance. The VROMI Policy Department’s budget for legal and expert advice is financing that work.

Separately, the Nature Foundation has secured funding to develop legislation protecting Sint Maarten’s red and black mangroves. The minister presented this initiative as part of the policy objective to introduce additional measures strengthening nature protection.

Environmental enforcement was another priority identified during the presentation. Gumbs said the VROMI Policy Department is advancing legislation and administrative enforcement, with external funding, to strengthen enforcement of nature and environmental rules.

The minister also outlined efforts to improve access to information about the country’s natural assets. These include work under a memorandum of understanding between VROMI and Kadaster, along with continued maintenance and updates to the publicly accessible Climate Impact Atlas.

According to Gumbs, improving the collection and accessibility of geospatial data will support better planning and decision-making.

However, funding remains outstanding for an initiative to make environmental impact assessments mandatory for selected development activities.

The minister said the government is seeking financing to develop an environmental impact assessment policy, prioritizing external funding opportunities before drawing on internal resources. His presentation described mandatory assessments as a policy objective still being pursued.

Gumbs also reported progress on strengthening hindrance permit procedures. He said environmental norms have already been updated and approved, with preparations now underway for their formal implementation.

Those preparations include training for officials who evaluate permit applications.

Financing remains central to implementing the Nature Policy Plan more broadly. Gumbs said the ministry continues to advocate for a larger national budget allocation for nature protection and management, while pursuing additional funding sources to complement government resources.

The presentation did not specify an overall implementation budget or the amount of additional national funding being sought.

On climate adaptation, Gumbs said funding from the International Panel on Deltas and Coastal Areas (IPDC) supported the development of Sint Maarten’s National Adaptation Strategy.

The government is now seeking financing to build on that strategy by developing a National Adaptation Plan. The policy objective, he explained, is to improve understanding of climate change’s effects on Sint Maarten and incorporate that knowledge into the ministry’s planning and decisions.

During the presentation, Gumbs also referred to an implementation visualization showing the status of the overarching objectives of the previous Nature Policy Plan for 2021–2025, assessed as of December 2025.

At the conclusion of his presentation, the minister invited questions and requests for clarification. The chair then opened the opportunity for Members of Parliament to register to speak on the plan.

PHILIPSBURG:---  Concerns over wastewater treatment, reported sewage disposal at the landfill, delayed cleaning contracts, and proposed garbage collection restrictions dominated questions from Members of Parliament Egbert J. Doran and Veronica Jansen-Webster during a public meeting with Minister of VROMI Patrice Gumbs.

Parliament’s consideration of the draft National Nature Policy Plan 2025–2030 preceded the wastewater and waste management discussion. MPs Doran, Ardwell Irion and Darryl York submitted the urgent meeting request on October 6.

Opening the discussion on behalf of the requesters, Doran pointed to circulating images that he said showed wastewater overflowing within the treatment plant. He demanded clarity on the facility’s management and the decisions preceding the reported problems.

Gumbs told Parliament that the previous management agreement ended in August 2026 and was not renewed. The ministry is now carrying out daily operations while it reviews the terms of reference for a new management tender.

The minister also reported that bids for solid waste collection closed on September 25, with evaluation expected to conclude at the end of October and contracts to be awarded shortly afterward. District cleaning bids, submitted by October 9, were also under evaluation.

Doran challenged the decision to let the wastewater management agreement end before securing a replacement arrangement, especially given the ministry’s previously stated staffing shortages.

“How can you end one contract without a clear, solid plan of how you’re going to move forward?” he asked.

He asked how many people currently work at the plant, what their qualifications and responsibilities are, and who oversees technical operations, maintenance, and water quality testing.

Doran also defended an earlier change in management arrangements during his tenure, saying it had reduced the government’s costs by more than 60 percent. He requested monthly expenditure figures for 2020, 2022 and 2025 so Parliament could compare management costs.

A central concern was information Doran said he received that septic truck operators had been directed to dispose of wastewater at the landfill because the treatment plant was reportedly closed.

He asked Gumbs to confirm whether this occurred and, if so, identify who authorized it, when it began, and why the landfill was selected.

Doran also asked whether the wastewater had been treated, whether health and environmental assessments had been conducted, and whether relevant authorities had been consulted. He asked whether any disposal took place at the main landfill or the Hurricane Irma debris disposal site.

The reported disposal was raised as a question requiring the minister’s confirmation; it was not established as fact during the supplied proceedings.

Doran’s questions also covered the condition of pumps, piping, and backup generators. He cited reports of outstanding repairs and asked whether only two of three pumps were functioning because of deteriorated piping.

He also sought confirmation that the return activated sludge pump, which forms part of the treatment process, was operational.

The MP requested an inventory of maintenance requests and repair estimates submitted since January 2025, identifying which had been approved and which remained outstanding. He also asked whether unpaid invoices existed when the previous arrangements ended.

Water quality testing drew further scrutiny. Doran said he had received information suggesting testing was limited because the necessary chemicals were not procured.

He asked whether routine testing had continued throughout 2025 and 2026, whether budget delays affected procurement, and whether Parliament could receive the results, including those covering the preceding six months.

“If testing has not been conducted consistently, how can the Ministry determine whether the plant is treating wastewater safely and effectively?” he asked.

Doran also sought answers about pumping stations in Union Farm and Foga, reports of missing pumps, potentially unsafe decommissioned pits, and damaged pit covers in Middle Region.

On access to the treatment plant, he questioned reports that wastewater haulers were restricted to operating hours of 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. He asked what arrangements existed for emergencies involving hotels, restaurants and residential properties outside those hours.

He warned that inadequate access to disposal could encourage illegal dumping and asked whether inspection authorities had been involved in addressing that risk.

Turning to solid waste, Doran demanded firm commencement dates for both garbage collection and district cleaning contracts.

He also renewed his request for an explanation of why every bidder reportedly failed the first garbage collection tender, questioning whether problems with the government’s procurement requirements contributed to the outcome.

On district cleaning, he asked how companies currently carrying out work were selected and whether previous contractors had received extensions.

Doran further requested an update on the dispute involving Fleming Waste Solutions and the government’s wider landfill strategy, including fire prevention, waste separation, environmental protection and financial challenges.

He alleged that decisions affecting contracts had left more than 170 people without work and demanded an explanation of how government intended to address the employment consequences. The supplied exchange did not independently establish that figure.

Jansen-Webster also pressed Gumbs for a realistic starting date for district cleaning contracts, asking whether implementation would occur before the end of the year.

Her questions focused heavily on how garbage collection arrangements would affect apartment residents.

She asked the minister to explain a provision she understood would exclude properties with more than three apartments from collection under the new haulers’ contracts. She sought clarification on whether the threshold referred to apartments, dwellings or garbage bins.

Jansen-Webster argued that household waste remains residential waste regardless of how many apartments occupy a property.

She pointed to the island’s limited land supply and growing reliance on apartment buildings, asking why residents who pay taxes should also have to arrange their own garbage disposal.

She also asked whether such restrictions could increase illegal dumping.

To improve reporting, Jansen-Webster asked Gumbs to publicly provide telephone numbers or email addresses residents could use to report missed garbage collections and wastewater running onto public roads.

She asked whether inspectors conduct regular patrols or respond mainly to complaints, and whether they currently issue fines for wastewater violations.

Jansen-Webster also praised taxi drivers for cleaning the Bell’s Lookout Point area, while questioning the government’s enforcement against uncovered garbage trucks.

She said waste blowing from trucks contributes to litter around Cole Bay Hill and identified additional concerns around Link One, Phase Two, including areas behind the ambulance department and NIPA.

She asked whether trucks were being stopped and whether VROMI was working with the Ministry of Justice to enforce covering requirements.

The supplied proceedings ended after Jansen-Webster’s contribution. The proceedings did not include Gumbs’ detailed responses to the MPs’ questions.

PHILIPSBURG:---  Members of Parliament Darryl York, Egbert J. Doran and Francisco Lacroes pressed Minister of VROMI Patrice Gumbs for concrete answers on wastewater management, garbage collection and environmental enforcement, raising concerns ranging from treatment plant operations to sewage flowing onto roads and private properties.

Their interventions during Parliament’s public meeting on waste, wastewater and related developments highlighted questions about the government’s operational arrangements, the consequences for polluters and the timetable for addressing longstanding problems.

York called for stronger enforcement against commercial operators who fail to arrange proper garbage collection, questioning what happens when businesses let waste accumulate.

He noted that discussions about overflowing garbage collection points have repeatedly raised commercial operators' responsibility for their own waste disposal. However, he argued that identifying the problem must lead to action.

“We need to go over to a solution,” York told the minister.

He asked whether existing legislation provides sufficient enforcement powers, whether amendments are being prepared and whether Parliament’s VROMI Committee could assist with the necessary legislative work.

York also renewed questions about an assessment of garbage bins in residential districts. He described streets where housing density has increased substantially while the number of available bins has remained unchanged.

He asked whether the assessment was completed, what it found, and what immediate measures would follow, including whether existing bins are appropriate for the volume of waste being generated.

On environmental enforcement, York questioned whether planned inspector training would produce effective penalties without changes to the legal framework.

He said fines requiring processing through the Prosecutor’s Office could face delays. Referring to an earlier statement he attributed to the Minister of Justice, York said the backlog involved more than 3,000 fines.

He asked whether legislation would be amended to permit administrative fines and requested the current penalties for sewage pollution and the accumulation of commercial garbage.

York further questioned whether those penalties would be updated to reflect present-day conditions.

Lacroes focused on persistent wastewater flowing along St. Peters Road, telling Parliament that, in his recollection, the problem had existed for about 15 years or longer.

“I can’t remember ever driving on that road and that road being dry,” he said.

He asked what causes the continuous discharge from what appears to be a cesspit in the road and what the ministry intends to do about it. Lacroes said he had raised the matter during the budget debate but had not received a response.

He also sought clarification on a reporting application or QR code that, he understood, would let residents notify the ministry about wastewater problems.

Lacroes said he had previously encouraged members of the public to send photographs of sewage running onto roads or neighboring properties, but was still awaiting clear information about the ministry’s reporting mechanism.

He challenged the burden placed on residents whose properties receive wastewater from neighboring homes, particularly when they cannot afford legal representation.

“It is extremely frustrating to be in that situation,” Lacroes said, describing residents having to endure the smell of septic water while struggling to secure a remedy.

He asked whether the minister had a plan to address such complaints and provide a practical response.

Lacroes also requested an update on implementing his motion on abandoned vehicle wrecks.

He described instances in which vehicles had been marked and notices attached, only for the notices and markings to disappear and the vehicles to be moved a short distance.

He asked the minister to explain the removal procedure and the expected period between marking a vehicle and removing it. He also reported that other abandoned vehicles in his neighborhood remained unmarked.

Lacroes said the photographs he submitted also showed water flowing from homes onto streets for so long that moss had developed on the road surface.

Doran’s intervention focused on the wastewater treatment plant and the arrangements after its previous management agreement expired.

Gumbs told Parliament that the agreement ended in August 2026 and was not renewed. The ministry is conducting daily operations while the terms of reference for a new management tender undergo legal review.

Doran questioned why the ministry had not secured a replacement arrangement before the previous agreement ended, especially given its stated staffing constraints.

“How can you end one contract without a clear, solid plan of how you’re going to move forward?” he asked.

He demanded details on staffing, technical supervision, outstanding repairs, pump functionality, backup generators, and water-quality testing.

Doran also asked Gumbs to confirm reports that septic truck operators had been directed to dispose of wastewater at the landfill because the treatment plant was reportedly closed. He sought the identity of whoever authorized any such arrangement, the reasons for it and any supporting health or environmental assessments.

The allegation remained for the minister to confirm in the provided proceedings.

Doran also requested firm start dates for new garbage collection and district cleaning contracts, an explanation for the unsuccessful first garbage collection tender, and an update on the dispute involving Fleming Waste Solutions.

In his opening update, Gumbs said solid waste collection bids closed on September 25, with evaluations expected to finish at the end of October and awards to follow shortly afterward. The district was also evaluating cleaning bids submitted by October 9.

The MPs’ questions pressed the minister to move beyond procurement updates and explain when residents would see improvements in sanitation, collection services and enforcement. The provided exchanges did not include his subsequent answers.

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PHILIPSBURG:---  Member of Parliament Ardwell Irion called on Minister of VROMI Patrice Gumbs to resolve uncertainty surrounding garbage collection at apartment buildings, warning that the new collection contracts could leave residents facing the same problems unless government clarifies its policies and provides adequate funding.

Speaking at Parliament’s meeting on waste, wastewater and related developments, Irion supported MP Veronica Jansen-Webster's concerns about how apartment complexes are treated under garbage collection arrangements.

“We just need more common sense,” Irion said, calling for practical policies that reflect how people live and how residential development is changing.

Jansen-Webster questioned whether the new contracts would exclude properties with more than three apartments from collection, and whether the threshold referred to dwellings, apartments, or garbage bins.

Irion argued that the government’s housing ambitions must be matched by arrangements to collect the waste those homes will generate. He referred to the minister’s stated ambition to build 1,000 homes annually, saying increased housing density would require construction upward and greater reliance on apartments.

He challenged what he described as treating apartment properties as commercial premises for garbage collection, arguing that the government must distinguish between residential occupation and commercial waste generation.

According to Irion, the published garbage collection contracts do not adequately address the issue. He warned that haulers could decline collection at apartment buildings because they are not being paid to service those properties.

“How are we going to resolve this?” he asked.

Irion questioned whether an addendum to the contracts would be necessary and whether the 2027 budget would provide the money required to accommodate the service.

He also demanded answers about garbage bin availability, describing an apartment property with 16 units served by only two bins.

Irion said he had raised the issue repeatedly over the preceding two years and questioned previous indications that bins were available on the island.

“Where are the bins?” he asked.

He requested confirmation that the draft 2027 budget includes additional funding for garbage bins, warning that approving a budget without addressing the shortage would leave Parliament and residents repeating the same complaints the following year.

Irion also called for a clear policy that distinguishes commercial buildings from residential apartment properties for waste collection. He asked whether the minister could deliver that clarification within the coming weeks.

His intervention added a budget and contract dimension to Jansen-Webster’s earlier questions about whether residents would have to arrange their own disposal despite generating ordinary household waste.

Irion further criticized delays in receiving written answers arising from Central Committee budget discussions. He said the delays reduced the time MPs had to examine the responses before the next stage of budget deliberations.

He indicated that he would no longer support procedural arrangements allowing answers to be delivered later, arguing that Parliament should receive the information in time to scrutinize the government’s proposals.

The MP also criticized the ministry’s public communication, saying residents need more assurance about what is being done to address waste management problems.

In a pointed political criticism, Irion argued that Gumbs’ party had previously campaigned on procurement and garbage collection issues and should now be held accountable for how it handled those responsibilities.

In the same discussion, MP Darryl York also pressed the minister on garbage bin capacity and enforcement.

York asked for the findings of an assessment examining whether neighborhoods have enough bins, noting that some streets have experienced substantial housing growth without a corresponding increase in collection facilities.

He also demanded clarity on penalties for commercial operators who allow garbage to accumulate and asked whether legislative changes are needed to make enforcement more effective.

York questioned whether environmental inspectors would be empowered to issue administrative fines and requested the current penalties for sewage pollution and commercial waste violations.

The latest exchanges placed a practical question before the minister: whether the new contracts, available bins and proposed budget will adequately serve an island where more residents live in apartment buildings.

The supplied remarks did not include Gumbs’ answers to Irion’s or York’s questions.