Oranjestad, St. Eustatius- During the past several weeks Investigative Officers on St. Eustatius have stepped up the supervision of the waste regulations in an effort to prevent illegal dumping.

To the annoyance of many residents, there has been an increase in illegal dumping of waste on Statia. While the facilities for getting rid of waste are becoming increasingly accessible. The Waste Plant is open daily.

“Eighty percent of the waste brought to the facility is processed for free. Fridges, stoves, microwaves, furniture, old air-conditioning units and many other items are free of charge. The fees vary from 1$ for a used tire to 5$ per 100kg for mixed waste. These are items that we still find at illegal dumpsites, “says Jeffrey Lewis, Director of EJL Services B.V. and Manager of the Waste Plant in Zeelandia.

In spite of an improvement in facilities and services, an increase in illegal dumping can be seen. For this reason two Extraordinary Investigative Officers have been appointed to look into incedents of illegal dumping.

Residents are also encouraged by both Local Government and ELJ Services BV stimulated to report illegal dumping to competent authorities. According to information from the Public Entity, when dumping can be traced back to the ones engaging in this behavior, this can lead to prosecution. Tips about the illegal dumping will be treated confidentially.

Awareness Campaign

The Public Entity does not want to focus on repression alone, but is also aware of the importance of working on prevention. The Government is therefore working on a campaign to increase awareness on the island, when it comes to littering and illegal dumping.