Simpson Bay:— There have already been some substantial positive environmental updates due to the discarding of massive volumes of debris and waste during the pre-works of the Airport Terminal Reconstruction Project. The debris and waste, as a result of Hurricane Irma, was diverted from entering the local landfill in the capital of the country, from the Mold Remediation and Waste Disposal Management Works.
This pre-work was remediated in the basement, the former check-in hall, the departure hall level 1, and PJIAE executive spaces on level 2 of the Princess Juliana International Airport Terminal Building (SXM).
Reports from the Project Management Unit (PMU) confirmed that the waste was systematically separated and delivered to both local and international facilities. Through the diverse waste streams, the debris materials were then transported abroad for further recycling or disposal. The sorted waste is comprised of metals (ferrous and non-ferrous), glass, E-Waste, concrete, and more.
Approximately 170 metric tons (MT) of waste was removed from the Terminal Building in November 2020. The declared amount is equivalent to approximately 375,000 pounds.
The Waste Disposal Management process and Mold Remediation was planned for five (5) months and was finalized at the end of March 2021. According to the Director of the Project Management Unit (PMU), Mirto Breell the contractor completed its works ahead of schedule, within budget and we are pleased to confirm the satisfactory remediation of mold as certified by an independent expert.
PJIAE N.V. has developed and implemented an Environmental and Social Commitment Plan (ESCP) which sets out measures and actions as required for the project to achieve the necessary compliance over the specified project life cycle through 2023. The implementation of the ESCP complies with the World Bank and takes into account the findings of the environmental and social due diligence to further minimize, reduce or otherwise mitigate the potential risks and impacts of the project.
As based upon the project’s timeline, the upcoming milestones should also encompass the bidding awarding for the General Contractor and the mobilization process to commence with the start of the Airport Terminal Reconstruction Project within the third quarter of 2021. The SXM Airport encountered a devastating hurricane period in 2017 and while still recovering was further compounded by a global pandemic 3 years later but is determined to complete the reconstruction process with the funding which was received from the Government of St Maarten through On-Lending Agreements from the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the World Bank. The funding is provided as loans by the Government of Sint Maarten to the Airport. The disbursement of the loans was arranged by the National Recovery Project Bureau (NRPB).
For detailed information regarding the Environmental and Social Commitment Plan of the Airport Terminal Reconstruction Project, online users may visit the SXM Airport’s website to access the “construction” tab at www.sxmairport.com.
