Aerial view of the eco-site at Grand Cayes, Cul-de-Sac, in 2025. (Robert Luckock photo)
MARIGOT--Following a meeting Wednesday afternoon with President Louis Mussington, his staff and representatives from SXM Truckers, the decision not to allow the private sector to deposit waste at the landfill because it had reached a saturation point, has been reversed.
SXM Truckers representative Gerald Gumbs breathed a sigh of relief at the news. The truckers were facing a serious dilemma if the decision to deny access to the eco-site was upheld by the management, not to mention potentially serious consequences to the environment if there was nowhere official to deposit waste.
The pit that was created in 2025 known as “cell 10” had already reached capacity, earlier than expected. To safeguard what space was left, only official Collectivité trucks could deposit household waste.
Details of the negotiation were not known, however, Préfet Cyrille Le Vély and one of the Vice Presidents were also trying to find a solution with the landfill management in separate discussions.
“We have authorisation to return to the landfill as of today to drop off garbage and on Saturday we have a visit with the management at the landfill to review what space they are giving us,” confirmed Gumbs.
Gumbs said earlier, before the decision came down, that it would be necessary as an urgent measure for the Préfet to find a piece of land to store waste temporarily. That in itself would require some secure infrastructure for it not to become a health hazard. He did not know if the piece of land would still be needed now.
He also ruled out a possible cooperation with the Dutch side to use their landfill. “The Dutch side cannot handle any more than what they have now so that’s not a proposal we would even consider. It’s not right. There are already trucks from the French side illegally taking garbage to the Dutch side.”
Gumbs disclosed that a tender is already out for a company to create a new mega pit to receive waste at the landfill, but that it could still take months before it can be used.
In a statement, VERDE SXM, operator of the landfill in Grand Cayes, said regarding the temporary closure: “no anticipated reopening date can be provided, as it is contingent upon the implementation of a solution that allows operations to resume within a compliant regulatory framework.
“The closure of the landfill site has resulted in a temporary absence of work for some employees directly involved in this task. In this context, the company has been forced to implement a partial activity measure for three employees.
“However, we would like to clarify that the Grand Cayes Eco-site remains open for receiving recyclable waste and for sorting and recovery activities.
“To adapt our operations to this exceptional situation, the Eco-site’s opening hours have been temporarily modified: the site is open from 6:00am to 2:00pm. Our teams remain fully mobilised to ensure the continuity of the sorting and recovery processes essential to the territory.”
