Sanitation work underway at Ex-dump Parkietenbos
ORANJESTAD - Minister of Transport, Integration, Nature, and Elderly Affairs Ursell Arends recently announced the next step in the sanitation of the Parkietenbos dump.
On December 31, 2022, the Parkietenbos dump was permanently closed to the public. It is crucial to rehabilitate the site and convert it into a space that will benefit the community and the environment. The first step was to stop the flow of waste to the site, redirecting it to other companies equipped to manage the waste more responsibly.
For 70 years, the Parkietenbos dump was a symbol and result of unsustainable and irresponsible practices. The frequent fires severely inconvenienced the neighborhood. Its closure symbolizes a shift from a linear and traditional economic model to a modern, circular, and responsible approach with a vision for the future.
The first action was to divert the garbage still making its way to the Parkietenbos dump to other businesses. Waste from homes and businesses has been sent to Ecotech FZ since 2018. Green waste, construction and demolition waste, metal, and tires to different companies.
Once the waste flow to the Parkietenbos dump stopped, Serlimar began preparing the site for sanitation work.
Serlimar applied for an environmental permit for remediation work that needs to take place. It submitted this application to DWJZ on March 15, 2023, and the Ministry is still awaiting feedback. In the meantime, the remediation work is on hold pending the environmental permit.
As construction progresses, monitoring wells will be erected at several locations across the Parkietenbos site to collect data regarding the subsurface of the dump, including the presence of methane gas and the sturdiness of the site. The “monitoring wells” will also monitor any contamination that might leak into the sea, providing an opportunity to mitigate this as part of the remediation design.
The construction of a new asbestos cell to securely handle and contain hazardous waste is part of the asbestos remediation work announced on August 23, 2024.
Inspections revealed the presence of 27 containers of asbestos that must be handled carefully to prevent health risks during the work and in the future.
Working with experts from Witteveen + Bos and local experts from DTI, DNM, and DVG, they drafted the technical documents for the asbestos remediation. It includes an EHS ()environmental, health, and safety) plan, which stipulates all the requirements the company winning the contract must adhere to. The EHS plan also applies to all Serlimar work on the site and related to the project.
