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Cay Bay oil spill still not cleared
SXM Island Times - CAY BAY--Rodrick Carty of the Seaside Nature Park has brought to the attention of The Daily Herald that the oil spill on the Cay Bay beach near his establishment caused by a fault in electricity company GEBE's waste treatment system last week Thursday has not yet been cleared up.
Carty observed the oil being washed up onto the beach front Wednesday afternoon when heavy swells engulfed the area. According to Reuben Thompson of St. Maarten Pride Foundation, the oil that had soaked into the sand in the ocean as a result of sedimentation is now being stirred up by the heavy swells.
Cay Bay beach contaminated
The Daily Herald - ~ As GEBE waste treatment system malfunctions ~
CAY BAY--Oil oozing through a pipe that conveys the cooling water for electricity company GEBE's generators back into the sea resulted in major contamination of the Cay Bay beach yesterday.
GEBE explained in a press statement that its waste treatment system (WTS) normally skimmed off any waste oil from the production process before it could reach the environment.
Frans Okays Environmental Code of Conduct Project
PHILIPSBURG - Commissioner of Tourism, Frans Richardson has expressed satisfaction at a pilot project that would soon see environmental code of conduct signage displayed at some of our most frequented beaches and marinas. "This is a much needed project that will help us to preserve our environment for future generations to also enjoy and make our tourism product to remain competitive," the Commissioner commented when the pilot project was recently presented to him. "It certainly has my full support," he said.[More....]
World Wetlands Day Tree Planting
SXM Pride - World Wetlands Day Tree Planting
This coming Friday February 5th at 4pm EPIC, St. Maarten Pride Foundation, Nature Foundation and the Seaside Nature Park will be planting 25 Buttonwood Trees (plants found along St. Maarten's coast) at the Seaside Nature Park’s grounds in Cay Bay in commemoration of World Wetlands Day which is on February 2nd, 2010 and in recognition of the importance of St. Maarten’s wetlands and coastal zones. The Foundations are asking all volunteers, organizations and interested individuals to come out and help.
World Wetlands Day 2010. Destruction of St. Maarten’s wetlands never more apparent. Remaining wetlands need protection
SXM Pride - World Wetlands Day has been commemorated annually since 1997. Hundreds of Non-Governmental Organizations and other community based groups around the world make use of this second day of February to take special action aimed at raising government and public awareness of the importance of protecting wetlands.
Today Tuesday February 2nd, 2010 “World Wetlands day”, marks 39 years since the adoption of the Ramsar Convention/Convention on Wetlands in the Iranian City of Ramsar in 1971. “The Convention’s mission is the conservation and wise use of all wetlands through local, regional and national actions and international cooperation, as a contribution towards achieving sustainable development throughout the world”. (Ramsar COP8, 2002). Presently there are over 150 signatories to the convention with more than 1800 wetland sites designated for inclusion in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Significance.
Mangroves of Mullet
Just came across this while browsing for something else and though it might be a good time to bring it back into the light.
Nature Watch - Pearl FM - Cay Bay
Jadira Veen of SXM Pride hosts a one hour radio show every Friday from 10 - 11 am on Pearl FM, 98.1 called Nature Watch. This week she had 3 very impressive and intelligent guests to talk about Theo's planned industrial area, port and filling in of Cay Bay.
I don't want to get into any argument about what the bay is called, though maps tell me it's actually Cole Bay. If you are unsure of the actual location you can see it very clearly in the SXM West Development Plans, published here on SXM PE in June. It's right in front and to the left of GEBE, destroying the beach Sea side Nature Park that Roddy Halley has created, completely. Maybe we should call it 'Industrial Water' like the planners do?
I strongly and highly recommend listening to this past Friday's Nature Watch show with guests Roderick Halley, his wife Alexandria Halley and Reuben Thompson. You can do so at Pearl FM's website. A lot of sense was spoken.
Some links to news and information, as well as a few of my own comments, below... :)
Cay Bay residents launch petition against proposed development plan
The Daily Herald - CAY BAY--Several residents of the Cay Bay/Cole Bay district are against proposals for filling in the bay front shoring the Seaside Nature Park. They agreed in a public meeting last night at which they launched a petition against the proposed development plan that there should be a united thrust to clean up the whole Cay Bay district currently plagued by a severe sewage problem.
About 20 residents gathered at Seaside Nature Park owned by Rodrick Halley and family to get an insight into developments being proposed for the bay. St. Maarten Pride Foundation was on hand to lend its expertise in lobbying against projects considered detrimental to the environment.
Theo rips coalition partner for comments on Cay Bay
The Daily Herald - PHILIPSBURG--Commissioner Theo Heyliger says he intends to ask National Alliance (NA) leader William Marlin, his coalition partner in government, to “make a serious effort to get his members under control and remind them that they are no longer in opposition.” Heyliger was expressing his anger over comments made by Commissioner Hyacinth Richardson’s Executive Assistant Edwin James on Radio Soualiga 99.9FM last week Friday.
James had read a statement on air criticising government’s plans and motives for the development of the Cay Bay area and, according to Heyliger, drumming up support against any future project, without having the proper information or understanding about the nature of development in the area.
