Environmental engineers carry out soil testing
Collaboration with local businesses on the Antilles
At present there is no soil policy on the Netherlands Antilles. There are no standards for testing soil contamination. On behalf of the Ministry of Infrastructure & the Environment, environmental engineers from Grontmij, in collaboration with local business M.I.C. N.V., are investigating the soil and groundwater quality of the islands. The purpose of this research is to identify the potential risks to local residents and local nature.
Risks to the eco system Soil contamination has not yet been mapped out. However, the islands are currently in a state of full development, and construction work is underway in many places. Diffuse soil contamination may also play a role. It is expected that soil contamination will above all occur on a local scale, but the possibility of spreading has not been excluded. At a number of hotspots, there may be risks for the eco system, the ecological consequences of which are not yet known.
Structural soil policy
Based on our knowledge in the field of soil and groundwater standardisation in combination with local knowledge from M.I.C. N.V., the Ministry will be given a clear and complete picture of the possible risks to the eco system on the islands. On that basis, a structural soil policy can be adopted, for the islands.