‘Action, not words’: State Secretary puts Bonaire landfill crisis on notice

KRALENDIJK – During his visit to Bonaire on Friday, April 17, State Secretary Eric van der Burg met with residents, administrators and organisations to discuss several issues. The problems surrounding the landfill near Lagun featured prominently as one of the most pressing concerns. Meanwhile, distrust among residents toward the local government is growing, while a transition from type-3 to type-4 supervision, which would give The Hague greater responsibility, remains uncertain.

According to Van der Burg, the situation is caught in a difficult administrative position. “To some extent, you could say there is a stalemate,” he says, referring to the limited options available to the central government to intervene as long as the island’s administration remains formally responsible. “But the administration will have to take steps, including reaching out to us and saying: help us.”

Bi-weekly updates

At the same time, the State Secretary wants to increase pressure and monitor the process more closely. He indicated that he expects to be kept regularly informed of progress from Bonaire and wants frequent updates so he can intervene where necessary. Feedback to residents is also being arranged: “I have at least made clear that I will have updates sent to them every two weeks.”

For many residents and advocacy organisations, this is precisely where things have been going wrong for years. Jan Verbeek, chair of Pro Lagun, sees little concrete progress. “For so long now, promises have been made that something would be done, yet absolutely nothing visible has actually happened,” he states.

A cautiously positive introduction

Nevertheless, Verbeek is somewhat more optimistic following the State Secretary’s recent visit. He says he has a better feeling about the current approach than with previous ministers, and that residents were genuinely listened to during the visit. At the same time, he emphasises that trust will only return if real change actually takes place.

His doubts had previously been directed at the former island council and one of the previous State Secretaries, including Zsolt Szabó, in whom Verbeek says there was less confidence that the file would truly move forward.

Taking the reins

The debate is increasingly focusing on the question of who should take charge. Under the current arrangement, the landfill falls under type-3 supervision, meaning the island itself is responsible. A transition to type-4 would mean the central government takes over more responsibilities, a step many residents consider necessary, precisely because they have little confidence that the local authorities can resolve the problem on their own.

Van der Burg acknowledges that swift action is needed and is trying to increase the pressure. “No more words, I want action. It’s about scoring goals now, not talking about the game,” he says. He does see ambition in the new island administration, but wants it to become visible quickly: “The ambition is there. What I now want to see is action. And in the short term.”

But according to Verbeek, the root of the problem runs deeper. “When is something really going to happen? When are we actually going to see work being done?” he asks. In his view, structural problems persist despite minor improvements: “You can pile all those waste streams together, but that’s not going to make the world any better.”

The full scale of the problem unclear

He is also concerned about the impact on residents: “We still have no idea how far-reaching the consequences are.” Van der Burg stresses that local politicians must also take responsibility. “The politicians involved really do need to step up, good governance deserves a real boost,” he says.