Parliament increases pressure over Selibon and demands firm deadline

KRALENDIJK – The Dutch House of Representatives on Thursday, 3 September, further increased pressure on the cabinet regarding Selibon Lagun. The central question was whether 31 December 2028 is truly a firm deadline for dumping at Lagun. State Secretary Bertram did not provide a cast-iron guarantee.

During the committee debate on waste management problems on Bonaire, several Members of Parliament wanted to know what would concretely happen if agreements were once again not met. The discussion was not only about new plans and studies, but above all about who is ultimately responsible and when The Hague will actually intervene.

Schilder is sharp in the debate

Shanna Schilder (Groep Markuszower) was the sharpest on this point. She argued that the island council had, in her view, failed to take sufficient responsibility for years and had not always kept to agreements. If the Netherlands makes money available again, this must according to her be accompanied by firm national oversight.

"If the Netherlands makes taxpayers’ money available, we must also be able to steer how it is spent and be able to intervene if agreements are not met," she stated. Schilder also wanted to know what instruments the cabinet actually has if timelines slip again or investments fall short.

The debate reached its sharpest point when Schilder asked whether the State Secretary could guarantee "with 100% certainty" that nothing more would be dumped at Lagun after 31 December 2028.

State Secretary gives no certainty

A straightforward yes was not forthcoming. The State Secretary said the cabinet is pulling "all the stops" and that all measures are aimed at ending dumping after 2028. At the same time, she left room for possible setbacks.

Schilder was not satisfied with that. "I want more than ‘we will do our best’ and ‘we have the intention’," she said. According to her, the cabinet must simply commit to the date, because further delays could mean it becomes 2029 or even 2030.

At the end of the debate she returned to this point. Schilder spoke of an "environmental disaster" and pointed to years of shortcomings in licensing and supervision. "What will concretely happen if the agreements are not met this time either?" she asked. She called it "unfortunate" that the cabinet was unwilling to give a cast-iron guarantee for 31 December 2028.

CDA also makes its voice heard

Jantine Zwinkels (CDA) also pushed for more concrete commitments. The MP pointed out that just over two years remain until the end of 2028 and asked where the previously announced plan for future waste processing stands.

"The clock is ticking," she said. The CDA (Christian-democratic political party) wanted to know why the plan, which according to Parliament should have been ready before the summer, is still not public and what residents will notice from it in the short term.

The debate also referenced an earlier article by Bonaire.nu about the possible sharp increase in the waste levy. The CDA asked the cabinet whether it recognises the picture that a cost-covering levy from 2027 onwards could lead to a significant increase in costs for residents.

Alternative must come, plans remain vague

Meanwhile, the cabinet maintains its position that dumping at Lagun will end from 31 December 2028. State Secretary Van der Burg emphasised that Bonaire must have an alternative in place by then, not simply a new landfill site, but a genuine move towards waste processing.

The coming months will be crucial. The implementing organisation must be set up by 1 October at the latest, and October will also see the expected results of the study into the future structure of the waste chain. Decisions must then follow before the end of this year, so that plans can be executed in 2027 and 2028.

Van der Burg also announced that she will travel to Bonaire again in October. The cabinet wishes to discuss progress with the island administration every three months.

With that, a new set of agreements and deadlines is on the table. Parliament made clear on Thursday, however, that it does not want more procedural commitments alone, but above all certainty about implementation. The key question therefore remained unanswered: is 31 December 2028 truly a firm deadline? The cabinet did not provide an unconditional guarantee.