A Solid Plan To Fight Hydrocarbon Pollution

What can we do about hydrocarbon pollution? Who is doing something about it and how? Training by experts from France and the Service of Lighthouses and Buoys in Guadeloupe has increased the competence of several people on the local level, who are now capable of intervening and providing the appropriate response should a layer of hydrocarbons threaten the shores of Saint Martin. The entire staff of the Réserve Naturelle participated in this training, along with gendarmes from the nautical brigade, the SNSM, the staff from both marinas in Marigot, and personnel from the Collectivité. The prefecture and the Direction de la Mer coordinated the operation from a crisis center created for the occasion. The training, both practical and theoretical, was based on the deployment of floating barges comprised of synthetic foam, less fragile than inflatable barges, but more voluminous to store. On the practical side, the barges were successfully tested near Marina Fort Louis, but met with more difficulty in the access channel to the bridge at Sandy Ground, due to strong currents. It is important to note that this equipment will be stored in Guadeloupe, but owners of sites potentially at risk, such as fuel depots and the EDF plant, should keep this kind of equipment on hand.