SXMElections.com

MARIGOT--Eighteen unemployed persons, now referred to as the “green brigade” (brigade verte) officially signed one-year renewable contracts Thursday in Hotel de la Collectivité to launch the start of a major Sargassum weed collection, beginning at the end of September.

The project is based on a unique insertion and access to employment agreement signed between the Employment Office, Centre Symphorien d’Insertion—an association that won the bid to employ the young people—and the brigade members themselves.

In mid-July the Collectivité and the Préfecture announced the release of 200,000 euros, financed equally, for 2015 to fight the Sargassum phenomenon. That was followed by an announcement from the French Government at the end of July stating it would inject 2 million euros to help the French Antilles, particularly Martinique and Guadeloupe, to tackle the problem.

Present for the signing on Thursday were Préfète Anne Laubies, President Aline Hanson, President of Centre Symphorien Josianne Rousseau, Regional Director of the Employment Office Jean-Jacques Gustave and other Employment Office officials.

Préfète Laubies noted that given the unemployment situation in St. Martin, it was only natural that unemployed persons should be given priority in the project.

Agence de L’Environment et de la Maîtrise de L’Energie (ADEME) is contributing 92,000 euros for equipment and training of the young people to become ambassadors of recycling. The contracts are financed by the State (90 per cent) and ADEME (10 per cent), which is also paying the employer charges.

The pre-selected brigade members will be trained as “agents of cleanliness” and receive a qualification at the end of the year.

The Collectivité will be supervising all Sargassum operations, as well as establishing a planning schedule for the beaches affected. Regional Health Authority (ARS) will for its part will be monitoring Hydrogen Sulphide levels every week to ensure the brigade is not exposed to levels hazardous to health.

Réserve Naturelle will also be checking that the integrity of the beaches is maintained during collection of the weed.

It was understood the collected Sargassum weed will be collected and stored, and either burnt after it has dried out or taken to the eco-landfill site in Cul-de-Sac.

Based on a request from the State, ADEME has appealed for companies and organisations in Guadeloupe, St. Martin and St. Barths to come up with projects to deal with Sargassum. The deadline for submissions is October 12.