WILLEMSTAD - The cleaning of the asphalt lake is not proceeding as laid down in the contract. Buska Bay's annual report was sent to parliament too late.
Buska Bay is a government-owned company responsible for cleaning up the lake. Prime Minister Gilmar Pisas sent the 2018 annual report at the beginning of this month. More than a year ago, the figures were signed by the then Supervisory Board. That's three years too late. Pisas does not explain why the annual accounts have only now been sent to parliament.
Remediation is progressing more slowly than expected. The annual report states that Buska Bay is even considering filing a lawsuit against Asphalt Lake Recovery. The company is engaged in the cleaning of the lake. They did not adhere to the amount of asphalt that would be mined. In 2017, it was agreed that 75,000 tons per year would be cleaned. Ultimately, that turns out to be only 20,000 tons per year.
The tar was dumped in the lake during World War II. This was to produce kerosene and other fuel in the fight against Germany.
