WILLEMSTAD - Various organizations, including Fundashon Birgen di Rosario, a foundation focused on elderly care, have criticized the new draft National Ordinance on air quality standards proposed by the Ministry of Health, Environment, and Nature. These organizations emphasize the need for a better balance between economic interests and public health, especially in relation to the activities of the refinery in Curaçao.
While these organizations appreciate being consulted, they are critical of the content of the ordinance, particularly concerning the refinery in the Schottegat area.
Fundashon Birgen di Rosario, located near that refinery, has experienced significant nuisances in the past, such as odors, soot, and chemical emissions. The foundation aims to prevent a recurrence of this situation and, therefore, advocates for stricter air quality standards. They express concern that the new legislation does not adequately consider public interest and that economic interests still seem to outweigh health interests.
The foundation suggests that the government is neglecting its duty by making disproportionate reservations for the reopening of the old-style refinery. They recommend imposing stricter requirements on any potential new operator of the refinery and other industrial operators. Fundashon Birgen di Rosario also emphasizes that the economic contribution of the refinery to Curaçao's economy has decreased, and the government should consider new economic pillars such as tourism and medical tourism.
Furthermore, the foundation criticizes the limited list of pollutants in the ordinance and proposes that, in addition to immission standards addressing the maximum accepted emission, emission standards – emissions from individual sources – should be included. This would prevent one industrial party from emitting too much, as was the case before 2020 with PdVSA.