Collapsed hillside with missing septic and cistern (upper left photo) and repaired hillside (upper right photo). Below: VROMI Minister Gumbs (centre) with Chief of Staff Luciano Nicholls (left), AcrobatX CEO Julien Ripert (second left), and two residents of Ebenezer and Valley Estate at the handover of the site last week Wednesday.
PHILIPSBURG–The Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment, and Infrastructure VROMI has announced the successful completion of emergency landslide stabilisation works along Ebenezer Road. The project was executed by AcrobatX, a French company specialised in geotechnical engineering.
The intervention addressed a dangerous landslide zone that had developed following significant soil movement in August and November 2024, after heavy rainfall. The threat had placed nearby homes, drainage channels, and public infrastructure at risk, with residents facing growing concerns over blocked stormwater trenches and the potential for flash flooding
Between 2020 and 2022, residents of Ebenezer submitted multiple letters to the Ministry of VROMI warning of a steadily eroding hill face and soil slippage. These fears were realised in August 2024, when tropical storms led to the collapse of a septic tank and cistern, further blocking drainage lines and destabilising the cliff.
Heavy rains during the November 2024 St. Maarten’s Day festivities exacerbated the problem, increasing the urgency for intervention.
Under the direction of Minister Patrice Gumbs, VROMI finalised a previously stalled three-year trench cleaning tender and issued maintenance contracts by mid-August 2024. The Ministry then prioritised stabilisation of the cliff face and trench repairs as essential emergency works. Site assessments began in late August and concluded in February 2025, with on-site construction starting on March 10, the Ministry stated.
Emergency measures included shotcrete nailed-wall construction, slope anchoring, and the clearing and restoration of the public drainage trench. These works were essential in immediately stabilising the eroded hillside and preventing further damage to surrounding homes and infrastructure.
With proper ongoing maintenance, the stabilisation measures are designed to have a long-term impact, significantly reducing the risk of future landslides. The solution also allows for natural revegetation, which will further strengthen the hillside over time and restore its ecological balance.
The Government of St. Maarten has been warned previously by experts about irresponsible excavation of hills on Dutch St. Maarten, resulting in dangerous situations. On June 17, 2022, Parliament was presented an expert’s roadmap of life-threatening hillside construction and erosion in St. Maarten. Members of Parliament (MPs) reacted with shock at the presentation showing an imminent risk of landslides in Cole Bay, particularly Carbon Grove, Madame Estate, Ebenezer, Sucker Garden, Guana Bay area, and the danger of rock formations falling on Cole Bay Hill road and in Pointe Blanche, in particular in front of the entrance of Port St. Maarten.
In a letter from the Committee of VROMI dated Monday, June 20, 2022, signed by former Vice Chairman Chanel Brownbill, former Minister of VROMI Egbert Doran was encouraged to have a meeting with Julien Ripert, director of the French company AcrobatX BV, which holds offices in Saint-Martin and Saint Barths, and is the only specialised geotechnical engineering company in this part of the Eastern Caribbean.
Former VROMI Minister Doran did not respond to the letter from the Vice Chair of the Parliamentary Committee of VROMI. The requested meeting did not take place. In Parliament, on March 13, 2023, Doran dodged questions from Brownbill stating that he was not aware of the AcrobatX team, nor of the presentation in Parliament that was sent to him.
VROMI Minister Gumbs has taken the decision to address the man-made hazardous situations in hills around the country. The decision to prioritise Ebenezer came after storm damage and landslide risks in 2024 posed an imminent threat to both property and lives, the minister explained.
A second intervention along the same hillside is planned, which will address the remaining section of the Ebenezer trench – an essential stormwater drainage route from the South Reward hills through Dutch Cul-de-Sac and into the Philipsburg basin.
One resident noted the significance of the project: “In the 15 years I’ve lived here, I’ve never seen the full length of this trench maintained or cleaned. This is a big step forward.”
The geotechnical analysis from AcrobatX revealed that attempts to expand properties using backfill without reinforcement significantly weakened the slope. The area’s granodiorite composition – easy to excavate – became unstable under weight. A lack of proper drainage in the retaining walls also led to subsurface water pressure, which ultimately triggered the landslides.
Ripert, CEO of AcrobatX and Rocks & Risks, praised the project’s direction: “Following my 2022 presentation to Parliament, it’s encouraging to see growing political will to strengthen St. Maarten’s construction regulations and to better manage the island’s geotechnical challenges.”
To ensure long-term resilience, the Ministry has requested a dedicated budget line for landslide mitigation in upcoming national budgets. “We are committed to identifying and addressing other high-risk areas, not just reactively, but through sustained, forward-looking policy,” Minister Gumbs affirmed.
Residents of Ebenezer and surrounding areas are thanked for their cooperation and encouraged to remain alert as the hurricane season progresses.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/emergency-landslide-stabilisation-completed-in-ebenezer-ahead-of-peak-hurricane-season
