We should know more today about the revision of the natural risk prevention plan (PPRN) initiated after the passage of Hurricane Irma: the prefect Serge Gouteyron and the president of the COM Daniel Gibbs held a press conference yesterday on the subject in the prefecture. They are to present the new schedule and method selected.
Following the events of December 2019, the review had been suspended by the Minister of Overseas France. Annick Girardin had then asked the former prefect of Saint-Martin, Dominique Lacroix, to lead a mission on the ground. After interviews and visits, the mission made a series of recommendations to modify the document initially prepared by the services of the Directorate of Environment. The latter had to take up these recommendations as well as the observations made by the public during the public inquiry. This new version of the regulations and/or zoning has not yet been released.
During his visit in early January, Sébastien Lecornu, who succeeded Annick Girardin in July 2020, had indicated that the revision of the PPRN “was following its course”, at a “constant pace to ensure societal support, to exchange with the various stakeholders”. “Most of the recommendations [of the Lacroix mission] will be included in the various PPRN documents to come,” he said.
However, he had been clear: “it is not because we exchange, we debate, we enrich, that we refuse, we go back on the initial objectives. (…) There is no retreat of the state in this matter.” Sébastien Lecornu insisted: “Should the state be less saying on this issue of natural hazard prevention, the answer is no.”
