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Rota begins work on survey to decide site of new landfill
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Posted on Nov 22 2011
The municipality of Rota is now working on conducting a survey on the land that will serve as the site for its landfill.
Rota Mayor Melchor Mendiola said the land is located in the Tatachog area.
“We’re doing now this survey—geological, historical—and we have to go through all those procedures and process but the plan is already on the move to open a new landfill, which is just adjacent to the existing [open] dump,” he said Friday.
Mendiola noted that there are private lands in the area so they are communicating with landowners “for an exchange” or to compensate them financially. “That is in the works now.”
According to Mendiola, the municipality has a solid waste fund that “might be underfunded.”
They plan to start with the project by phases with what they have and “as we move along, perhaps then we can request again for appropriation or perhaps seek federal funds,” said Mendiola.
The Division of Environmental Quality had earlier issued the Rota Mayor’s Office, along with the Tinian Mayor’s Office and the Department of Public Works, an administrative order for failure to comply with landfill operating requirements
DEQ ordered the two municipal offices to terminate the burning of wastes at their respective dumps, cover disposed solid waste with at least 12 inches of earth cover, and begin applying daily cover within 14 days from the date of the order. Failure to abide by the order’s provisions would result in a civil fine of $100 per violation per day.
“We’re addressing it [the administrative order] and we’re passing,” said Mendiola. “Unfortunately, it’s in the slow phase because of the financial situation but we’re meeting their requirements gradually.”
Asked if they have paid any fines to DEQ, Mendiola replied, “Not yet. We’re trying to comply as much as possible. They saw the improvements so that’s how we move now.”
