Torres: Debris cleanup contract out by Friday

A delayed islandwide cleanup of Typhoon Soudelor debris is targeted to begin this weekend, after a contract for this work is signed off, according to acting governor Ralph DLG Torres yesterday.

Torres met with Department of Public Works Secretary James Ada yesterday afternoon.

Torres reiterated his commitment to continue wrapping up the cleanup efforts and working with the Commonwealth Advocates for Recovery Efforts and private entities that are helping DPW do the cleanup.

On the issue of reported delays in the islandwide debris cleanup because of a reportedly stalled contract process, Torres said, “We are clearing that out now.”

“I guess there was some issue as to who was responsible, whether it was the Federal Emergency Management Agency, [Emergency Operations Center] or DPW directly. So I believe they are going to air that concern today,” he said.

Torres said they hope to have the contract signed by Friday.

“That’s our goal. To start cleanup by Saturday,” Torres told Saipan Tribune.

Last week, Saipan Tribune reported on a discussion between House lawmakers, Ada, and Saipan Mayor David Apatang, where a contract for the cleanup was reportedly given the run-around by FEMA, effectively stalling the cleanup for months.

Ron Roth, FEMA’s external affairs officer, however, said FEMA does not approve or deny applicant’s debris removal contracts.  He said this is the responsibility of the local government to determine if they wish to remove debris from public lands themselves or to contract that out to another source. 

“That is a contractual agreement between the local government and the private contractor,” Roth said in an email. 

FEMA will reimburse eligible applicants 90 percent of the removal cost for all eligible debris as a result of Typhoon Soudelor, Roth added.

Based on historical data obtained from the Pacific region it has been determined that a reasonable rate for removing debris is $62.30 per cubic yard.  This is the amount that FEMA is willing to reimburse local governments for debris removed from public lands, he said.

“FEMA has encouraged every applicant to start their cleanup process as soon as possible to promote safety, reduce any public health concerns, and restore the island back to normalcy,” Roth said in his email.

FEMA continues to work with applicants to identify and quantify eligible debris for reimbursement.  The final dollar amount that FEMA will reimburse for eligible debris cannot be known until the applicants have completed and documented their debris removal work.