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Judge seeks info on CUC Rota project
U.S. District Court for the NMI designated Judge David O. Carter sought an update on the status of the Commonwealth Utilities Corp.’s project on Rota and if there is oil leakage or plumes contaminating the island’s ocean water.
According to minutes filed in court yesterday, Carter ordered representatives from CUC, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Justice, and Engineering and Environmental Management Company to convene by conference call this morning, Wednesday.
Carter further ordered that the representatives from CUC, EPA, DOJ, and EEMC, appear for a teleconference on Jan. 10, 2017.
Carter said the purpose of yesterday’s call is to gather information in preparation for giving input to the court the following week on the status of the Rota CUC facility.
Among the questions that Carter wants answers to are the scope of the CUC project on Rota, and if there is groundwater contamination.
“Are there any facility repairs needed, such as pipe or tank repairs? If this information is not currently available, what is the process for obtaining it?” the judge asked.
Carter also asked if it would be cost effective to have a separate incinerator on Rota for the disposal of waste materials.
“If so, what type of incinerator would be best, and what would be the cost? If this information is not currently available, what is the process for obtaining it,” he said.
If an incinerator on Rota is not cost-effective, what should be the incinerator capacity for Saipan?
“Would all of Rota’s waste product be sent to Saipan, or would some be sent to Guam?” Carter said.
