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Six-person team tackles illegal dumpsite
Rep. Edwin Propst (Ind-Saipan) and his team prepare to head out to the dump with a trailer full of trash and waste. (Contributed Photo)
The office of Rep. Edwin Propst (Ind-Saipan), with the assistance of staff from the Saipan Mayor’s Office, recently tidied up an illegal dumpsite in Koblerville.
Propst said the cleanup took two days, Jan. 12 and Jan. 13, with a team of six people—himself, Joe Aldan, Vince Camacho, and Sal Limes, and Saipan Mayor’s office staff Milton Lizama and Enrique Casugay.
“With the severity of the situation, we felt compelled to take action,” said Propst.
The lawmaker took the lead in the cleanup as the illegal dumpsite, situated on Essok Avenue in Koblerville, was first reported to his office early last week. The dumpsite was so severe that its odor attracted rats, cockroaches, and other pests.
“There were about nine truck loads of trash that went to the dump. The mayor’s office took two trailer loads of trash to the dump,” he added.
The property on which the dumpsite was situated belonged to a disabled elder and her son, who also seemed unable to take care of the lot. They claimed that the lot’s former tenants just moved out one day and threw the trash on their property.
“[The dumpsite] was so severe, it was a health hazard. We knew we had to clean it up and get it done immediately,” said Propst.
“It is important to know [the government] is not responsible to clean up private property; that is not our job. We focus on public parks and roadsides. However, we made an exception because the resident was disabled,” he added.
“It was not just that, but mainly because of the health hazard that it imposed on the neighborhood. [Essok Avenue] in Koblerville has a lot of kids living in the area, so it was a major health concern because it was right on the road.”
