BECQ takes a step forward with Garapan project

The Bureau of Environment and Coastal Quality is taking steps to improve the tourist district of Garapan.
Kaitlin Mattos, watershed coordinator for BECQ, announced during last week’s Saipan Chamber of Commerce meeting at the Pacific Islands Club that the Garapan Conservation Action Plan has been ongoing since 2012.

The project includes cleaning Garapan’s storm drainages, which started on March 17, two days after the district-wide cleanup.

Mattos said that outreach programs such as a storm drain art contest, drain labeling, beach cleanups, and refrigerator magnets are also in the pipeline.

The storm drain art contest seeks to teach residents and tourists alike—through art—the importance of not dumping trash into storm drains. This is because storm water doesn’t flow to sewer treatment plants but instead go directly into the ocean. Dumping trash in drainages will result in garbage eventually ending up in the ocean where people swim and fish.

Submissions are still being accepted up until March 18.

The Garapan Conservation Action Plan will also include public trash hauling as well as the placing of eight trash bins in Garapan. The bins will be four to eight cubic yards in size, with daily pick-ups. The program will start around this month up until April 2014.

According to the BECQ, trash-hauling will be enforced. In order for businesses to renew licenses or obtain zoning licenses and sanitary permits, applicants must have a valid contract with a permitted trash hauler or show tipping receipts from the Department of Public Works’ landfill or transfer station or participate in the new public bin system.

For those lacking proof, they will be given a list of permitted haulers and the contact information for the public bin program. They will also be approached to join the public bin program. Those who fail to comply will have their business, zoning, or sanitary licenses revoked or not renewed and also be subject to scrutiny and enforcement action.

Other projects include the installation of grease traps, illicit discharge detection and elimination, and upland agriculture assistance.

The goal of the Garapan Conservation Action Plan is to maintain and improve the valuable natural resources that exist in the west Tapochao central sub-watershed and to coordinate efforts between stakeholders to provide the most benefits to the natural resources and the community that uses them.

“The Garapan watershed is the CNMI’s ‘Hafa Dai and Tirow’ to the world and is the convergence of our economic, natural, and cultural resources,” BECQ said.