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HANMI presses for Puerto Rico dump closure
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Posted on Dec 06 1999
The Hotel Association of the Northern Mariana Islands has urged the CNMI government to move fast in closing Puerto Rico dump as it pressed officials to use the $16 million appropriated by the Legislature for the construction of the sanitary landfill in Marpi.
“For the health of our citizens who live and work near the area, as well as for the image of our tourist industry, it is time to close Puerto Rico dump once and for all,” said HANMI president Ron D. Sablan. “Our hotels have been concerned about this for years and by passing this resolution, we hope it will help keep the new sanitary landfill project moving forward as quickly as possible.”
The hotel association asked Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio and the Legislature to set a deadline and make the closure of the island’s biggest eyesore a priority because of the health hazard it poses to the population.
They added that the dump not only poses a significant health risk to the residents of Saipan, but also may cast an irreversible and negative image for the tourist industry of the CNMI.
Hisafumi Sano, a HANMI officer and general manager of the Sanai Palms Hotel, said he had received complaints from tourists regarding the growing mountain of exposed garbage in Puerto Rico.
“Visitors have been asking why the trash is piling up and it is not being covered,” he said. “It is an embarrassing situation and I don’t know what to tell our guests.”
The governor has expressed concern on the slow permitting process of federal agencies which has hindered the construction work on the Marpi landfill. Since World War II, the Puerto Rico Dump has been used as a disposal site for military hardware and ordnance, solid waste and some hazardous materials.
