PCB CONTAMINATION Petition begins for filing of class suit

A petition for possible filing of a class action suit against the U.S. government for the widespread contamination of polychlorinated biphenyl in Tanapag has now begun.

Rep. Dino M. Jones, chair of the House Committee on Natural Resources, started the ball rolling last Friday with a call to island residents to attend a town meeting scheduled for May 8.

This is in line with the visit of representatives from mainland-based law firms Waters & Krauss and Charles Seigel that will investigate the environmental disaster in the village described by Greenpeace activists as a “global toxic hot spot.”

In statement, Mr. Jones said these attorneys will look at the possibility of filing the lawsuit against “those parties responsible for PCB and other environmental pollution” in the village.

He urged residents to attend the forthcoming meeting, particularly those who believe they may have suffered injuries or losses as a result of PCB exposure or believe that they may have lost a family member due to this environmental problem.

The meeting will be held on Monday, May 8, at 7:00 p.m. at the Tanapag meeting area, and for further information, Mr. Jones can be contacted at his office in Capitol Hill at 664-8863.

The lawyers’ visit comes amid growing attention to the problem that has drawn even activists from the international environmental group which has prodded the U.S. military to undertake immediate clean-up of the contaminated area.

Both local and federal authorities in recent weeks have laid down the plan to conduct an assessment study to determine the extent of the problem and to find out ways to reduce the safety and health risks it poses to villagers.

A team from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will be arriving on May 2 to collect samples of soil, water, root crops, fish, crabs and others from the northern coastal village believed to be still contaminated with the highly-toxic chemicals left behind by the U.S. military.

On May 8, the Department of Public Health will perform medical evaluation to find out the local people’s exposure to PCB’s.

While residents have made a plea on their plight several years ago, inaction by federal authorities has prompted village leaders to mull the possibility to taking the issue to court to demand the clean-up and reparation for those suffering from its ill-effects.

Aside from seeking compensation for the lives of the people and their properties affected by the toxic waste, the CNMI government may even recover the money it will spend in the medical evaluation as well as other local measures to be put in place.

Late last year, the Legislature adopted a joint resolution calling on the Attorney General’s Office to file lawsuit to compensate victims, reimburse the government and clean up Tanapag.

Legislators are expected to renew the call this year on the heels of what they believe is inadequate response to the worsening problem.

PCBs and dioxins were found in electrical capacitors abandoned by the military during the 60’s on the island, but Tanapag had received high concentrations of these dangerous chemicals, exposing its residents to various health and environmental risks.