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GREENPEACE TO MVA: Campaign not meant to hurt tourism industry
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Posted on Aug 04 2000
Greenpeace has assured the Marianas Visitors Authority that its international campaign to pressure the United States to clean up the polychlorinated biphenyl contamination in Tanapag is not meant to hurt the island’s tourism economy.
MVA Board Chair Dave M. Sablan and Managing Director Perry John Tenorio met with Greenpeace representatives Wednesday afternoon where they discussed the possible effects of the campaign on the overseas promotion of the CNMI as an ideal destination in the Pacific.
But Greenpeace representatives assured MVA that any discussion on PCB issue will just be confined to Tanapag village and not the whole CNMI.
“They came here to inform us that they have no intention to do anything adversarial to the tourism industry. I am glad they have approached everything cautiously because we don’t want the whole of Northern Marianas to be described as a toxic hot spot in their international campaign,” said Mr. Sablan.
Greenpeace’s Rainbow Warrior arrived on the island Wednesday in an effort to help the residents of Tanapag gain worldwide attention and push the U.S. officials to move swiftly in cleaning up PCB contamination in the village.
Greenpeace toxics campaigner Maureen Penjueli said the international group aims to carry out the following objectives on its involvement in Tanapag PCB issue:
• Ensure that the village is cleaned up immediately using non-incineration technology;
• Ensure that all other sites, including oil tanks and military dump, are addressed by the responsible authorities; and
• Ensure that health and safety of the community is addressed.
