Previous Story
Cemetery will reopen Monday – U.S. Army Corps
|
Posted on Oct 13 2000
Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio was assured yesterday by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that Cemetery 2 will be reopened to the public on Oct. 16 to allow residents visit the gravesites in time for All Soul’s Day.
The Environmental Chemical Corp., project contractor of the Army Corps, has been carrying out a cleanup of the cemetery which has been found to have high levels of polychlorinated biphenyl contamination.
Frank Ono, a representative of the Army Corps, said the contractor has already collected over 5,000 cubic yards of soil and has been backfilling the cemetery with coral material. Some areas, however, will remain off- limits to the public.
According to Mr. Ono, a great part of the cemetery including the existing gravesites and about 25 feet around it has been excavated by ECC to at least one foot in depth. Samples have been taken to check on remaining levels of PCB contamination.
Preliminary results of the testing conducted for the area planned to be reopened to the public show that the cleanup level of one part per million has been reached.
“However, as it is required to send a certain amount of samples to U.S. mainland laboratories, additional results will not be received for at least another week. Receipt of these results will not hold up the backfilling or reopening of the cemetery,” he said.
So far, the Army Corps and ECC have already identified 20 sites for possible cleanup in Tanapag Village in connection with PCB contamination. ECC has already collected over 5,000 cubic yards of soil since work began last month.
The contractor has been carrying out characterization site (determination of the extent of soil contamination) in and around the village. Most of the residents near the affected areas have already given permission to enter their property to allow ECC staff do their job.
Excavation of sites in the southeast area of the cemetery will continue in the next few weeks. Treatment of the soil is expected to begin early 2001 using the low indirect low thermal desorption process. (Lindablue F. Romero)
