I-Denni remediation on hold

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has temporarily suspended its remediation in I-Denni on Capital Hill while waiting for additional funding needed, now that the volume of excavated polychlorinated biphenyl- and lead-contaminated soil-now at least 2,099 cubic yards-is proving to be much larger than the original estimate of only up to 600 cubic yards.

PCB and lead are toxic chemicals associated with serious health and environmental concerns.

The volume of PCB- and lead-contaminated soil so far excavated from the I-Denni pit is almost 250 percent more than the original estimate of only up to 600 cubic yards, a figure earlier provided by the Division of Environmental Quality.

The pit in I-Denni, sometimes referred to as Edoni, was used by the U.S. military during and after World War II as a waste repository. It has been identified as a formerly used defense site, or FUDS.

Access to the I-Denni excavation site and the area leading to it has been closed off for days as a result of the temporary work suspension, two months since remediation began on Jan. 17.

Joseph Bonfiglio, chief of public affairs at Army Corps-Honolulu District, said yesterday that site remediation is still ongoing but has been temporarily suspended for a few weeks “as we wait additional funding.”

“Onsite activities are tentatively scheduled to resume on or about 16 April 2012,” he told Saipan Tribune via email.

Bonfiglio said the Army Corps “is in current contract negotiations for the additional contamination and cannot discuss the amount until the contract modification is completed.”

The Army Corps contractor for the I-Denni project is the Hawaii-based Wil-Chee Planning Inc., which has its own subcontractors.

The area is a future site of a planned homestead subdivision. But before the Department of Public Lands could proceed with the homestead project, it wants the site to be cleaned up.

Public Lands Secretary Oscar M. Babauta said yesterday it’s “unfortunate that the Army Corps runs out of funding” for the remediation.

“DPL is hoping that funding will be identified to complete the project. We will continue to impress upon Army Corps the need to complete this so we could use the site for our projects such as for homesteads,” said the former House speaker.

Of the 2,099 contaminated soil so far excavated, approximately 1,092 cubic yards are tainted with PCB and some 1,007 cubic yards are tainted with lead, said Bonfiglio.

“It’s not surprising that they are finding more contamination in that area,” said Rep. Stanley Torres (Ind-Saipan). “I remember right after the war, that site was the largest dumping ground for all kinds of military toxic wastes and other types of garbage.”

Torres, one of the longest serving lawmakers in the CNMI and a resident of Capital Hill, said he hopes the federal government provides the Army Corps with the funding it needs to finish the project it has already started.

“I hope they don’t get caught in the bureaucracy and end up not completing this cleanup. The military brought these chemicals, they have to clean it up,” he added.

Bonfiglio said the highest level of PCB found in the soil in I-Denni is 6.1 milligrams per kilogram. The cleanup level for PCB is 1.1 parts per million.

The PCB-contaminated soil is now being shipped to Beatty, Nevada for proper disposal.

The lead-tainted soil, meanwhile, has and will continue to be transported to the Marpi solid waste facility, Bonfiglio said.

He added that the 2004 remedial investigation reported a soil sample containing a total lead concentration of 4,970 milligrams per kilogram.

“Each project has its own unique challenges in the Pacific area. We work with the local regulators, landowners, and community to ensure public health and assure that we provide the highest standard of safety,” Bonfiglio said, when asked whether the I-Denni project has been among the fastest or easiest to complete.

He reiterated that the project is still ongoing.

“We, however, will be cleaning up to an unrestricted use level which is safe for a homestead subdivision and for all uses,” Bonfiglio said.

The Army Corps works with the Division of Environmental Quality to prioritize FUDS projects within the CNMI.

Bonfiglio said that when funding becomes available, the Army Corps then begins to fund the higher priority projects within the CNMI.

“Our goal in the FUDS program is to reduce the risk to human health and the environment through implementation of effective, legally compliant and cost-effective response actions done to the highest standards of safety,” he added.

Besides I-Denni, there are other FUDS on Saipan that require remediation, including the Hospital Dump Site, American Memorial Park, Naftan Bomb Storage, Ordnance Plan, Naftan Ordnance Disposal, North Field, Marpi Point Field, Tanapag Fuel Farm, and Koblerville Naval Supply Center.

The I-Denni remediation was originally budgeted $603,543.73, but because the volume of contaminated soil has grown, the actual cost was expected to exceed that figure.

The I-Denni project comes nine years after the completion of the $20 million PCB contamination cleanup in Tanapag in 2003 involving 40,000 tons of PCB-contaminated soil.

Saipan was the site of heavy fighting between U.S. and Japanese forces during WWII. To this day, live ordnance and chemicals as a result of the war are still being discovered in several areas of the island.