An appeal to MPLA

To MPLA, I urge you to review in-depth the offer of Azmar to mine Pagan Island. The amount they estimate on the worth of the pozzolan is very low. Azmar is a business, a corporation, which is trying to get the most out this deal, and they will pay the lowest amount possible.

I don’t know if this deal has been approved, so, I would suggest it should go through the bidding process or, as some suggest, a public hearing, to get the highest bidder and best benefits for the CNMI. Just remember, this pozzolan belongs to the people of the CNMI and not to MPLA. Let’s not get rushed into making a bum deal. Because just from reading the papers it’s sure looking like one. Already, Azmar is trying some underhanded tactics like suggesting Swiss bank accounts or accounts in their name. The CNMI owns the pozzolan and we should take this opportunity and take our time to do it right. If Azmar gets antsy, well, tough.

The mining of Pagan has the potential to benefit the CNMI tremendously, like oil did for Saudi Arabia and all the oil-producing countries. And this is for many years to come. There are lesser grades of pozzolan and substitutes but none better than Pagan natural high quality pozzolan.

Since Pagan is one of only three known sources of high quality pozzolan in the world (two in Europe and Pagan in the Pacific), we should be setting the prices. There is a high demand for high quality pozzolan. Europe and U.S. quality standards for concrete were lowered because of the limited supply of high quality pozzolan. Thanks to Pagan volcano, there is now another supply of high quality pozzolan and it is here in the CNMI. Yes, they will pretend to balk at a higher price but that’s just part of bartering. There will be others who will want to be in on this deal and they might match or offer a higher price because of the quality of the pozzolan. Just to get the pozzolan.

There are many major civil engineering projects requiring pozzolan cement around the world. Right now they have to put up with inferior quality cement. I think that they would pay a higher price for a better quality product. After all, the structures the Greeks and Romans built over 2,000 years ago are still with us today because of their use of high quality pozzolan cement.

There are rumors going around that a certain individual, associated with Azmar and this deal, has taken a certain aircraft from the waters of the CNMI without proper permission. How can we trust a company associated with this person? How can this person return to the CNMI and face us? It is my opinion that this person will try to do it to us—again.

MPLA is charged with the responsibility to get the best deal for the people of the CNMI. The mining of Pagan should be looked at very carefully. I cannot stress this strong enough, please, please, please, please take your time and get us a good deal. Because, it will be for a long time and we will have to live with the decision you make for us. So, be strong in the negotiations and don’t give in to very highly paid professional negotiators who will use every tactic to get Azmar the best deal they can.

Duane R.T. Sablan


I Denni