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Shell Kagman project still awaits CRM approval
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Posted on Jul 15 2004
The Coastal Resources Management Office has yet to issue a permit for the construction of a Shell gasoline station along Kagman Road.
CRM director Joaquin Salas said the permit applicant, Wushin Corp., still has to comply with a requirement set by the Division of Environmental Quality regarding the proximity of the proposed placement of fuel storage tanks to the Kagman water wells.
Salas said CRM has certified Wushin Corp.’s permit application as complete as of June 17. A 60-day period was allotted for the CRM regulatory agencies to discuss specific requirements with the applicant.
A public hearing for the project has also been scheduled for June 18, at 6:30pm at Kagman Elementary School.
The new Shell station will be located approximately a third of a mile west of the Department of Lands and Natural Resources Agriculture Station in Kagman.
The project includes two above-ground fuel storage tanks with a capacity of 6,000 gallons and 3,000 gallons each, one gasoline pump, and one diesel pump.
A small convenience store, a rentable unit, a Shell console, two restrooms, and an office space will also be built in the area,
On Feb. 11, 2004, the House of Representatives adopted a resolution requesting CRM and DEQ to expedite the permitting process for Shell Marianas’ retail and gas station project in Kagman.
Citing the 2001 CNMI Statistical Yearbook, House Resolution 14-13 noted that there are over 3,000 residents currently residing in Kagman Village who are not afforded the convenience of a nearby gas station.
The legislators added that the proposed project would provide jobs and a conveniently located fuel and retail services outlet for Kagman residents.
“Although concerns have been raised regarding the proximity of the proposed placement of fuel storage tanks with the Kagman water wells, Shell Marianas Inc. proposes robust containment systems that exceeds DEQ and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations, for the aboveground tanks,” a portion of the resolution reads.
“With the increased standards of the fuel system to exceed the requirements of a normal facility, the risk of contaminating the water wells is almost nonexistent,” it adds.
