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Anti-dumping signs to be installed at sinkhole
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Posted on Dec 07 2004
Anti-dumping signs are now being prepared for installation at the San Vicente sinkhole to prevent residents from disposing of trash at the illegal dumpsite, according to the Division of Environmental Quality.
DEQ environmental specialist Tina Sablan said yesterday that a “no dumping” sign would be installed by the Saipan Mayor’s Office next week. She said the DEQ and the Department of Public Works prepared the sign.
The DEQ, DPW, and Coastal Resources Management Office are also working on another sign that would educate the public on the negative impacts of illegal dumping, Sablan said.
Sablan said the dumpsite not only is an eyesore, but also poses risk to public health and the environment.
She said the dumpsite contains physical and chemical hazards and is a breeding ground for disease-causing organisms such as mosquitoes, which multiply about a hundred times faster when they are in stagnant, warm water, such as that contained in old tires. Open dumping also results in fire incidents, whether deliberately caused or spontaneous.
The San Vicente sinkhole poses a threat to groundwater and the nearby beach water through runoff. Sablan also said dumpsites generally depreciate the value of properties within the vicinity, as the area normally becomes unattractive for development.
Meanwhile, although there is no definite historical information on whether or not the sinkhole was used as a military dumpsite, there are anecdotes claiming that the site might have unexploded ordnance. There are also anecdotes that the site may contain hospital wastes.
The sinkhole is a 60-foot-deep, 40-foot wide natural geological formation that has a cave-like structure at the bottom. Government agencies have been pooling efforts to restore the site, possibly as a tourist attraction.
