PCB CONTAMINATION AGO pressed to sue U.S. military

Amid mounting fears on the dangers of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) contamination on Saipan, lawmakers have called on the Attorney General’s Office to file lawsuit to compensate victims, reimburse the government and clean up Tanapag of the highly-toxic chemicals left by U.S. military.

In a joint resolution adopted by the Senate the other day, they said efforts to remove the chemicals from the contaminated area as well as to identify costs associated with the problem, such as medical care and loss of properties, have been largely inadequate.

Senate Floor Leader Pete P. Reyes, author of the resolution which now heads to the lower house for action, noted that while PCB contamination was discovered as early as 1988, there has been no aggressive actions from either the CNMI or federal government to remedy the worsening situation.

Government lawyers must take steps, including litigation, to force the U.S. Navy and the Department of Defense to clean up the village, reimburse the Commonwealth for costs incurred in dealing with the contamination and its harmful effects, and compensate Tanapag residents who have suffered illnesses and diseases for years.

PCBs and dioxins were found in electrical capacitors abandoned by the military during the 60’s on the island, but Tanapag had received high concentrations of these dangerous chemicals, exposing its residents to various health and environmental risks.

In 1988, the Navy acknowledged the problem through a letter to James P. Reyes, former disaster control officer for the CNMI. Four years later, Pentagon began its cleanup efforts in Tanapag.

Insufficient

But the resolution pointed out that these actions are not enough as it cited the still unavailable resources from the U.S. Superfund to carry out remedial measures which has only prolonged exposure, risk and stress being suffered by residents of the village.

“[T]here has been insufficient effort undertaken to identify the costs incurred by the Commonwealth as a result of this contamination, such as medical care, loss of usable land, manhours expended by the various [government] agencies,” it said.

“[A]ggressive action by Commonwealth authorities, in particular the [AGO], is necessary to bring this problem to a proper resolution, recover the costs…, protect the citizens of Tanapag, and insure that CNMI citizens and residents injured as a result of this contamination obtain a proper remedy,” added the resolution.

Sen. Reyes has been asking the administration to take the issue to court in order to compel Washington to address the growing menace. Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio has welcomed the proposal and assured commitment of the local government to deal with the health and environmental concerns. He has also vowed to lobby support from Congress to clean up Tanapag.

Two months since holding a public hearing in the village, authorities have yet to take concrete actions to resolve the problems, although temporary measures have been implemented, such as closure of a cemetery, to protect residents.

Juan N. Babauta, CNMI’s resident representative to Washington, has also asked the Department of Interior to provide funding to send a specialist to Saipan who will help local physicians monitor the health of the public for presence of PCB contamination.