Feds scrap funding for Tinian breakwater repair

Repair of the dilapidated Tinian breakwater suffered yet another halt after funding for a feasibility study that was supposed to be carried out by the United States Army Corps of Engineers has been reportedly scrapped from its Fiscal Year 2001 budget.

Ports Authority Executive Director Carlos H. Salas said the sudden change in the program was reported to him during his visit to Hawaii last week, where he was also informed that the $100,000 budget for the study will not be available until the succeeding fiscal year.

The $100,000 budget has been earmarked by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct a study on the extent of the breakwater’s damage in order to identify how much work should be done and how much money is needed to restore the facility.

“The information was relayed to us verbally. We are still awaiting for the formal and official notice from the Army Corps of Engineers. We would like to know the reason and whether there are alternatives. We are quite puzzled,” Mr. Salas said.

He pointed out that CPA was not informed of the changes in the program until his visit to Honolulu where he also met with officials of the Federal Aviation Administration.

“That project is high priority. We’re lost at this point. We were not informed so we have to figure out what’s going on there. They just said the budget allocated for the study was temporarily suspended,” Mr. Salas added.

CPA earlier received assistance from Guam Delegate Robert Underwood who vowed to press the U.S. Congress to allocate money from the next fiscal year’s budget for the rehabilitation of the Tinian breakwater.

Mr. Salas said there is an immediate need for the construction of a new breakwater on Tinian, underscoring the dangers posed by the existing facility especially during harsh weather conditions.

CPA’s lobbying efforts have gone a long way, being able to secure the support of the United States Department of Transportation and the Department of the Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs for the badly needed repair and rehabilitation of the Tinian breakwater.

OIA previously pledged support in identifying sources of funds for the urgent rehabilitation of the breakwater on Tinian. “I have presented to OIA the urgency of getting the Tinian breakwater repair project funded because it has deteriorated enough to threaten the livelihood of the island’s residents,” said Mr. Salas.

Tinian continues to face economic disaster threats if CPA failed to raise some $25 million in total amount for the rehabilitation of the deteriorating condition of the island’s breakwater.

The possible collapse of the Tinian breakwater has the potential to seriously plunder the island’s struggling economy due to Tinian’s heavy dependence on its seaport for trade and tourism.

The 4,600-foot breakwater built on the shallow fringing coral reef has already deteriorated and no longer serves its original intent to provide protection to harbor basin from waves.

While a second 3,500-foot breakwater originally constructed of interlocking steel sheet pile in a circular cell configuration to protect the ocean-facing side of the Tinian seaport had been destroyed by Typhoon Pamela in the late 1970s.

Also, the eastern most 1,000-feet at the end of the breakwater had likewise been diminished and advance deterioration of cells in other sections have exposed the facility to complete failure.