DPW pressed to hasten dump closure

In yet another attempt to fast-track closure of the Puerto Rico dumpsite, the House of Representative has expressed anew its “grave concerns” over the chronic health and environmental hazards it poses to island residents and tourists.

In a resolution adopted the other day, members asked Public Works Sec. Juan B. Cepeda to hasten the bidding process to procure services that will shut down the site as dumping ground for trash and garbage on Saipan.

The Department of Public Workers has issued a request for proposals from companies interested in undertaking the project until January 19, 2001.

But the House resolution called on the DPW chief to “immediately address the regulatory closure… by accepting the best proposal” based on the criteria set by the government.

“The Puerto Rico Dump presents an ever increasing visual obstacle to potential economic growth, tourism and the aesthetic appeal of the surrounding area,” read the measure offered by Health and Welfare Committee chair Rep. Malua T. Peter.

The Commonwealth government has been discussing the closure of the dumpsite since 1989, but has yet to act firmly on any plan despite warning by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its failure to comply with federal regulations.

In 1997, lawmakers appropriated about $26 million for design and construction of a new, federally-approved solid waste facility, refuse transfer station, incinerator and closure of Puerto Rico dump.

But the House acknowledged that the funds are not enough to meet the requirements of the project, noting current plan for the closure targets a three to five-year completion that consists only of interim measures whose funding sources have yet been identified.

“[I]n the past, the lack of alternative waste disposal facility has not allowed for practical consideration of the closure [but] with the construction of the Marpi Solid Waste Facility, consideration of the timely closure of the Puerto Rico dump is possible,” it said in the resolution.

Leveling the heaps of trash in the coastal site overlooking the tourist district on Saipan could prove to be costly and dangerous due to the military bombs and explosive ordnance that may be buried underneath the 50-foot high dump, according to officials.

The Solid Waste Task Force, which is overseeing the landfill project, has yet to draw up a plan on what to do with the garbage which amounted to over 500,000 tons.

Officials have estimated that clearing the dump and transforming it into an attraction could reach between $50 million to $100 million.