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Azmar has no CRM permit application yet
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Posted on Oct 20 2004
Before Azmar International can begin mining pozzolan on Pagan—if the Marianas Public Lands Authority grants the company a permit—the company has yet to undergo another permitting process through the Coastal Resources Management agencies.
According to CRM office director Joaquin D. Salas, quarrying operations, including pozzolan mining, necessitates a major siting permit from the CRM agencies.
These regulatory agencies include the CRMO, Division of Environmental Quality, Historic Preservation Office, Commonwealth Utilities Corp., and the departments of Lands and Natural Resources and Public Works.
Salas had written to MPLA acting commissioner Frank Eliptico, expressing concern that, if Azmar is not made aware about the need for a major siting permit, it may have to duplicate work on submitting an environmental impact assessment report.
“If MPLA were not aware that quarrying operation requires a major siting permit for the CRM agency officials, CRMO would like to inform MPLA that it does. Because MPLA is very knowledgeable of the major siting permitting process with CRMO, we hope that MPLA has shared with Azmar these requirements,” Salas told Eliptico.
As of yesterday, the CRMO has yet to receive any application for a major siting permit from Azmar.
Azmar has been pushing for a speedy grant of a mining permit by the MPLA, saying that the Commonwealth loses much-needed revenue each time the MPLA delays the issuance of the permit. Azmar’s public information director, Don Farrell, reportedly said that MPLA and the CNMI could have already netted some $2 million in revenue had Azmar been allowed to begin mining operations last January.
Farrell reportedly said that the company was made to understand that the MPLA would immediately issue the permit during a meeting among company and MPLA officials, Gov. Juan N. Babauta, and CNMI lawmakers at the recent Business Opportunities Conference in downtown Los Angeles.
Azmar urged the MPLA board members to prevent their alleged squabbling from jeopardizing the company’s pozzolan mining bid.
