Pete A. jumps on initiative to federalize water improvement

Washington Rep. Pete A. Tenorio recently swung by Honolulu on his way back to Washington, D.C. to meet with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials and talk about the preliminary water strategy to improve the CNMI’s water system.

This comes on the heels of a recent mandate from the U.S. Congress calling for the Secretary of the Interior to develop a comprehensive, coordinated and detailed implementation program for the plans developed by the corps.

Congress included this mandate in its 2005 Omnibus Appropriations Act along with $1 million for water system improvement. The report issued with the Act cited that the magnitude of the need to improve the CNMI water system far exceeds any possible resolution from funds made available to the Interior and Related Agencies Subcommittee on Appropriations, and that existing programmatic expertise of other Federal agencies is not being used fully.

The report requires that the Secretary of the Interior provide the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations with an implementation plan that fully utilizes and coordinates those authorities to ensure that the goals of the plans are achieved in a timely, cost-effective manner. The report is to contain an implementation plan to identify projects, responsible agency, funding needs, implementation schedule, any statutory or other changes necessary to implement the program, and a specific timetable for full completion.

Tenorio met with the Eugene Ban, director of programs; Roy Gyo, Eugene Ban, and Paul Mizue. They are key staff of Honolulu District Engineer and Commander Lt. Col. David E. Anderson of the Army Corps of Engineers, Pacific Ocean Division.

During the meetings, Tenorio emphasized the seriousness of the CNMI water system’s deficiencies, saying, “It’s a fact that we in the CNMI are the only American citizens that cannot drink our homes’ water supply due to high salinity and persistent contamination of the water supply.”

He said his principal objective is to work closely with federal agencies, including the corps, to develop a plan to provide 24-hour water service with a water quality that meets all drinking water standards.

The corps reportedly offered to help in any way possible to achieve these goals, and offered to help in the CNMI’s well drilling program and in training CUC personnel in drilling techniques and waterworks technology.

“It was a very productive initial meeting and I look forward to working very closely with them. I will be meeting with Office of Insular Affairs Deputy Assistant Secretary Dave Cohen as soon as I return. If the Intergovernmental Group on Insular Areas is going to have this report ready by July 31 next year, they should begin work very soon,” said Tenorio.