Villagomez: House to pass Agingan bill

Despite the delay, the House leadership will continue to press for the passage of a bill that reprograms $3.3 million for the construction of Agingan waster water treatment facility.

The reprogramming bill was supposed to have been enacted before Feb. 28 to save the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. from paying the $37,500 penalty per violation that was imposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency against it.

“The bill has been filed and deferred but we hope to act on it in our next session,” said Vice Speaker Timothy Villagomez yesterday, adding that the House may hold a session within the week.

At the same time, Villagomez called on his colleagues who have objected to the use of $3.3 million entirely for Agingan to reconsider their position.

“I think we have to be mindful that the Agingan situation is not a precinct issue but a CNMI-wide issue,” said Villagomez.

This came about after some lawmakers moved to amend the bill to include other wastewater and road-paving projects, leaving only $1.6 million for the treatment plant.

The proposed amendment wants to allot $800,000 to supplement the shortfall in the As Matuis Wastewater project to connect the Gregorio T. Camacho Elementary School toilet facilities to the CUC sewer system, and to install sewer service lateral lines in Achugao and Tanapag areas as well as $200,000 to address the shortfall in the Fina Sisu wastewater project, and $700,000 for various road-paving projects in Precinct I.

Villagomez said, though, that the Agingan project must be done first because it essentially receives all effluents from various points on the island.

“We’re in crisis already. We’ve got to prioritize this now,” he said.

The reprogramming bill is contained in House Bill 14-286, introduced by Villagomez, a former CUC executive director.

Meantime, the lawmaker expressed reservation over CUC’s plan to enter into a financing scheme to meet the Agingan funding shortfall.

“Given their financial situation, that’s going to be a big issue,” he said.

Villagomez is set to meet with CUC officials this morning to further discuss the matter.

EPA had given CUC until yesterday to find funding for Agingan, which was cited as not meeting federal environmental standards since 1999.