JG Sablan, Bridgecreek tie up to mine pozzolan

A local company holding a Pagan mining permit for the past 10 years has vowed to clean up its act with the help of its new business partner, Los Angeles-based Bridgecreek International Corp.

John T. Sablan, president of JG Sablan Rock Quarry Inc., issued a statement yesterday announcing his company’s partnership agreement with Bridgecreek on the Pagan pozzolan mining and extraction project.

JG Sablan has had a valid permit to extract Pagan pozzolan since Sept. 8, 1995. The company has failed to get a viable mining operation going on in the northern island.

“I apologize to our community for not generating revenues through the pozzolan project in Pagan these past several years,” Sablan said. “The project was not successful in the past for several reasons, including minimal world demand for volcanic pozzolan and the total reliance on my company to assume all costs associated with the project, including construction of the loading facilities, and other related concerns.”

He expressed hope, however, that his company’s partnership with Bridgecreek would finally get the project moving forward and help raise revenues for the Commonwealth.

Bridgecreek chairman Frank Jao and chief executive officer John Carlson are expected to visit Saipan in 10 days to officially open an office with JG Sablan.

Sablan reported that his annual rental fees for the permitted mining areas are current. To date, he said, JG Sablan has paid over $200,000 to the Marianas Public Lands Authority.

To expedite the groundbreaking of the project, Sablan has assembled a team of local experts to help address the pending conditions set by the Coastal Resources Management Office, he said.

He said he is also working closely with the Fitial administration and the Legislature, the Northern Islands Mayor’s Office, Northern Islands residents, and other CNMI community members to help residents of the Northern Islands to resettle in their homeland.

“The Pagan pozzolan extraction project will be the first private enterprise to be based at the Northern Islands. I anticipate providing direct economic benefits to the Northern Islands community through a special trust account, which could be used for transportation, schools, scholarships, health care services, medical referrals, housing, utilities, and other critical infrastructures for the Northern Islands.

“This project will also create numerous direct employment opportunities for the CNMI residents in general and Northern Islanders in particular. Further this project will provide market access for the residents to sell their goods and services. These will include the procurement of local agricultural produce and livestock grown at the Northern Islands and fish from Northern Islands’ fishermen. Thus, I anticipate the Pagan pozzolan mining and extraction project to provide the impetus necessary to jumpstart the socio-economic development of our northern frontier,” Sablan said.

According to Bridgecreek’s website, the Los Angeles-based company is in the real estate business. To date, the company reportedly has over $400 million or 2 million square feet of retail, condo, and apartment space. The group also owns and manages more than 1.5 million square feet of space in Southern California. It is also expanding into China.