GAO: Guam infrastructure not ready for buildup

A new Government Accountability Office report says Guam’s infrastructure is inadequate for the military buildup, and is calling on the U.S. Department of Defense to provide more leadership in order to properly fund and coordinate the initiative.

The report, sent to Congress on Friday, noted there have been concerns that the island’s infrastructure will not be prepared to handle the impact of the buildup, which will relocate 8,000 Marines and approximately 9,000 dependents from Okinawa, Japan, to Guam by fiscal year 2014.

Construction is expected to start during fiscal year 2010. The initiative is expected to cost more than $13 billion. Tinian will eventually be home to a warm base where the Marines will stay during training sessions.

“DOD and representatives for Guam have expressed concern that Guam’s infrastructure and social services will not be prepared to handle the impacts of the buildup by the 2014 completion date because of the compressed timeline and the extensive impact of the buildup,” the report stated.

For example, construction demands will exceed local availability of workers, the report said. Further, the buildup requires double the port capacity and the island’s two major highways may not be able to handle the increased traffic seen from transporting supplies. Also, Guam’s water and wastewater systems are near capacity, and demand may increase by 25 percent. The electric grid may not be able to support the buildup, as well.

“Although DOD plans to fund the infrastructure requirements directly related to the military buildup and realignment as well as contribute some funds toward civilian infrastructure requirements such as utilities and roads, the Government of Guam is largely responsible for obtaining funding for civilian requirements related to the buildup,” the report stated.

Guam Gov. Felix Camacho told the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources in May 2008 that the island would request $6.1 billion for fiscal year 2010.

Although the Interagency Group on Insular Affairs has made some effort for federal collaboration to assist the Guam government, GAO stated, it does not have the authority to direct other agencies’ budgets.

The report calls on the Department of Defense to use an executive order that specifies all executive agencies are to give priority consideration to requests from defense-affected communities. The Office of the Secretary of Defense has not provided the high-level leadership necessary to coordinate and make policy and budgetary decisions among the agencies and governments, according to the report.

The report also recommends that the Department of Defense should hold regular meetings of a committee composed of 22 federal departments and agencies.