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EPA officials on island to review DEQ programs
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Posted on May 04 2009
Four officials from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 9’s Pacific Islands Office are on island to conduct a mid-year review of the Division of Environmental Quality’s programs.
Most DEQ programs are funded by EPA.
Reina Camacho, public information officer of DEQ, yesterday said leading the team is EPA’s CNMI program manager Michael Mann, who will also hold meetings with officials from the Commonwealth Utilities Corp., Department of Public Works and the Division of Energy.
Also on island is Nuria Muniz, coordinator for the 26th Pacific Island Environmental Conference, to conduct site visits for the June 22-25 regional event, and to meet with the Division of Energy representatives.
The environmental conference is expected to draw government officials and environmental leaders across the Pacific and the U.S. mainland. For information and registration about PIEC, visit www.regonline.com/PIEC2009.
DEQ’s Camacho said EPA’s Michael Lee is also on island to “conduct program reviews for the Non-Point Source branch, Safe Drinking Water branch, Wastewater and Erosion Control branch, and meet with CUC and the Water Task Force.”
Lee is the Water Programs lead and Construction Grants Project officer for Guam, the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System compliance officer for the CNMI and Guam, and the Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasure lead for CNMI.
EPA’s Pankaj Arora is also on island to conduct a program review of the Brownfields 128A projects/preliminary assessment and site inspection program.
“He will also meet with the Department of Public Lands,” said DEQ’s Camacho.
A public meeting has been set for tonight at the Pedro P. Tenorio Multi-Purpose Center concerning the Brownfield project in Marpi, which is being cleaned up of unexploded World War II ordnance. The project has raised concern among residents who oppose homestead development in the area, among other things.
Except for Mann who will depart on May 14, the EPA officials will depart on May 9.
