New facts about Marpi clearing surface at public hearing

New facts concerning the clearing of 62 hectares of land in Marpi of unexploded World War II ordnance surfaced during Tuesday night’s public meeting, including the absence of any major siting permit, federal funding of $550,000 and not $350,000, and mistrust over the Department of Public Lands’ repeated statement that there’s no plan to immediately develop the area into a homestead due to lack of funding for needed infrastructure.

The over two-hour public meeting, organized by Ed Propst and other concerned citizens, was held at the Pedro P. Tenorio Multi-Purpose Center in Susupe.

Rep. Tina Sablan said DPL has been giving out homestead lots without readily available power, water, wastewater and roads just like what happened in Kagman, Koblerville, and just last week, on Tinian.

“The fact of the matter is DPL and its former life, MPLA [Marianas Public Lands Authority], has distributed homesteads even without infrastructure being in place. There’s history of that happening; in fact, it’s happening now on Tinian,” she said.

On April 30, DPL held a drawing of lots for 429 families on Tinian. Most areas where the homesteads are located do not have power, water and wastewater systems.

Franz Reksid, Brownfields project manager for DPL, reiterated Public Lands Secretary John Del Rosario’s statement that the vegetation clearing in Marpi is purely to excavate unexploded ordnance and the public will get a chance for input on any future homestead development.

Over 20 individuals showed up at the public meeting. They included private citizens and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Michael Mann and Pankaj Arora, Division of Environmental Quality director Frank Rabauliman, Coastal Resources Management director Dr. Jon Joyner and DPL representatives.

DPL only applied for—and was granted—an earthmoving permit by DEQ. It has not applied for a major siting permit with CRM. A public hearing is required for any major siting permit application.

DEQ’s Rabauliman and CRM’s Joyner said during the meeting there’s no major siting permit issued for the project.

Pankaj Arora of EPA’s Brownfields Program, said EPA granted DPL $350,000 in 2006 for site assessment, and another $200,000 in 2008 for the cleanup.

He said when applying for the Brownfields grant, DPL specified homestead development as end use. He said the end use could be something else and EPA will review it just the same, knowing that the focus is the cleanup of hazardous ordnance.

Arora said the end use of the site is an issue for the local community to decide.

He, however, said the agencies involved could have done a better job in public outreach, adding that he recommends DPL continue open communication with the public.

“They could have done better, possibly, but outreach is one issue; another is homesteading, which is a totally different issue,” he said.

Residents said DPL could have informed the community of its true intent in clearing up the scenic area leading to Suicide Cliff in Marpi before bulldozers started showing up and clearing vegetation.

Glen Hunter, a private citizen, asked Arora during the public meeting whether there’s a way for EPA to stop funding the Marpi clearing and put the money to another project.

But Arora said there’s no benefit in stopping the unexploded ordnance (UXO) removal now, and that funding for the assessment and cleanup had already been granted.

John Scott, president of AMPRO, which DPL contracted to clear the site of UXO, told meeting participants about 40 percent UXO clearance at the site.

Ruth Tighe and other private citizens present at the meeting said they want the area currently being cleared of UXO to be revegetated or brought back to what it was before, and not developed for homestead. Others want it to be converted into a park.

DPL asked whether the residents present at the meeting represent the will of “4,000 homestead applicants” on Saipan.

Taotao Tano president Greg Cruz Jr. asked whether Rep. Tina Sablan could introduce a bill that will restrict development of the Marpi area. Sablan said public input will be needed.

“Just like we shouldn’t be rushing to turn that area into homestead, we also shouldn’t be rushing to make it a park or rushing to make it a condominium. There should be at least the opportunity to engage the community,” she said.

Rep. Ray Tebuteb, chair of the House Committee on Natural Resources, said a similar public meeting on the Marpi clearing will be held tonight at the House chamber on Capital Hill.

The Marpi area being cleared of UXO is large enough to develop approximately 500 homesteads. AMPRO said the Marpi area is the most heavily concentrated area of unexploded ordnance on Saipan.

The U.S. military used the area immediately after the capture of Saipan during World War II. It was used to store thousands of tons of ordnance for the impending invasion of the Japanese mainland. In the 1950s, the U.S. Army attempted to dispose of the munitions by blowing them up in place, but it was only partly successful, leaving the area with unexploded ordnance, according to the biological assessment of the area.