FLASHBACK – December 6, 2011

Dec. 6, 2000

CPA eyes establishment of emergency fund

The Commonwealth Ports Authority is seeking to establish an Operation Emergency Fund with an initial deposit of about $312,000 to finance contingency needs at both the airport and seaport divisions. Board Chair Roman S. Palacios told an interview that CPA management is initially requesting for $249,880 in supplemental funds for the airport, and an additional $62,000 for emergency needs at the harbor. Mr. Palacios said the idea behind the proposed creation of an Operation Emergency Fund is to make the money available whenever the immediate need arises, without necessarily calling the Board of Directors for a meeting which may be time-consuming.

Home care provider seeks govt support

Marianas Health Services, a locally-owned home care-giving agency, organized yesterday a dialogue between Legislature, health, and government officials in efforts to draw community support and promote public awareness on the concept of “home care” as an equally vital aspect of health care. Guam-based MHS vice president and clinical director Ruth Gurusamy appealed to local leaders not to rule out home care in the Legislature’s health care policy making discussions and decisions, citing CNMI’s increasing need for the services. “What we would like is support from our policy makers in the CNMI, that anytime health care services are discussed, please consider home care as part of it. When you make decisions about health care access for Commonwealth residents, please consider home care as an option,” Ms. Gurusumay told officials over a Health Care Legislative breakfast at the Royal Restaurant in Garapan yesterday.

Dec. 6, 2001

Queens’ referral claims balloon to $.5M

The money owed by the CNMI government’s insurance arm to Hawaii-based Queens Medical Center has ballooned to an estimated half-a-million dollars, eliciting a howl of protest from the center. Based on documents obtained by Saipan Tribune, medical claims owed by Group Health and Life Insurance Co. to the Queens Medical Center covering the period from 2000 to 2001 have now reached nearly $500,000. Queens said the owed amount has grown because Group Health has failed to live up to its promise to pay the center a fixed amount that has previously been agreed upon between the two parties.

Nat’l board certifies 33 NMI airport firefighters

The National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications has certified 33 Commonwealth firefighters, who passed the firefighting standards set by the United States government. In a letter to the Commonwealth Ports Authority Airport and Rescue Firefighting Unit, NBFSPQ Secretary to the Board Anthony R. O’Neill said the board has certified 33 ARFF personnel from Saipan, Tinian and Rota. O’Neil said the names of the 22 CPA personnel – 26 from Saipan, three from Tinian and four from Rota – were also entered to the National Registry of Certified Fire Service Personnel. The 33 Northern Marianas ARFF personnel were accorded the National Certification Level as airport firefighters in accordance with the standards set by the NBFSPQ.

Dec. 6, 2002

Zoning eyed to protect groundwater

The technical workgroup that seeks to solve the contamination problem of Saipan’s groundwater has come up with a priority list on what should be focused on to protect groundwater in the entire CNMI. Essentially, the workgroup has come up with a plan to implement zoning in the Commonwealth to protect groundwater, said workgroup head David Schmidt, an environmental scientist at the Division of Environmental Quality. “There is currently no effective strategic plan in place to manage and protect CNMI groundwater resources from contamination,” Schmidt said. “The desired state is the existence of a functional CNMI groundwater protection strategy that government agencies, the business community and the general public understand, support and work collaboratively to implement.”

PCB-laced soil treatment completed soon

Treatment of PCB-contaminated soil in Tanapag is nearing completion, as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers disclosed that its contractor has so far treated over 30,000 tons of soil. A visiting Army Corps technical expert from the Omaha District in Nebraska estimates that the Environmental Chemical Corporation will have to treat only about 3,000 tons of soil. Chemical Engineer William Crawford stressed, though, that the figure is merely an estimate, as continuous testing of soil is being done-particularly the soil from where formerly contaminated ones were stockpiled.