Aldan’s bill to define port-related uses

Rep. Edwin P. Aldan (R-Tinian) has introduced a House bill that would define industrial port use and port-related operations.

If enacted, HB 20-23 would allow government agencies on Tinian and Rota to lease public lands for public purposes. The bill was referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources chaired by Rep. Alice S. Igitol (R-Saipan).

Aldan said the definition of industrial port use and port-related operations was not formally defined for public policy.

“It is the intention of [HB 20-3] to define it due to lack of codified definitions and the potential for different government agencies to define it differently,” he said.

Based on the Legislature’s research on several states—Louisiana, Mississippi, and Missouri—and on Washington, D.C., they define the terms to include the phrase “interest for public policy while still maintaining some sort of port operation or use.”

Aldan said there were properties the Department of Public Lands or any previous agency transferred to the Commonwealth Ports Authority that remains unused.

“[It] continues to diminish in value over time. [It] diminishes other DPL-held properties that restricts economic development.”

He said it was clear in the original grant of public domain land to CPA that they are allowed exclusive jurisdiction to plan, establish, construct, enlarge, improve, maintain, equip, operate, and regulate CNMI ports.

“It is the Legislature’s intention to allow CPA to establish such industrial ports and port-related operations through [this] legislative definition.”

“There is a legitimate public purpose to allow the CPA to lease certain parcels situated on the islands of Tinian and Rota for use as an industrial port or for port-related operations that could promote a viable economy and interisland transportation of passengers and goods.”

Aldan said this would also increase the value of the surrounding public property. “By authorizing CPA to improve its properties along the ports, it would generate revenues under certain port-related operations.”


He also wants to amend the law that states “public lands transferred to other government agencies that are not in compliance with the specific non-commercial use approved by DPL will revert back to the authority of the department.”

Aldan wants to add “unless the public land is being used by that government for commercial use that is related to or associated within the agency’s mandate or for a legitimate public purpose.”