BECQ says closure design, construction may take time

The permanent closure of the Puerto Rico dump on Saipan is not expected anytime soon, according to Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality administrator Frank M. Rabauliman.

He told Saipan Tribune that several steps need to be taken before the project is completely terminated.

The Office of Insular Affairs, through acting Assistant Secretary for Insular Affairs Lori Faeth and Director Nik Pula, recently awarded the CNMI over $5.619 million for the Puerto Rico dump closure. This amount is a portion of the $7.492 million Capital Improvement Project monies provided last month to the administration of Gov. Eloy S. Inos.

Rabauliman disclosed that a request for proposal for the dump closure as well as the necessary contracts have been worked out by the local CIP office. More time, however, is needed to complete the whole process, he said.

“The design work will come from CIP and my understanding was that an RFP has already gone out. To totally close the dump, we need to complete both the design and construction…and it will still take some time,” Rabauliman said, admitting that BECQ does not expect the closure project to be done before the end of the year.

The Puerto Rico dump stopped receiving trash in 2003 when the $10-million Marpi landfill opened. The local government then secured U.S. Department of the Interior funding for the dump’s final closure. The dump’s final closure is expected to greatly reduce its adverse impacts on the surrounding ocean ecosystem.

The Puerto Rico dump has not received additional garbage since 2003 but federal regulations require it to be completely closed.

According to Rabauliman, the local government still plans to close the dump and convert the area into a useful facility such as a public park. He explained that the design work includes capping the dump and installing piping for monitoring purposes.

“The final design will tell us what we can and can’t put on the site. For the BECQ, we still see that site as a prime area that can be of great use to the government. But as to what specific infrastructure the administration wants to build in there, we’re not privy to that issue [for now],” said Rabauliman.

According to him, “capping is not cheap and it doesn’t mean putting just a plastic liner. There are some constructions that need to happen.”

The CIP office is the lead agency in the closure project in coordination with the BECQ, Public Works Department, and Historic Preservation Office, among other agencies.

BECQ, he said, provides comments and guidance on the project to ensure all environmental requirements are complied with.

Rabauliman revealed that despite the federal order that ordered the closure in 2010, the project was stalled for years due to “back-and-forth negotiations” between the administration and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.