Exact date for dump closure sought

A commitment to open the Marpi landfill in June 2002 from the Division of Solid Waste Management is just not good enough for Representative Stanley T. Torres.

The lawmaker argued that despite a June 2001 schedule to start ground breaking of the new sanitary landfill and an expected opening a year later, he still does not see any tangible move from DSWM to totally shut down the Puerto Rico dumpsite.

In a letter sent to Department of Public Works Secretary Juan B. Cepeda, Mr. Torres demanded to know whether the government agency has any real plans of closing the decades old dumpsite.

“The people of Saipan are now being told that DPW will get the new landfill at Marpi operating by June of next year, ending the growth of the mountain, but I’m sorry, we’ve had a number of these deadlines for many years and nobody is going to believe this until they see it,” Mr. Torres said in his letter.

The lawmaker wrote that recent pronouncements by DSWM Chief John Harder seem to prove what he and the public most fear — that the Puerto Rico dumpsite would go on well past the opening of Marpi.

The representative pointed out, that as far he can tell, there is no final plan, no schedule and no money to close the Puerto Rico dumpsite.

Mr. Torres also wanted to find out how and what way the Local-702 funds earmarked for the closure of Puerto Rico was spent without the priority project not getting started.

Aside from airing his frustration on what he believes is the lack of a concrete plan and schedule to close down the Puerto Rico dumpsite, Representative Torres also asked Secretary Cepeda to supply his office with information regarding total budget estimates, total appropriations, total expenditures to date, including project cost for construction of the Marpi landfill.

Early this month, speaking before the Saipan Chamber of Commerce general membership meeting, DSWM’s Harder said the $26 million Marpi Sanitary Landfill will start construction in June 2001 and could be operational as early as June 2002.

During the event, the DSWM chief also said the Puerto Rico dumpsite has stretched its carrying capacity, which today is over 500,000 tons. However, he failed to say anything about his office finally closing the dumpsite.