DEQ: Lack of funds, personnel hobble CNMI anti-littering law

If Glenn Arriola, litter control officer at the Division of Environmental Quality, was able to vote in last week’s Saipan Tribune’s online poll that asked the question, “Is the CNMI government doing enough to enforce the anti-littering law?” he would have voted “no.”

In the online poll that was conducted from Nov. 16-21, only 10 said “yes” to the question. Poll results showed the negative answers to be 4,030-percent higher, with the total “no” vote reaching 403.

Arriola said his office lacks the necessary number of personnel who could focus on enforcing Public Law 6-37, or the Commonwealth Litter Control Act of 1989. At the same time, he said the government’s budgetary constraints limit the work time of litter control officers to just regular government working hours.

This year’s issuance of 21 ticket citations for littering, though, is a marked improvement, according to Arriola. The number is the highest compared with the amount of citations issued in the last several years, based on DEQ data.

From 1997 to 2003, litter citations totaled three or less per year, except for 1998, when the total reached almost 10.

The 15-year-old law provides for a penalty from $200 to $500 for littering. A violator may also be ordered to pick up trash from a public place under government supervision.

“Persons found to have committed the infraction of littering shall be required to pay the costs of removing any litter they caused,” it states.

It appears, though, that many residents have been ignoring the law. Arriola said that, out of the 21 ticket citations the DEQ has issued so far this year, 18 alleged offenders failed to appear before the Superior Court regarding the littering charges. The 18 also failed to pay the $200 fine.

Arriola said he would follow up on these cases, saying that the offenders face arrest for ignoring the summons to appear in court.

To improve the anti-littering campaign, Arriola said the DEQ designated at least three persons—Greg Reyes, Tripler Dela Cruz, and himself—as litter control officers.

Arriola also said the DEQ distributed citation ticket forms to its employees for them to issue the tickets to anyone whom they catch indiscriminately littering trash. He said the DEQ also gave out citation ticket forms to the Coastal Resources Management Office and the offices of the mayors of the Northern Marianas.

“We are working hard on this,” Arriola said.

The DEQ earlier put up anti-littering signs on different portions of Saipan, warning the public that the offense entails a monetary fine.

The DEQ also conducts regular cleanup on different portions of the island every first Saturday of the month.