Previous Story
‘What happened to mining task force?’
|
Posted on Jun 22 2005
House Speaker Benigno R. Fitial has asked the Marianas Public Lands Authority for an update on the creation of a task force to address Pagan mining.
Fitial, in a June 20 letter to MPLA board chair Ana Demapan-Castro, noted that the agency had promised to convene a task force in March this year but no status report has been out so far.
The MPLA board of directors approved the creation of the task force on Dec. 5, 2004, shortly after it junked the application of Azmar International to mine and extract pozzolan from Pagan.
“I am writing to follow up on the Pagan mining task force proposed by MPLA and by concerned citizens. …I understand that, in consultation with former Pagan residents and other community stakeholders, MPLA agreed to form a Pagan mining task force by March this year. …Please inform me of the status of such a task force,” said Fitial.
The lawmaker, who initially proposed for the creation of a mining task force last year, said that such a group should help facilitate the proper development of Pagan “so that Pagan’s precious natural resources can be properly cultivated without causing undue damage to the environment or alienating citizens concerned with historic and cultural preservation.”
Fitial said developing Pagan, which has a rich deposit of pozzolanic ash, can succeed by consulting all concerned parties “and by finding the right developers, conscientious investors who respect our laws, our history, our environment, as well as our indigenous people and culture.”
The MPLA-created mining task force is chaired by board member Nicolas Nekai. The group is tasked to seek assistance from the U.S. Geological Survey to determine the actual quantity and quality of pozzolanic ash available on Pagan.
It is also expected to find a suitable investor who can extract and market the material, which is an additive to cement.
