HANMI seeks reasonable fee on water chemical monitoring

The Hotel Association of Northern Mariana Islands has asked Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio’s assistance in coming up with a plan that will ensure payment of a reasonable fee in connection with the planned chemical monitoring of water systems in the CNMI.

In a letter to the governor, HANMI President Ron D. Sablan said the high expense of the testing is very untimely as businesses are suffering due to the slowdown on the island’s economy. He reminded the governor that these new arbitrary and unexpected fees” proves the CNMI’s unstable investment climate.

“We believe that all CNMI residents and visitors deserve clean and healthy drinking water. But DEQ’s handlding of these new requirements seems unreasonable,” Mr. Sablan said.

If the hotels will pass the additional costs to its guests, such move will just hurt the CNMI’s competitiveness as a tourist destination, he said. “We find it dificult to justify these fees and requirements when one considers that the infrastructure for safe drinking water should have alreadyt been in place for all island businesses years ago,” he said.

According to Mr. Sablan, existing businesses which make up a large part of the CNMI’s tax base are being penalized for the inability of the Commonwealth Utilities Corp to provide safe drinking water. “In light of this, wouldn’t it be fair for the government to share in the burden of testing the water,? he asked.

Mr. Sablan asked the if its possible for the CNMI to establish a local laboratory that could drastically reduce the cost of the testings. HANMI also questioned the need for the CNMI to undergo chemical tests for 84 norganic chemicals, 15 inorganic chemicals and other radionuclides considering the immense distance and environmental differences between the Northern Marianas the U.S. mainland.

“Shouldn’t we use local authority to install local regulations based on local common sense, and conduct tests appropriate for our islands? It is difficult to believe our waters have the same chemical composition as that of, say, Virginian’s groundwater,” Mr. Sablan said.

The Division of Environmental Quality is seeking the assistance of the Legislature in acquiring a laboratory equipment that will cut the huge cost of chemical monitoring of water systems in the CNMI.

DEQ Director Ike Cabrera said the lack of necessary facility in Saipan prevents the agency from conducting the water monitoring. DEQ would have to send its samples to a laboratory in California since its own facility l cannot carry out the analysis on pesticide and other industrial chemicals.

Based on preliminary assessment, a brand new equipment will cost $100,000. But DEQ is looking at acquiring the second hand equipment for $50,000 from Guam.

Establishments would have to pay a minimum of $10,000 for each wellhead. Monitoring would be conducted for four consecutive quarters on these organic chemicals with each set of samples to cost approximately $2,700. The scheduled analysis would cover the three-year period from 1999-2001.

During a recent meeting, most businesses have expressed opposition against the planned chemical monitoring of all public water systems because of the expense it entails especially at this time when profits are down due to the economic slowdown.

The water analysis is part of DEQ’s Safe Water Drinking Program which was established as part of the federal requirement. In 1991 and 1992, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency promulgated regulations that require most water systems to monitor on a regular basis the presence of a large number of chemicals.

EPA has given DEQ a three years leeway in implementing the program partly due to lack of manpower and technical expertise in carrying out very complex regulations.

Most businessmen who attended the forum conducted by DEQ on Jan. 14, 1999 said the government should help lower the cost of the testings. While many of them are not against the monitoring per se, they said CNMI officials should understand that many businesses could barely survive the recession that has hit the island.

Mr. Cabrera emphasized the need to perform the chemical monitoring on water systems because DEQ has already found harmful chemicals in some parts of the island. For example, DEQ has already discovered the presence of TCD chemicals in a well in Capitol Hill in Saipan where there are 25 Formerly Used Defense Sites.