House joins protest vs. dumping of toxic waste

The House of Representatives yesterday joined the protest against dumping of toxic U.S. military wastes in the Pacific region as it expressed concern over its environmental and health impact on the islands.

Members adopted a resolution during a special session calling on the U.S. government to properly dispose these poisonous chemicals to prevent pollution of the earth, particularly its oceans.

The move came in the wake of a decision by the Department of Defense to store polychlorinated biphenyl-contaminated waste from a U.S. military base in Japan on Wake Island.

Over 100 tons of transformers, circuit breakers, oil and other military waste contaminated with PCB had sailed across the Pacific over the past two months aboard the Panamanian-registered vessel Wan He until they were sent to the Wake Island early this month.

The shipment was first destined for a recycling plant in Canada, but protests at the port in Vancouver forced the ship to sail towards Seattle. There dock workers refused to off-load the containers of hazardous waste, forcing Wan He to return to Yokohama in Japan where it originated.

According to the resolution offered by Rep. Dino M. Jones, chair of the House Natural Resources Committee, the practice by Washington to dump these wastes in its territories and possessions in the Pacific is exposing islanders to great risk and potential accidents.

“Many other Pacific Island states have expressed their opposition to this policy and feel that the U.S. should take care of its toxic wastes in a responsible manner, rather than bury it and forget about it,” he said in HR 12-52.

“In solidarity with our Pacific Island neighbors, and for the future of our environment we feel that the U.S. should properly clean and dispose of its toxic waste rather than put it in our backyard,” added the resolution.

The CNMI has been dealing with the PCB contamination in Tanapag where the military left behind several contaminated equipment since for decades ago.

Meanwhile, the House also adopted other resolutions, one that will prod the Board of Education to include character education in public school curricula, and the other supporting a longtime student exchange program between the CNMI and Japan.

Lawmakers said the education board needs to develop incentives to entice parental involvement in the educational process of their children to complement the proposed character-building subject.

Such a program is necessary in view of the growing influence of Western ideas and culture to the local culture and traditions which place values on respect for elders and self-discipline.

On the other hand, the House acknowledged the contribution of the exchange program between the Miyazawa Gakuen school in Japan and the Marianas High School to the growth of students, particularly in cultural areas and sports activities.

The “sister school” agreement, forged in 1987, has allowed students from both schools to make annual visit to their counterparts.