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EPA must act now!
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Posted on Oct 19 2000
The Issue: Warning from the Attorney General’s Office is a good move against EPA.
Our View: Federal agencies can’t implement policies at their convenience.
It is bad enough that a neglect of certain departments of the federal government has resulted in more than 30 years of contaminated source of water and food chain in Tanapag.
Now, the US Environmental Protection Agency seems lackadaisical in fencing-off affected areas by PCB, a toxic material that is also found in land crabs in the Village.
The overflow from marsh land in Tanapag also end up in the lagoon where villagers fish to supplement their dietary needs for years. But nobody here has the expertise to determine contamination of both usable water and sources of food.
EPA must cooperate in cordoning affected areas so that it is instantly understood that they are not safe for people to enter. To do otherwise is to perpetuate neglect on a dire issue affecting the health and livelihood of villagers. Villagers are suspicious and any public relations effort saying PCB level isn’t dangerous isn’t going to fly when land crabs tested positive.
It is this agency that once warned the CNMI of fines if nothing is done in the cleanup of Puerto Rico Dump. Yet, it is quite fragile when a more serious issue threatens the food chain and health of the people in the village. This is an attitude that the CNMI must no longer tolerate.
In fact, we urge EPA to work alongside the CNMI in getting the Department of Defense to include these isles in its super funds. The lethal ordnance dumped in various areas here wasn’t the making of the CNMI, but the work of the US Department of Defense. It stands to reason, therefore, that the CNMI is included in the super funds to clear these isles of bombs and other toxic materials cited in various areas.
We thank the AG’s office for taking a firm stand on an issue that is the fiduciary responsibility of EPA. We look forward too to the cooperation of this federal agency forthwith. Si Yuus Maase`!
