The PCB Contamination
I wish the dumping of toxic PCB material could be concluded as an honest mistake by the military. But it’s too good an issue to dismiss as just “another” error in deployment.
For instance, I climbed the upper area of Tanapag to find in estuaries military hardware along with umpteen number of 50 gallon drum cans right in the center of the water runoff.
The estuary is situated right immediately above the Tanapag water reservoir. It’s the water in this reservoir–pumped from the likelihood of contaminated source–that had been pumped into the village all these years.
Is it a mere coincident that villagers have died of leukemia and other forms of internal cancer over the last 20 years? Sure the toxic level may dissipated over the years, but I really quiz whether the same could be said say 20 years ago?
There’s the Agiñgan Dump that was used by the entire island, including the US Navy. Why then would they move up the venue close to the water source of villagers? It looks awfully suspicious and I am far more convinced that it was another military experiment to find out its long-term effects not on statesiders in the mainland, but ignorant islanders in remote Northern Marianas.
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It may be a very frustrating issue for the department of the navy’s public relations people. But I have been around to know why Uncle Sam wouldn’t dare try experimenting in his own people right in his own backyard.
I started digging and digging deeper into issues of this nature since 1974. I have walked on moonlit nights on John Anjain’s grave buried alongside other fellow Marshallese who died of thyroid and other forms of cancer from nuclear radiation.
In fact, I sat on his grave that evening with hopeful prayers that never again should such an experiment descend on any groups of people Uncle Sam felt most expendable. The affected islanders live in remote area in the Pacific so far away from the mainstream of daily life on Majuro.
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Yes, I understand the military’s right of fortification. However, leadership must equally be wary that islanders (and each of you is an islander) eat fish, thus the urgent need to stop bombing exercises at Farallon De Mendenilla.
It should be understood that there exist along islands up north more than 300 miles of precious reef line. It is the habitat of reef fish and other marine riches and the only one of its kind anywhere today in the Marianas Archipelago.
I hope that leadership wakes up to the reality of protecting our precious reef. It is the habitat of reef fish that must be preserved and protected by all concerns for posterity. What steak is to a statesider, fish is to an islander! Need we justify further why bombing practices must be stopped right here and now on islands up north?
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Yes, I often romanticize of the day when going up to Pagan, Anatahan, Alimagan and other islands up north turn to routine visitation just like going on the opposite direction. The pristine islands up north would someday become the romantic hub of locals and visitors alike who wish to commute with nature in its pure form.
Let’s protect its flora and fauna today. Let’s give our children the opportunity to see the treasures and riches of isles up north that once was in abundance in what’s today the NMI’s business center. Let’s rebuild the precious riches that now border on the extinct, especially on Saipan. What we do today in the preservation of our precious resources can only be appreciated posthumously. We owe it to our children. Let’s do something today! Si Yuus Maase` yan ghilisow!
Strictly a personal view. John S. DelRosario Jr. is publisher of Saipan Tribune.
