New study on toxic wastes in Tanapag

The presence of other chemicals other than PCB on Saipan convinced legislators that an independent study must be undertaken to determine its environmental impact in the Tanapag Village.

Legislators expressed concerns that agencies handling the federally-funded study of PCB contamination in Tanapag might not release exact and specific information on the extent of possible environmental risks.

Legislation aimed to support existing local and federal efforts to determine level of contaminants in Tanapag is now heading to Senate for action. House Bill 12-378 approves the appropriation of $700,000 for environmental sampling and consultation of Tanapag Village toxic problem.

Introduced by Rep. Heinz Hofschneider, the proposed appropriation will be taken out from the interest money generated by Marianas Public Land Trust in consultation with the Attorney General’s Office.

The bill authorized MPLT to spend the money and sole-source contract for the much needed environmental impact study.

“The Legislature finds that harmful substances have been released into the environment of Tanapag and threaten public health and safety, and the quality of the environment,” the proposal reads.

Further, the bill explained that soil removal actions undertaken by the United States Army Corps of Engineers have predominantly focused solely on the PCB contamination and has not addressed other chemicals of concern.

Mr. Hofschneider said the additional environmental sampling and consultation is necessary to determine the extent of the contamination due to harmful substances, the exposure to the public, the associated risks of adverse health effects, and to protect the rights due the citizens.

“Several areas of concern that have the potential of impacting the environment and the public health were outlined, including the potential presence of other chemicals, contamination of food sources by PCBs, transport of contaminated sediment within the village, contamination of ground water sources, and the potential risk to the local ecology,” said the legislator.

Earlier, the US Environmental Protection Agency disclosed that there are no immediate plans to conduct additional examination and study of other contaminants in the village. The regulatory agency will concentrate only on PCB.

This despite reports of harmful substances released into the environment are cancer-causing and have detrimental health effects such as behavioral disruption affecting fertility, learning ability, and aggression.

These substances, the report disclosed, have been released into the environment and threaten public health, safety and the quality of the environment. (EGA)