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CUC’s Torres: Where are your priorities?
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Posted on Feb 11 2005
A Commonwealth Utilities Corp. official questioned yesterday a proposal to reprogram $700,000 from the Kagman sewer project appropriations to road paving projects.
A member of the House of Representatives has moved to modify House Bill 14-286, which seeks to reprogram $3.3 million from the Kagman wastewater treatment plant project to the construction of the Agingan ocean outfall and upgrade of the Agingan sewer treatment plant.
Under the proposed change, the bill would allocate only $1.6 million to the Agingan project and distribute the remaining $1.7 million among various sewer projects and road paving projects in Precinct I.
The bill, as amended, would allot $800,000 to supplement the shortfall of the As Matuis Wastewater project, to connect the Gregorio T. Camacho Elementary School toilet facilities to the CUC sewer system, and to install sewer service lateral lines in Achugao and Tanapag areas.
The proposed legislation also would provide $200,000 to supplement the shortfall of the Fina Sisu wastewater project, and $700,000 for various road-paving projects in Precinct I.
CUC board member Joe Torres said he did not mind that money was being taken from the Agingan project to fund other sewer projects, although CUC is in dire need of funding for the Agingan sewer treatment plant.
“I’m questioning this because they’re trying to take money to do road improvement projects, when we have very important issues facing us right now,” Torres said.
CUC will face daily fines of $37,500 if it fails to find funding for the Agingan plant before Feb. 28, the deadline set for CUC to comply with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s administrative order.
EPA issued the order against CUC in 1999 for its inability to match funds for a $1.2 million grant from the environmental agency for Agingan’s plant repairs, and for its failure to construct an ocean outfall and improve the quality of water effluent being discharged into the ocean.
CUC still needs $3.6 million for the project, the utility firm said. (Agnes E. Donato)
