$800K for health test of residents approved

Gov. Juan N. Babauta has approved a Saipan local bill appropriating $800,000 for the health examination of residents who have been exposed to environmental pollutants.

The governor approved House Local Bill 14-50, authored by Rep. Clyde Norita, which mandates the Department of Public Health to conduct health tests among residents who reside around or near the former U.S. military fuel farms.

In particular, the measure identified the residents living in Tanapag, As Lito, Koblerville, and lower Dandan.

“The purpose of the health examination is to detect the presence of persistent organic pollutants or chemicals of concern…and to find ways to correct these concerns,” said Babauta.

The bill said these organic or chemicals of concerns include lead, benzene, arsenic, chromium, furan, dichlorobenzene, dibenzene, ethylbromite, and dioxin.

The measure tapped the money from the pachinko and poker licenses fees.

The bill became Saipan Local Law 14-19.

In his transmittal letter dated March 10, 2005, Babauta reiterated his call on the Saipan and Northern Islands legislative delegation to refrain from appropriating any more funds from poker and pachinko fees (Saipan Local Law 11-2), until all prior financial obligations have been met.

The governor said he only signed the $800,000 appropriation because it addresses a health concern.

“One of the primary purposes of this administration is to help maintain a healthy society and provide care for those at risk, and that is the reason that I am signing this measure into law,” said the governor.

As of December last year, the delegation had moved to temporarily block any legislation that would tap into the poker and pachinko revenues following advice from the Department of Finance that the funds have been depleted.

As a result, the delegation postponed action on at least seven local bills that identify poker fees as the funding source. These include Saipan Local Bills 14-32, 14-36, 14-37, 14-39, 14-40, 14-41, and 14-42. These were referred back to the delegation’s Ways and Means Committee, chaired by Rep. David Apatang.

Rep. Joseph Deleon Guerrero said last week that the poker and pachinko revenues for this year have been obligated.

Under P.L. 11-2, half of the collected poker fees shall fund various projects for Saipan and the Northern Islands. The remaining funds go to the General Fund.

Finance said last year that its collection from poker and amusement machines went down by almost 50 percent. The CNMI used to collect some $14 million annually from these machines.

The government collects an annual $12,000 license fee per poker machine. There are about 1,200 poker machines on Saipan.