Taisakan sick and tired of being shut out

Mayor Valentine Taisakan has had about it learning of projects being undertaken in the Northern Islands through secondhand sources.

He expressed his dismay last week in a letter to Lt. Gov. Diego T. Benavente, saying he is disappointed that he had to get his information through the media.

In an earlier issue of the Saipan Tribune, the U.S. Department of Defense was said to be moving to expand its training activities in the Northern Islands.

The Defense Department and the CNMI government, through Benavente, recently received approval from the Marianas Public Lands Authority to study the environmental effects that bombing activities might have on Anatahan and Sarigan.

Taisakan said he hopes his office could participate in any discussion that involves the islands north of Saipan “[so] that we can be heard and assisted in the project development we have been requesting the help of the military to provide.”

Reports said the U.S. military is planning to use one of the two northern islands as ranges for “inert electronic training,” which involves aiming non-explosive bombs on stationary electronic targets on land.

Taisakan said his office had no clue or knowledge that the “inert radar project” was part of the agenda for the Tinian leaseback negotiation, of which the initial 10-year term expired on Aug. 8, 2004.

He said that, based on the information he got, the environmental feasibility study on Anatahan and Sariguan is expected to start this month and completed by June.

“My understanding on this project…is for the U.S. military to use one of the two northern islands as ranges for inert electronic training,” said Taisakan.

He asked Benavente to explain to him what “inert radar or electronic” is all about. He said he wants his office to be kept abreast about the project, and a copy of the EFS be provided his office upon its completion.

Although his office is not opposed to projects—whether “military or civilian,” so long as they are environmentally safe for the people and the islands and provide economic opportunities and benefits to the people—he said he still wants his office notified and be allowed to participate in any discussion involving his islands of jurisdiction.

Currently, the U.S. military conducts live-fire training exercises on Farallon de Mendenilla.