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‘CUC, administration remain mum on issue’
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Posted on Jun 10 2005
The Tinian Legislative Delegation has not heard from the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. nor the Babauta administration on the use or possible transfer of Tinian’s “spare” generators to Saipan.
“There’s no feedback at all. We didn’t get any acknowledgement from them,” said Tinian Sen. Joseph M. Mendiola yesterday.
The senator earlier disclosed that Saipan CUC, upon the instruction of its new consultant, former senator Ramon S. Guerrero, began to “dismantle and cannibalize” two generators on Tinian.
He alleged that CUC-Saipan took parts of the generators in view of the “emergency” needs of Saipan.
Guerrero currently oversees the mechanical and electrical repair of Power Plant II in Lower Base.
Yesterday, Mendiola said that Tinian has actually three generators: two of them are inside a building while a third one is outside the building. He said CUC-Saipan took parts from the generator outside and from one inside.
These generators have not been in use following the privatization of Tinian power generation.
In an earlier letter to Gov. Juan N. Babauta, Mendiola complained about the lack of consultation with the local government about this matter. Babauta currently controls CUC due to his May 19 state of emergency declaration.
The senator noted that the generators were purchased using Tinian’s capital improvement project funds.
“These will now be used on Saipan, apparently without at least some consideration of compensation for Tinian,” he said. “For CUC to now come to Tinian and take actions it took without at least a courtesy notification by CUC is just plain disrespectful.”
The senator also expressed concern over environmental issues such as the cleanup of the site.
He said if the generators are transferred to Saipan, Saipan funds should better be used for the site cleanup.
There is no report of a fuel spill right now, said the senator, but he thinks that if certain parts are taken, it might trigger a spill.
“We don’t really know,” he said.
As a general rule, if the generators are removed, the site requires cleanup, he said.
Governor legal counsel Steve Newman, who is tasked to address the issue, remained unreachable as of press time. (Liberty Dones)
