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Fitial asks military’s help on port hazards
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Posted on Mar 12 2006
Gov. Benigno R. Fitial has asked for assistance from Naval Station Guam for the removal of “several” navigational hazards at the Port of Saipan.
Fitial, in a letter to U.S. Pacific Command Rear Admiral Charles Leidig on Feb. 13, 2006, said these obstructions were found to be hard coral heads and rock formations “which extends up from the bottom and limit water depth to less than 32 ft.”
He said these had been identified as hazards to navigations by a National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration survey in 2003.
The governor said the CNMI government was successful in removing several of these obstructions using tugboat and a shearing cable, but there are still some that protrude above the bottom within the main shipping channel.
Removing these, he said would significantly reduce the hazard to deep draft vessels, such as submarines, entering the harbor.
Fitial said that based on consultations with several agencies, including environmental offices, there are two ways to remove the obstructions: explosive and mechanical.
Removing them by explosives would take a considerable time since obtaining a permit requires a full environmental assessment and an extended period of time to make the proper applications.
He said that the best method would be to excavate them mechanically through a surface supplied dive team using hydraulic jackhammers to remove the coral formations.
“We respectfully request the assistance of your Dive Locker personnel and equipment to remove these hazards to navigation. Doing so would remove the potential hazards to visiting Navy submarines and remove any safety considerations for these vessels to enter our port,” said Fitial.
Saipan port is the main shipping channel in the CNMI. (Liberty Dones)
