Flashback May 22, 2000-2002

PCB cleanup set to begin in July[/B]

Twelve years after the presence of electric capacitors containing polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) were discovered in Tanapag village, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will finally carry out an emergency removal of PCB contamination in Cemetery No. 2 (Lower Base Cemetery) between July and August of this year. The Army Corps will also clean up seven areas in the village which were found to have high contamination level of the toxic chemical, according to Ike Cabrera, director of the Division of Environmental Quality.
[B] Report implicates Schorr to on-job politics[/B]

Some officials and employees of the Office of Insular Affairs, including its liaison officer in the CNMI Jeffrey Schorr, have conspired to discredit the Northern Marianas in their attempt to push legislation seeking federal takeover of the island’s labor and immigration, according to U.S. House Resources Committee chair. Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska), who heads the panel that has oversight of the CNMI and other insular areas, has uncovered partisan political activities and other improprieties engaged in by individuals employed at OIA and the U.S. Department of the Interior.

The aviation situation in the Northern Marianas has become a case similar to persisting arguments that surround the chicken and the egg. The debate is focused at which of the two really came first: termination of all nonstop flights from Saipan to Japan or dramatic decline in visitor arrivals to the Northern Marianas. Continental Micronesia said slow market demand forced the carrier to drop all direct international flights to Saipan but the CNMI government argues otherwise.

Gov’t told: Reduce residency requirement for CNMI voters[/B]

The CNMI government plans to reduce the number of days required among Americans before they become eligible to register and vote in local elections. The Commonwealth Election Commission pointed out the importance of reducing the 120-day residency requirement to 50 days, citing possible constitutional questions that may be thrown against the currently imposed two-month residency.
[B] Scientists off to Northern Islands[/B]

Scientists from the US Geological Survey Hawaii District are gearing up for a two-week mission to the Northern Islands as part of renewed efforts to tackle the possible resettlement of residents who were forced out of the remote islands. Experts from the Hawaii Volcano Observatory and the USGS Water Resources Division arrived on Saipan Sunday to get a head start on the Volcano Hazard and Water Resources Assessment project being undertaken by local and federal agencies.

Forty cases of confiscated imported canned goods suspected to be infected with foot and mouth disease were ordered incinerated by the Department of Lands and Natural Resources yesterday. DLNR officials ordered the immediate destruction of the imported sauces from the Philippines after quarantine officers refused to release the merchandise to a licensed businessmen on Saipan.

Government agencies told: Retain your money with BoS[/B]

Commerce Secretary Frank Atalig said that Gov. Juan N. Babauta has encouraged government offices and autonomous agencies to retain their money with the Bank of Saipan as a means to stabilize the bank and its operation. This comes soon after the BoS opened its doors to the public on a limited basis beginning yesterday.

The good news is that government employees-past and present-could soon receive their long-awaited retroactive salary increase. The bad news is, if this goes through, only those employed in Saipan will get their salary hikes. This developed after the Saipan and Northern Island Legislative Delegation adopted Standing Committee Report 13-1, which recommends the passage of a local bill that would increase the local license fees for pachinko and poker machines in Saipan by a whopping 200 percent.
[B] Seaport revenue drops 16.56 percent[/B]

Revenues generated by the Commonwealth Ports Authority from its seaport division dropped 16.56 percent during the first six months of fiscal year 2002. A comparative report obtained from the CPA for the October-March 2001 and 2002 period disclosed that revenues from its harbor-related activities went down 10.96 percent from $1.9 million in October-March 2001 to $1.7 million during the same period in 2002.