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DEQ set for today’s islandwide cleanup
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Posted on Apr 17 2009
April is the 26th annual Environmental Awareness Month—an annual event of the Division of Environmental Quality. Aside from its monthly “Cleanup Brigade” at various popular and isolated tourists and community favorite spots in Saipan, DEQ is again spearheading its annual Islandwide Cleanup events.
In the past years, DEQ’s islandwide cleanup was geared to getting government employees’ participation. This year, the Environmental Awareness Month Committee’s drive was to get the business and non-profit organizations involved in the islandwide clean up effort. With this goal, David B. Rosario, chairman of the 2009 Environmental Awareness Month Committee contacted and invited Beautify CMNI to partner with DEQ’s annual island wide cleanup event on April 17, 2009.
According to Joe Kaipat, who is co-chairing with Beautify CNMI the Islandwide Cleanup, there are over 3,718 volunteers from the Saipan community—19 from the private sectors/non-profit organizations and 28 from the government agencies. This is largest volunteer cleanup on Saipan. The Municipality of Rota will be having their islandwide cleanup on April 22 and Tinian will be holding theirs next week.
March 31 was the kickoff event with the signing of the Environmental Awareness Month Proclamation by Gov. Benigno R. Fitial, followed by April 1’s Environmental Expo at the Joeten-Kiyu Library, recycling competitions among elementary schools, school outreach presentations, open house and tour of the DEQ Laboratory, Lagoon cleanup partnering with MVA/NMDOA, two more Environmental Expo at the Kagman Community Center on Tuesday, April 21, and May 1 on Rota.
For more information about the annual environmental events, contact DEQ at 664-8500 or visit www.deq.gov.mp. [B][I](PR)[/I][/B]
