Tinian told to justify $700K spent on research study

The U.S. Office of Insular Affairs wants Tinian lawmakers and officials to justify over $700,000 in federal funds they used in conducting a research study on the island.

Tinian Legislative Delegation chairman Sen. Joseph Mendiola confirmed this following a meeting with visiting OIA officials last week.

Tinian lawmakers in 2006 approved the funding of an assessment impact study to determine the feasibility of using a certain portion of the military land as site of the island’s new landfill.

Saipan Tribune learned that a draft lease agreement between Tinian and the military was then forwarded to the U.S. Department of Defense for approval.

Mendiola admitted that the federal agency took some time to respond to the request until local lawmakers were informed of its “disagreement.”

OIA, he said, raised concern on the $700,000 spent on the assessment study commissioned by the Tinian delegation for the landfill project.

“OIA asked that we justify this expenditure of over $700,000. They said that we already spent money for the landfill project and we’re looking at spending additional money for the same project,” Mendiola said.

The delegation chairman disclosed that the decision to approve the assessment study on the identified landfill site was made even before the military buildup surfaced.

“When we negotiated the lease or the designation of that military property, the military had yet to decide on the movement,” he said.

About 8,000 Marines are scheduled to be transferred from Okinawa Japan, to Guam as part of the military buildup. This plan is seen to economically benefit the CNMI—particularly Tinian—as two-thirds of the island may be used for military training and other exercises.

Mendiola admitted that after the disclosure of the military buildup, the assessment study was never put to use.

The Tinian delegation later identified a public land as the new site of the landfill project.

The military officials, Mendiola said, had bared the possibility of closing access to the military land for their training exercises.

“It would be more costly for Tinian if we will identify a temporary landfill site during these trainings. A permanent site has to be identified,” he said.

However, the Tinian lawmaker said OIA “is still supportive” of the landfill project.

A justification will soon be forwarded to the OIA officials, according to the delegation chairman.

The delegation has informed the visiting officials of its recent decision to suspend the instrument landing system project and, Mendiola said, the decision was respected and supported by the OIA.

“We informed them about the ILS suspension…and they understand. We cited the funding concern for the project and they expressed support,” he said.