Lack of funds hampers efforts to rectify Tinian landfill deficiencies

The Tinian landfill’s noncompliance with standards and requirements of both federal and local environmental agencies is expected to continue until such time that enough funding is found to address all problems, according to Tinian Mayor Ramon Dela Cruz.

Dela Cruz told Saipan Tribune that due to funding issues, the municipality has failed anew to resolve the several deficiencies noted by the Division of Environmental Quality last year and has appealed to DEQ to consider its fiscal position.

“Funding is the major reason of our noncompliance with the standards. I know that these problems have been going around for many years, but we have to explain that without the needed money we really can’t do much,” said Dela Cruz.

He said the municipality will need millions of dollars to remedy all the deficiencies. For the procurement of heavy equipment alone, the municipality needs over $2 million, he added.

The municipality’s previous administration declared a state of disaster emergency on Tinian in November 2006, citing its failure to close the island’s unsafe dumpsite in over eight years. In 2010, DEQ issued the municipality an administrative order, saying that violations need to be rectified within 30 days.

According to DEQ executive director Frank Rabauliman, the Tinian landfill was cited for numerous deficiencies including open dumping, non-segregation of garbage, lack of adequate place for a proper dumping site, untrained personnel, and many more.

However, due to the financial condition of the municipality, Rabauliman said that DEQ has been providing assistance and consideration, including extensions of deadlines.

“DEQ issued a timeline outlining what they must do. However, because of the funding issue, it’s been very challenging for the municipality to address all the deficiencies. But slowly, they’re moving forward,” Rabauliman told Saipan Tribune.

From the original 30-day deadline to resolve all deficiencies, Dela Cruz said that DEQ has provided “no new timeframe” for the municipality to build a new landfill.

For Rabauliman, the administrative order has in a way armed the municipality so it could secure immediate funding for the project.

Rabauliman said that as soon as the administrative order was issued last year, Tinian made an effort to have their landfill operator fully trained with the assistance of the Department of Public Works and DEQ.

Dela Cruz said they’re also working to address environmental concerns because these also pose major health hazards to people.

“We’re not also permitting any open burning on the dumpsite and we have trained our workers,” he said.

The mayor disclosed that some CIP monies will help them buy the needed equipment and an RFP is now being prepared. He is also eyeing a portion of the $3.5 million that was reprogrammed by the local delegation from the instrument landing system, after the project was cancelled.