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CNMI gets more time to file notice of ATP for $5M for CUC oil projects
U.S. District Court for the NMI designated Judge David O. Carter approved Wednesday last week a request by the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. and the CNMI and U.S. governments to file with the court the CNMI government’s notice of authorization to proceed for $5 million funding for some CUC projects.
Carter allowed the CNMI to file its notice of authorization to proceed for $5 million funding for stipulated order number 2 projects on or before March 1, 2018.
SO2 focuses on oil issues and also applies to oil spills and the remediation of the contaminated power plants.
The deadline for the CNMI to file its notice of authorization to proceed was supposedly last Thursday. The CNMI and U.S. governments and CUC agreed to extend the Feb. 1 deadline to March 1.
Pursuant to court’s order, the CNMI must deposit $5 million into the court’s registry or file a notice with the court of the Department of the Interior’s authorization to proceed for funding SO2 projects by Feb. 1.
The parties said the delay in the authorization to proceed is not only due to the fact that the Office of Insular Affairs at DOI is currently operating on a continuing resolution through Feb. 8, 2018, but also recent new staff assignments that have occurred within the last two months on the administration of grant funding at the OIA.
The parties said notwithstanding the efforts of the CNMI to confirm with OIA, it is clear that an ATP will not be released by Feb. 1.
