DoD willing to conduct ‘live fire’ demo for lawmakers
Scher
The U.S Department of Defense is “open” to inviting CNMI lawmakers to have a first-hand look at how “live-fire” exercises are conducted.
One of the questions during the visit of military representatives in the CNMI was how live-fire activities can affect the Commonwealth’s tourism industry in terms of noise pollution.
House Speaker Joseph P. Deleon Guerrero (Ind-Saipan) said Saipan has been relying on tourism for many years and he is wondering if artillery fire will not affect tourists.
“Is there a way to prove that live-fire noise will not affect those tourists visiting Saipan?” Deleon Guerrero said, during the meeting with military officials last week.
But the exercises will probably not be held in the Commonwealth— particularly Tinian and Pagan—but instead on the DoD’s existing facilities in Hawaii.
“I suspect we cannot (conduct the live-fire demo) on Tinian, but we can in Hawaii,” said Craig Whelden, executive director of the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific
Whelden said the demo can show the lawmakers “how live-fire works.”
He noted that this will not be the first time that CNMI lawmakers have been invited to witness a live-fire demo.
Whelden said one of the participants during the previous live-fire demo in Hawaii was then Lt. Gov. Jude U. Hofschneider.
According to a draft environmental impact statement, the military proposes to conduct artillery fire, bombing, and amphibious landings, among others, on the CNMI.
Aside from noise pollution, the long-term effects of waste, particularly on areas where bombings will be conducted has been one of the main concerns of the CNMI.
Robert M. Scher, DoD assistant secretary for strategy, plans, and capabilities, concedes that the military “do not have a pristine clean up” record, “but it does not have a bad record either.”
“We do our best,” Scher, told lawmakers last week.
Scher also said the talks on proposed military activities and land leases on Tinian and Pagan remain at an “early stage.”
“We need these kinds of engagements. We are still at an early stage in the talks and we have to get down to the details,” Scher said, while addressing questions from lawmakers.
He assured lawmakers that he agreed to meet to further “listen.”
Really? A trip to go hear live fire? And just who is paying for this trip to Hawaii? DoD? Politicians need to hear for themselves how mortars and bombs sound up close and personal? Really? You guys never go out to Marpi when they explode the UXOs? Dang. That experience cost nothing. Wait for the next one then go, you don’t need a plane ticket. We have lots of bombs waiting to be exploded here. All it takes is a quarter tank of gas round trip. Tell the navy you want to be pretty close to ground zero when the bombs go off to get the full effect.
So what is going on with the areas cordoned off on Tinian ( North Field) that was used for live fire years go. That has much UXO.s along with spent mortar and other rounds. There used to be signs warning to not enter the area. Also the fences was replace years ago.
Is this what will happen to a larger area in the future if live fire is allowed on Tinian. More cordoned off dangerous areas added that will be totally unusable for many generations to come.
Soon there will be nothing usable on the North end of Tinian.
Yes. That is pretty much what we will be looking at. They have not cleaned up since then and there is nothing in the DEIS stating that they will own up to it.