Sirok given authority to discuss oil spill, cleanup efforts with EPA
Officials and board members of the Commonwealth Utilities Corp., together with their project contractor and Rota officials, led the ceremonial ribbon-cutting for the $170,000 steel-framed used oil containment structure at the Rota power plant in Songsong Village last Friday. (Frauleine Villanueva-Dizon)
ROTA—The board of directors of the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. has authorized its legal counsel to discuss with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and sign a non-disclosure agreement with the U.S. Coast Guard with regards to oil spill and cleanup efforts done in the CNMI.
The board passed two motions at a board meeting held on Rota last Friday, authorizing legal counsel James Sirok “to get into a discussion with EPA” and “to sign on behalf of CUC in regards to a non-disclosure agreement with the U.S. Coast Guard.”
According to board chair Adelina Roberto, they needed a non-disclosure agreement “because the Coast Guard won’t talk to us.”
“He has to act on our behalf whatever the non-disclosure agreement will be,” Roberto said, “He’s going to act on behalf of CUC.”
According to Roberto, the authorization for the legal counsel with regards to EPA is for them to waive the charges made by the agency.
“They are assessing penalties that we told them we don’t have the money to pay,” Roberto said.
During their March board meetings, the board was also informed of the fees assessed to them by the Coast Guard which are “in the millions of dollars” due to oil contamination cleanup expenses since 2008.
According to Roberto, one of the oil spills happened at the Rota power plant in Songsong where CUC also held a ceremonial ribbon cutting for a roof enclosure for used oil earlier last Friday.
The $170,000 structure is made of galvanized metal and galvalium, which according to project contractor RadioCom Saipan, Inc. vice president Vicki Borja, can withstand the harsh environment near the sea.
Aside from the roof structure, the containment also has a cemented flooring to prevent spilling, if any, to seep through the soil.
CUC Rota deputy director Charles Manglona said the structure can store up to 100 barrels of used oil.
Before the structure was built, the barrels were just left in the open, vulnerable to rain.
“When the rain comes down to those barrels of oil, the oil spills,” Roberto said.
“Now we can contain any oil spill. We can tell the Coast Guard this is what we did and this will eliminate future spilling,” she added.
So THAT is why they finally built that structure over 20 years late. After the animal run out of the barn thy close the door.
Also the EPA and the US Coast Guard have issued fines to CUC and this ‘board’ telles then they do not havr the They don’t care and if they get mean they can come in and just take it.
I wonder what the total amount of fines against CUC are up to now? How many $mills. Yet this board spend money (gives themselves) like it is water.
Wow! Only in the CNMI. What happened to the Board Chair and/or the Executive Director…their signatures are no longer valid? Jim Sirok is the legal counsel and should be just that. And what happened to administrative rudimentary?! Just let the acting Executive Director Gary Camacho sign; and in consultation with the legal counsel.
More importantly, shouldn’t the public know what we are getting us into…not another “stipulated order” that the public have Zero, Nada, Taya knowledge about.
Btw, repeal the leverage charge LEAC. It’s not only ridiculous. It’s a crime against humanity as it greatly impacts every citizen’s quest for an improved standard of living.
Peace!