The Marianas Public Lands Authority Board of Directors has expressed concern about a bill recently passed at the House of Representatives that aims to suspend pozzolan mining on Pagan.<\/p>\n
In particular, the board believes that forming a task force by law, as espoused by the measure, \u201cis unnecessary,\u201d according to MPLA commissioner Henry S. Hofschneider.<\/p>\n
Hofschneider said the MPLA has the authority to carry out what the task force would be required to do.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe MPLA is doing it. We require a lot. We investigate. We ask a lot of questions in terms of assessing the investors and determining the value of pozzolan,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
As for the bill\u2019s proposed feasibility study on pozzolan mining on Pagan, he said a company had already been tasked to study the pozzolan\u2019s quantity, quality, and marketability. He said that based on that research, Pagan\u2019s pozzolan is \u201cof good quality.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said there was no mention of it being \u201cof high grade.\u201d<\/p>\n
In fact, when tested, Pagan\u2019s pozzolan did not pass the specification as cement additive for certain infrastructure projects, he said. Pagan\u2019s pozzolan, he said, seemed to fit regular cement manufacturing.<\/p>\n
As to the quantity of the mineral, he said \u201cnobody really knows how much [pozzolan] we have there.\u201d<\/p>\n
He cast doubts on Azmar International\u2019s claim that there are 200 millions tons of pozzolan deposit on the island. \u201cWe\u2019ve not seen that research showing there\u2019s 200 million tons,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
But granted that there is a huge deposit on Pagan, he said that MPLA would not allow it to be extracted all at once.<\/p>\n
To do that, he said, is allowing the place to become a wasteland.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf there\u2019s a million tons of pozzolan, you can\u2019t get all of it. Only a portion of it shall be allowed to be extracted,\u201d said Hofschneider. <\/p>\n
He reiterated that the MPLA is taking its time to study all proposals for Pagan mining.<\/p>\n
There are at least three companies wanting to get mining permits on Pagan: Azmar, Texas-based CAER, and J.G. Sablan.<\/p>\n
The Pagan mining bill, which was introduced by House Speaker Benigno R. Fitial, calls for, among others, the formation of a task force that aims to determine the qualification requirements of persons and companies applying for permits to extract pozzolan, sets permitting procedures, sets a fee and royalty schedule, and ascertains potential risks to the environment for mitigation. <\/p>\n
The bill is now pending at the upper chamber. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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