MAJURO — A U.S. Army report says that collapsing infrastructure on the island where Marshall Islands base workers live cannot support the population and are a health threat to the people.
The report was prepared by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the base commander of the U.S. Army Kwajalein Atoll, site of an important U.S. missile defense testing facility, and released Thursday.
The study focused on Ebeye Island, which has been called the “slum of the Pacific,” a 78-acre (31-hectare) coral island with close to 15,000 people living in over-crowded conditions. About 1,000 islanders work at the missile testing range headquarters at Kwajalein, commuting the three miles between the two islands daily on Army ferries.
Ebeye’s critical utility infrastructure is deteriorated and is unable to sustain the current population, the 85-page report said.
Despite the bad state of Ebeye’s basic community support systems, Kwajalein and Marshall Islands government leaders hailed the new report, saying it could help trigger improvements on the overcrowded island.
Only Ebeye’s electrical system was rated in good condition. But, said the Army Corps of Engineers, other systems were unable to support the existing population, presented a health risk or were non-functioning.
In particular, the report said that the island’s sewer system has not worked in five years and raw sewage is pumped out into the lagoon a short distance from where children swim. The Army warned of the health threat to residents who live next to an open garbage dump.
Kwajalein Sen. Tony deBrum hailed the report as a roadmap that can be used as the basis for fixing Ebeye. “It is a very timely report and says what we have been saying for the past five years, but nobody has been listening.”
Marshall Islands Foreign Minister John Silk also said it is “a very helpful report” that lists numerous projects for improving the living situation on Ebeye that can be proposed to the U.S. government for consideration.
DeBrum and Silk said a meeting between government and Kwajalein leaders will happen shortly to discuss the report and other issues.
“We will try to develop one voice for dealing with the United States,” deBrum said, adding that he will join with Marshall Islands government leaders for talks with the U.S. officials during Post-Forum Dialogue meetings after the annual meeting of Pacific heads of state in Vanuatu in early August.
The Army assessment of Ebeye’s infrastructure was requested by recently departed missile range commander, Col. Frederick Clark, last September. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers focused on sewer, water, electricity and trash, recommending 24 projects to improve the situation on Ebeye.
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