By Emmanuel T. Erediano
Variety News Staff

HOUSE Bill 15-200, which will amend the Recycling Reporting Act of 2006, originally proposed a one-year moratorium on the purchase of copper materials by scrap metal buyers in the CNMI.
This was revealed by Rep. Ray N. Yumul who said that the decision to “tone down” the bill was made before it was finally passed last month.
He did not elaborate.
Instead of pursuing the one-year moratorium, he added, “they decided on a 45-day waiting period to give the Department of Public Safety and the Division of Customs the opportunity to check to make sure the items are not questioned in terms of business legitimacy and, also to check the outbound manifest,” Yumul, Ind.-Saipan, said.
He said other amendments were attached to the bill before it was passed.
The bill is now in the Senate waiting for action, and Yumul said he has asked senators to give it their due consideration.
The commonwealth, he said, is seeing an increase in copper wire thefts which need to stop “because it’s hurting our infrastructure.”
Yumul said companies are also losing thousands of dollars every time a copper wire theft results in a power outage.
He said members of the community should be reminded that it is a federal offense to disrupt power and phone lines.
“These are the people’s lifelines. There are people who are being affected because they rely on power for communication and health-related activities,” Yumul said.
“So this is very, very dangerous and I appeal to those involved to stop stealing wire and power cable because the disruption of power may lead to the loss of life,” he added.