By Mar-Vic Cagurangan
Variety News Staff

SENATOR James Espaldon, R-Tamuning, said yesterday he will ask Gov. Felix P. Camacho to declare a state of emergency so the Department of Public Works can immediately procure a weighing scale, which could generate additional revenue for the department’s Ordot Dump operation.
During his inspection of the Ordot Dump yesterday, Espaldon said he found that DPW was losing money in tipping fees by charging commercial haulers by volume instead of by weight of the garbage brought into the dump. 
“In most jurisdictions, commercial haulers are charged by weight. When I asked (dump operators) why they are not charging by weight, they told me that their scale is not functioning,” said Espaldon, chairman of the committee on judiciary, natural resources, infrastructure and cultural affairs.
“They could be making more money by charging by weight. Buying a new scale would cost $300,000 to $400,000, but using it would generate more money and it will pay for itself,” he added.
Switching back to the garbage weighing system does not require legislation, Espaldon said. “It might just require the governor’s declaration of emergency to make the procurement process easier,” he said.
Espaldon noted that carrying out the operations of the Ordot Dump entails a lot of money. “Closing the dump and building a new landfill requires more costs. So we need to look at how we can increase our revenue to fulfill these mandates,” he said.
Espaldon led a contingent of government officials and interested parties on a site visit to the Ordot Dump and the Andersen Air Force Base sanitary landfill and recycling facilities yesterday.
The purpose of these visits, he said, was to give his committee a better perspective and insight into DPW’s solid waste division operations, along with the processes for opening a new sanitary landfill and the closure of the Ordot Dump.
“During our visits to the two sites, we had an opportunity to learn more about the difference between a dump and a landfill,” Espaldon said.
Tomorrow, Espaldon’s committee will tour the proposed landfill site in Dandan, Inarajan, where committee members will meet with the Consent Decree Team to get an overview of the proposed plans for the opening of a new sanitary landfill and address the concerns of lawmakers and the general public.
 “The residents of Inarajan are concerned about the impact of building a new landfill on the watersheds in the area. Dandan has been selected as the new landfill site but I want to take a second look to make sure that we are all on the same page,” Espaldon said.
He said the committee will hold a roundtable discussion after the inspection visits.