PROFESSOR Ernie Matson’s letter to the editor on March 25 speaks about the fragility of Guam’s water supply, particularly the Northern lens aquifer, and the apparent readiness of the federal EPA and local GEPA to allow the problem to be exasperated.
As studies by the excellent UOG Water and Environmental Research Institute show, Guam’s waters have a limited capacity. As the residents of the South know, the reliability of water delivery to many households is “iffy.” As residents of the North know, the sewers needed to cope with Guam’s effluent and run-off is not up to dealing with existing housing needs, let alone an influx of thousands of new residents.
With the military relocation and build up on Guam, the local community has a window of opportunity to do some serious horse-trading to insist the U.S. government substantially supports the critically needed upgrade to our water infrastructure. But they will not do that voluntarily. We have to make demands.
We are not going to the feds cap in hand, and we are not being unpatriotic by speaking up. We are entitled to ask what every other citizen of any state would ask, namely, for fair and equitable treatment in exchange for a major federal imposition on our local community.
The feds are giving us an opportunity to speak up, even if they might prefer we do not do so. The opportunity, though, is very limited and will evaporate before we know it.
Indeed, they have allowed the entire population of Guam only one public meeting to air concerns about the buildup. They have also planned one such meeting on Saipan and one on Tinian. So, the CNMI, with a percentage of the population of Guam gets twice as much opportunity to speak out. It gives the impression they’d really rather not have us bother at all.
Every concerned citizen of Guam and the CNMI is strongly urged to attend the scoping meetings. Guam’s meeting is on April 3rd at the Hilton and the opportunity to speak will be severely limited. So, it would also behove everyone with a concern to put their views in writing to the JGPO, c/o NAVFAC Pacific, 258 Makalapa Drl, Ste 100, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii 96860-3134, Attention: EV2.
See the full scoping notice in the Federal Register, March 7, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 44). Google it online. It contains much more information than has been published locally. You can also contact Captain Robert Lee, Commander, Navy Region Marianas, PSC 455 Box 152, FPO AP, Guam 96540, telephone 671-339-6156, e-mail at: Robert.Lee@guam.navy.mil.
You can find many links to relevant information at the “Where America’s day begins...” blog, http://westpacoutpost.blogspot.com.

JOHN THOS. BROWN
Tumon, Guam