HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — Mayors have collected more than 500 abandoned vehicles from Guam roadways and villages but are facing a deadline, at least in terms of getting vehicles off island, according to discussions during the Islandwide Beautification Task Force meeting last Tuesday.
A total of 543 abandoned vehicles and 2,867 tires have been collected so far as part of the abandoned vehicle removal program, according to Michelle Lastimoza, deputy director of the Guam Environmental Protection Agency. Guam EPA is working with the Mayors’ Council of Guam on the project.
About $300,000 has been spent from $1 million transferred to the mayors’ council for the removals, Lastimoza said during the meeting. On average, removals have cost about $496 per vehicle, she said.
Sen. Sabina Perez, who heads the legislative committee on environment, said there is a deadline to ship abandoned vehicles off Guam.
“From my understanding, right, we have about a year or less than a year to get at least this shipment to go through Asia. So is there a chance we can expedite whatever is out there, so we can get as much off the island as possible in the time that we have?” Perez said.
Lt. Gov. Joshua Tenorio, who chairs the task force, clarified that the senator was referring to when recycling markets in Asia close off to U.S. jurisdictions.
“Unfortunately, even with discussions with the shipping agencies and the recyclers, it really is dependent on those countries and those shipping lanes that are accepting recyclable goods. So we’re kind of at their mercy,” Lastimoza said.
Recycling zone
Perez asked Tyrone Taitano, director of the Bureau of Statistics and Plans, about plans for a recycling enterprise zone at the commercial port, and the possibility of doing a roundup to place abandoned vehicles in that zone for shipment.
“Is there a way we can schedule or organize this roundup of cars so that we can clean up the island to the fullest extent possible in the time that we have?” Perez said.
Taitano said there is a mandate setting aside 10 acres of port property as a recycling zone but efforts to realize that operation are still only in the beginning stages.
The U.S. Department of the Interior last year denied a request for funding to develop a port facility master plan for the recycling enterprise zone, he added. BSP is hoping the new administration under President Joe Biden will be more favorable and plans to submit a grant request before the end of the month. Aside from that, there is no operation.
Tenorio directed Lastimoza to look at what advances Guam EPA can do from its side to get the area ready for the recycling zone operation. For collecting the vehicles, Tenorio said they’ll see what they can do to expand.
“We just need to make sure we set up an industrial area but it doesn’t become permanent. But I think the point is to try and stage them so we can try and work within that deadline,” Tenorio said.
An abandoned and stripped Toyota Corolla is pictured on Sunday, Feb. 28, 2021 in Dededo, Guam.
Photo by David Castro/The Guam Daily Post
