HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — The Guam Environmental Protection Agency issued a citation following an illegal dumping incident caught on camera.
On Monday morning, Guam residents shared a video showing a man in a red pickup throwing what looked like a chair and other items into a jungle area in Latte Heights.
Officials didn’t name the person who was cited.
According to Guam Code Annotated §51207, littering is punishable by a fine of not less than $200 and no more than $1,000. If a person is convicted of a second or subsequent litter offense they’ll also be required to pick up trash from a public place under the supervision of the Superior Court of Guam’s Probation Office or designee, for no less than eight hours for each offense. The law also states the trash collected can’t be less than 500 pounds.
Illegal dumping has been a long-standing issue on the island. Officials have said they rely on the community for help in terms of properly disposing of trash but also reporting any illegal dumping they’ve seen.
Nicolas Lee Rupley, Guam EPA spokesman, said complaints can be submitted anonymously. The complaints are handled by the agency’s Solid Waste Management Program, which has been said to be inadequately staffed.
“The investigation will start with gathering basic details about the complaint,” he said. “We would then conduct an on-site inspection of the area where the complaint occurred.”
Guam EPA will reach out to the Department of Land Management to determine the ownership of the property. They’ll also work with the Department of Revenue and Taxation to “determine contact information associated with the person and vehicle which bears the license plate associated with the complaint.”
Rupley said once all the details and information are gathered, they determine who is responsible. They check the person’s name with a database to determine if the incident was the person’s first offense or if it was a repeat offense.
