This was Sablan’s reply to the Saipan and Northern Islands Municipal Council which is requesting DPW to establish transfer stations in Koblerville and Kagman areas.
Ramon B. Camacho, the council chairman, said there is a need to eradicate illegal dumping of trash in the villages.
Sablan, in his letter to Camacho, recommended a full evaluation of what collection option is best designed to meet the needs of the residents of Saipan in “an economical and environmentally sound manner.”
He said the Solid Waste Task Force already reviewed collection options and is now more focused on Saipan’s disposal capacity.
“We are still faced with the daunting task of recovering the full cost of solid waste service provision without relying on subsidies from the general fund,” he said.
“At this point, we are recovering only 45 percent of our costs through user fees and are dependent on subsidies from other governmental sources,” he added.
He said it is necessary to provide a solid waste management system that works and is at the same time inexpensive.
But Sablan assured Camacho that he has already directed the Solid Waste Management Division to review and analyze the anticipated cost for a new transfer station.
