Speaking before the Rotary Club of Guam, Jackson said once the record of decision is released on Sept. 10, millions of dollars in contracts will be awarded for construction to begin.
The major issues were the aircraft carrier berth; infrastructure constraints; utilities; and land use in Pagat, Mangilao.
Based on concerns raised and in discussions with resource agencies, the Navy has not decided on a specific site at this time and will consider the general decision to locate a berth within Apra Harbor, but will defer a decision on the specific site. For the next six months, the Navy will collect additional data on marine resources at the alternative sites still under construction, said Jackson.
As for concerns regarding Guam’s infrastructure, Jackson said the government of Japan will put up $740 million and partner up with the government of Guam and the Department of Defense to upgrade Guam’s utilities infrastructure.
Jackson said the DoD requested $48 million to increase and improve Guam’s civilian road network outside the fence. An additional $129 million will be available in federal highway funds under the Department of Public Works.
Next year, DoD will add another $67 million in road improvements for a total of $117 million of DoD money going outside the fence to improve Guam’s roadways, said Jackson.
Jackson said it has been determined that there is sufficient water in the aquifer and surplus water in the south to meet the needs of the military and civilian population.
The issue is whether water can be drawn from particular water lenses without risking saltwater intrusion of groundwater that are vulnerable to septic systems used in the northern part of the island, he added.
To mitigate this, the Department of the Navy will be drilling 11 new test wells at Andersen South and Navy Command Telecommunication Station to study the capacity and volume of the other water lenses and if necessary, adjust the volume of water flowing out of the aquifer at any given time.
Jackson said some of those wells will probably turn into actual production wells since some of the wells being used are on the edge of salt water intrusion.
Jackson said wastewater is a big issue since all of Guam’s wastewater treatment plants are primary treatment plans which means that once water is removed from the waste stream, the raw sewage is pumped out into the ocean.
