House Bill 17-29, now Public Law 17-5, aims to use the findings of the study to ask the U.S. to clean up its waste on Saipan.
Rep. Sylvestre I. Iguel, Covenant-Saipan, who sponsored the bill that acting Gov. Eloy S. Inos signed into law on June 17, said the Americans left at least 42 tanks in Tanapag village that were used to store aviation fuel, gasoline and heavy oil.
He said those areas should be examined for potential health hazards to the villagers.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency already cleaned up an area in Tanapag where polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs were identified.
But Iguel said there are other areas in Tanapag identified as fuel farms during World War II that have yet to be tested for certain chemicals.
“Both PCBs and dioxins have been found in dangerous concentrations throughout Tanapag village, clear evidence of widespread contamination and as a result, the U.S. Department of Defense accepted responsibility for the cleanup of the PCB and dioxin contamination in 1992,” the newly signed law states.
“However, environmental sampling associated with soil removal actions by the United States Army Corps of Engineers had predominantly focused solely on the PCB contaminated soil at source areas within the village on public lands and has not addressed other chemicals such as dioxin, vinyl chloride, benzene, ethylbenzene, dichloroethylene, mercury, nitrites, lead and other heavy metals and chemicals of concern,” it added.
Tanapag was developed as homestead village after the war.
Iguel said residents who were given homestead lots should live in a clean and healthful environment.
