TWO ranking officials from the U.S. Geological Service have met with commonwealth officials to explore funding requirement for the planned hydro-geological mapping project in the islands.
Gordon Tripple, USGS chief administrator, and Robert Carroth, USGS representative to the CNMI arrived early this week to pursue discussion of the project with Commonwealth Utilities Corporation, Rota lawmakers and municipal officials, Senate President Paul A. Manglona told Variety yesterday.
Rota was the first to raise the need to further explore hydro resources of the island that can be considered for future infrastructure development, solid waste and sanitary landfill and sewage system.
Charles A. Manglona, CUC deputy director for rota said in a letter to the senate president that the meeting was arranged to identify Rota’s ground water that can be tapped for future development.
“It is an especially important project when considering future development like solid waste and dumpsite relocation and sewage disposal,” the deputy director said.
The USGS team met with CUC officials, the Rota Legislative Delegation and Rota Municipal Council officials yesterday during which USGS made a film slide presentation on the mapping project. Rota’s Solid Waste Task Force also attended the discussion held at the CUC conference room. Senate President Manglona, on the otherhand pointed out the importance of the hydro-geological mapping project elsewhere in the commonwealth.
He said it will identify ground water resource that can be further developed for development, particularly on homestead and sanitary landfill.
At the same time, Manglona said it will also avoid “contaminating” this “untapped” resources once the mapping project starts.
The Senate leader confirmed that the Rota dump will be relocated and the mapping project will assist the Rota Solid Waste Task Force in identifying possible transfer site.
“This is a sort of environmental study that will assist various infrastructure projects in Saipan, Tinian and Rota,” Manglona said.
He added that CUC is keen on “moving forward” with the project.
“It will assist us in ensuring also the protection of our ground water resources,” he said.
