HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — There are reports of illegal dumping and “pre-typhoon debris” at green waste disposal sites, which will have to be cleaned up in order for the government of Guam to get federal aid for trash cleanup.
Green waste is estimated to make up 80% or more of all the trash created by Typhoon Mawar. There are 19 green waste sites around the island, one for every village, meant for branches, tree trunks, and other plant debris.
“We’ve had personnel inform us that there was no unauthorized access at the sites when they weren’t in operation,” Nic Lee, spokesperson for the Guam Environmental Protection Agency, told the Post.
Guam EPA board members during a June 3 meeting were considering hiring private security for green waste sites. But Lee on Tuesday said Guam EPA will continue to rely on the Guam Army National Guard to protect the areas and “if additional security services by way of private companies are required, we will explore that avenue.”
Keeping different types of trash separated and documented is very important if GovGuam is going to get reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency for trash disposal costs as a result of Mawar.
“We really need to keep the waste segregated. And so, we don’t want to create this environment where a dump site is going to exist in (an area) that was only meant to take green waste,” Lee said.
There’s also the issue of existing trash at some of the green waste sites, according to Guam EPA. Some sites have been used as dump sites for previous storms or as staging areas for mayors who are getting rid of white goods and vehicles.
Guam EPA has disbursed about $500,000 from the Recycling Revolving Fund to help mayors deal with the issue of leftover trash.
But it could take some time before that happens, according to Piti Mayor Jesse Alig, Mayors’ Council of Guam president.
“We do appreciate the relief of that money, but we won’t be able to use a lot of that money until we’re finished with our recovery effort,” Alig told the Post.
There are really only two companies that mayors can hire to get rid of recyclables like washing machines and cars, and they are preoccupied with getting rid of waste. Add to that the fact that more bulky metal waste such as furniture is being left by residents on the curbside or illegally dumped in each village, and the timeline could be extensive, Alig said.
The Piti mayor said he hasn’t heard of any action plan for the government to take care of waste left lying around and mayors will ultimately have to take up the task with money from the Recycling Revolving Fund.
Department of Public Works Director Vince Arriola told the Post his agency was focused on clearing major routed roads around the island. “Our big job right now is still handling the green waste.”
According to Guam National Guard spokesman Capt. Mark Scott, guardsmen are getting mission assignments from FEMA, but the Mayors’ Council can put in a request with the federal agency for help.
Pfc. Francisco Babauta of the Guam Army National Guard, next to a huge pile of green waste on Monday in Piti.
