Dean Higuchi, spokesman for EPA’s Hawaii and Pacific region, said they are working with DEQ and the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. to resolve the issue.
“Until we receive the information from DEQ, we cannot evaluate the situation and provide a conclusion,” he told Variety in an e-mail.
Higuchi said the EPA also wants to “assist” the CNMI in getting “vital emergency power.”
But part of the Federal Clean Air Act covering stationary sources of air pollution will apply to the Aggreko’s generators and the EPA will work with DEQ to implement the pertinent federal regulations, Higuchi said.
In a separate interview, CUC Executive Director Antonio S. Muna, said the Aggreko case is an “extreme circumstance” but they will work with DEQ to comply with the EPA regulations.
He reiterated the island’s dire need for power supply, adding that it will take six to 10 months if CUC goes to the process of obtaining the necessary EPA permits for Aggreko’s generators.
When asked regarding the possibility that EPA might also inspect Power Plants 1 and 4, Muna said he doesn’t know how Power Plant 1 was allowed to operate without EPA compliance.
Muna believes that power plants on Saipan started operating when EPA regulations were not yet required.
