(Office of Planning and Development) — Substantial progress has been made in the cleanup of the Super Typhoon Yutu debris site on Tinian that caught fire. The firm leading the cleanup and soil testing of the site is expected to complete the processing and shipping of metal recyclables by October and notified CNMI partners that it recently received soil sample test results. The soil test results will inform how the remaining waste present at the site will be managed and disposed of.
The contracted firm, Allied Pacific Environmental Consulting Inc. or APEC mobilized in early July. APEC’s scope of work includes the sorting and shipping of metal debris; covering the areas affected by the fire with a plastic liner to prevent rainwater runoff of contaminants; separating materials on plastic sheeting; and collecting soil samples at the site. According to its website, APEC is a full-service environmental consulting firm with offices in Saipan and Guam.
In a meeting on August 18, APEC Office Manager Scott Malin informed representatives from the Department of Public Works on Tinian, the Office of the Mayor of Tinian and Aguiguan, and the Office of Planning and Development or OPD that APEC projects the sorting, baling, and shipping of metal debris found on the site to be completed in October. The metal debris will be sent to Saipan and recycled by subcontractor Triple Star Recycling.
The CNMI representatives were also informed that APEC received test results from the on-site soil samples taken by APEC and sent to labs in the U.S. for analysis. Once the results are reviewed and verified, the data will be submitted to and reviewed by the Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality. After their review, BECQ will provide instructions on the further handling, processing, and disposal of the potentially hazardous materials.
APEC continues to sort soil and burned materials and continues to process recyclable metal found at the site.
APEC has been engaged and responsive with local agencies and partners, holding regular meetings with DPW, the Tinian mayor’s office, and OPD staff on Tinian to give updates on the work being done and to provide weekly reports with photos from the site. APEC’s reports and other findings will help further develop the site cleanup work plan.
Information gathered from this disaster will be included in the CNMI’s Comprehensive Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan, which is being developed to ensure safer, more sustainable debris management and to promote zero waste principles in the CNMI.
Background
On or around June 19, 2022, a wildfire on Tinian made its way to a site where waste and debris from Super Typhoon Yutu were being stored. Burned materials at the site included tires, wood, metals, and other debris, raising concerns of potential contamination from toxic materials.
In the immediate days after June 19, the Tinian Municipality mobilized and covered the smoking piles of burning materials with approximately 200 cubic yards of backfill. The smoke and fire at the site soon subsided.
On June 23, acting Gov. Jude U. Hofschneider declared a state of emergency for Tinian, which authorized the secretary of Finance to be able to access, reprogram, or transfer funds from accounts of executive branch departments and agencies, including autonomous or independent entities, to fund the containment, mitigation, and remediation of the threat to the health and welfare of the people of Tinian. As part of this state of emergency declaration, the Homeland Security and Emergency Management office was mobilized to assist with emergency response and mitigation efforts.
The soil testing and cleanup of the site is supported by Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act funding through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
In one of its daily updates with CNMI partners, APEC reports on Aug. 22 that pieces of an old metal tank and pallets of baled metal loaded at the dock on Tinian for shipping and recycling. The metal debris will be sent to Saipan for recycling by subcontractor Triple Star Recycling.
In this photo from early July, APEC personnel at the Super Typhoon Yutu waste and debris site on Tinian clean up piles of burnt solid waste at the site. Also pictured is large plastic sheeting which prevents contaminants from the burned materials from seeping into the soil.
A Jan. 20, 2022 file photo of a portion of the super typhoon waste and debris site on Tinian. Pictured are 15 to 20-foot piles of scrap wood that was collected on Tinian following 2018’s Super Typhoon Yutu. The site was closed off to the public in Feb. 2022. On or around June 19, 2022, a fire occurred on Tinian that eventually grew and made its way to the site. Burned materials at the site included tires, wood, and other debris, raising concerns of toxic materials spreading in the air and soil.
