Mendiola, Covenant-Tinian and the delegation chairman, said yesterday that the island’s landfill project is moving forward as planned.
The existing landfill does not comply with regulations and poses numerous environmental and health hazards to the public. It is also located near the West Tinian airport.
Moreover, a casino investor, Marianas Resort Development Corp., has identified the current landfill area as site of its facility.
Mendiola said $4 million is not enough.
“But the delegation will also dedicate a certain portion of our annual CIP funds to go to this project,” he added. “The initial amount — $4 million — is a good number to start the planning, the design, and initial operation and construction of our new landfill.”
According to Mendiola, two sites had been identified as possible location of the new landfill: one that lies within the military land and the space within the Carolinas and Pina areas.
The delegation, he said, spent about $800,000 for the plan to use the military area.
However, he added, the relocation was stopped after the military rejected the Tinian delegation’s proposal.
“The military wants to use the area for their training and exercises,” he said. “Although they allow us to put our solid waste there, the condition is when they come in they will close the area and it will become restricted. So, the leadership decided instead to find a new place.”
He said the selection of a site in the Carolinas and Pina areas was based on a previous study of the Department of Public Works.
The size of the new landfill will be 10 to 20 acres and can accommodate up to 30 years of solid waste, he added.
“With the coming of new casinos and the military buildup on Tinian, we’re planning to have a big one,” he said. We don’t want the military to build their own dumpsite…it’s our objective to capture all these markets all at the same time.”
