HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — The Department of Public Works has reported that it has completed the cleanup of an illegal dumpsite along Ramirez Way in Yigo, removing 262.3 tons of waste over nearly two weeks.
According to the Office of the Governor, the site surfaced earlier this month, shortly after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, or USACE, began the Typhoon Mawar debris cleanup mission. The purpose of the mission is to conduct the removal of eligible typhoon-related debris from residential properties after they have been sorted.
“I’m proud of the hard work of our DPW employees to clean up this wall of trash, but I urge our community to keep Guam clean and green,” Lt. Gov. Joshua Tenorio stated in the Adelup release.
“We in the government will do our best to preserve our island’s beauty and natural resources, but we also need the public’s help. Please do your part by properly disposing of your trash and reporting illegal dumping,” he added.
At this point, several village mayors have signed memorandums with USACE declaring their village cleanup mission complete. That means all remaining debris may be considered illegal dumping, according to the governor’s office.
“We’re reminding residents you can bring your waste to designated disposal areas. For your household waste, you can bring it to the Guam Solid Waste Authority, located in Harmon Industrial Park -behind DPW- Malojloj, and Agat,” Glenn San Nicolas, the solid waste management program manager at the Guam Environmental Protection Agency, stated in the Adelup release.
“For household hazardous waste, which includes paint solvents, thinners, fluorescent light bulbs and e-waste, you can bring it to the Guam Solid Waste Authority Household Hazardous Waste location, located behind DPW in Tamuning. For bulky metallic waste, tires and other recyclables, you can bring them to the designated recycling facilities throughout the island,” San Nicolas added.
San Nicolas also makes these statements in a public service announcement posted on the governor’s YouTube page.
Also appearing in that PSA is DPW Highway Maintenance Supervisor Dennis Eber, one of the DPW staff activated to clean up illegal dumpsites throughout the island, alongside the Department of Corrections.
Eber informs the public that illegal dumping comes with a fine of $1,000 per day.
“So let’s do our part, Guam. Let’s keep Guam green and clean,” Eber said.
Residents can report illegal dumping by visiting epa.guam.gov or by calling 671-300-4751.
“In accordance with 10 GCA § 51115(b), illegal dumping is subject to fines of up to $1,000 per day, per violation, along with the clean-up cost associated with the violation,” the governor’s office stated in its release.
Joshua Tenorio
Glenn San Nicolas
An illegal dump site that was cleaned by the Department of Public Works is seen Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023, in Yigo.
