Power poles now mar the views of Suicide Cliff, the Last Command Post, Banzai Cliff, and other important natural and historic sites in Marpi, a tourist spot.
An online petition to stop the project continues and on Tuesday last week the newly created Friends of Marpi met again to “foster community awareness and involvement in the preservation, enhancement, and sustainable development of Marpi.”
The online petition is at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/keep-marpi-beautiful—–for-tourists-and-residents-alike/
Held at Wild Bill’s Bar, the meeting last week was attended by Sablan, Joe Corella, Ed Propst, Daisy Propst, Jack Hardy, Glen Hunter, Brian Clayton, Sam Sablan and Ron Smith.
During the meeting, Corella reported that Stan Good had resigned as project manager for the Marpi project, but agreed to stay on until completion of the power poles.
Corella quoted Good as saying that the CNMI capital improvement project office had decided that underground lines were too expensive, so it opted to go for power poles instead.
Corrella noted that there are $40 million in unspent CIP money.
He said the CIP office was also concerned about vandalism if generators and solar energy systems are put up for the Marpi cemetery project.
He believes that these concerns can be dealt with.
According Sablan, Correla “tried to obtain electrical load calculations from [the Commonwealth Utilities Corp.], but CUC claimed they were not available. Joe was able to obtain some electrical drawings and plans for the cemetery, however, and said that he did not see any huge loads for the cemeteries. Joe said that CUC had also indicated there were plans to install power lines all the way to the landfill in the future, and that Marpi was also being eyed as a site for generation of 3-5MW of renewable wind/solar power.”
Sablan said she met on Friday afternoon with Jim Stump, the CIP contracting officer overseeing the Marpi project
“Stump indicated that it was not the intent of the CIP Office to create any controversy, and further acknowledged that it would not be too late, nor impossible, for the CNMI government to stop the power pole project now and to submit revised budgets and scopes of work to the Office of Insular Affairs to redirect CIP funds to either put the power lines underground or install renewable energy systems for the Marpi cemetery.”
She said free solar panels from the Marianas Resource Conservation & Development Council “that could potentially address at least some of the power needs of the Marpi cemetery have been identified.”
Moreover, “local business leaders specializing in solar and wind technology, including Joe Corella, Brian Clayton, Ron Smith, and James Thomas, have all expressed their willingness to offer their expertise and work together to identify cost-effective renewable energy solutions to address the power needs of Marpi, as well as cost-effective security options to address the CIP office’s concerns about vandalism.”
She urges residents to call the CIP office and lawmakers “to let them know we want public hearings to review more suitable alternatives to power poles in Marpi, and that we support efforts to preserve and enhance the natural beauty and historic and cultural value of Marpi for present and future generations.”
