SEVERAL community members, and elected officials expressed their strong opposition to Hong Ye Rental and Construction Ltd.’s request to operate a rock quarry on Lots 003 J 03 & 019 J 104 in Dandan.
At a public hearing conducted by the Commonwealth Zoning Board on Thursday at the multi-purpose center in Susupe, Senate President Edith Deleon Guerrero, Saipan Mayor Ramon “RB” Camacho, former Sen. Thomas Villagomez, Rep. Marissa Flores, Rep. Diego Camacho, Rep. Vince Aldan, former Rep. Janet Maratita, Commonwealth Healthcare Center official Warren Villagomez, and other residents spoke out against the proposed quarry mining, citing noise pollution and health hazards, among other things.
Edwin Tenorio, a farmer, said the proposed quarry is adjacent to his private property and other Dandan residential homes.
He told the zoning board, “Please consider against granting the proposal for residents who are farming in the area. I farm right there where the road that leads to the proposed quarry is. Behind my property is where the quarry is going to be. So I will be suffering both ways. All the wind coming from the ocean goes up to my place. If you allow this mining they will be passing in front of my place. It’s going to be double whammy for me. I ask you, the board, to disapprove and not entertain this proposal because there are people that live there.”
The zoning board removed Hong Ye’s conditional use application from the agenda, but it allowed members of the public to comment about the mining proposal.
According to Hofschneider, Hong Ye failed to meet the deadline in providing supporting documents for its conditional use application.
“We will issue another notice for a public hearing when Hong Ye Construction has met the requirement,” Hofschneider said.
“We will also permit the public to submit written comments regarding the conditional use proposal,” he added.
Besides Hofschneider, the other members of the zoning board who were present during the hearing were Michael N. Evangelista, Pedro I. Itibus, Charlotte P.R. Cepeda, Stephen P. Sablan, Eleanor Alinas, and Steve Jang.
