Office of the Governor of Guam — During today’s Islandwide Beautification Task Force (IBTF) meeting, the Department of Public Works (DPW) reported to Lt. Governor Joshua Tenorio that they have completed the cleanup of an illegal dumpsite along Ramirez Way in Yigo. The garbage, which stretched over 1,700 linear feet, took nearly two weeks to remove and resulted in the collection of 262.73 tons of waste. The site surfaced earlier this month, shortly after the commencement of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Typhoon Mawar debris mission. That mission conducts the removal of eligible typhoon-related debris from residential properties after they have been properly 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,” said Lt. Governor Tenorio. “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.”
“When the Army Corps of Engineers completes your village, it’s a one-time pickup. Residents are now responsible for their solid waste,” said Guam Environmental Protection Agency (GEPA) Solid Waste Management Program Manager Glenn San Nicolas. San Nicolas calls the community to action in a video PSA to address illegal dumping.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, alongside several village mayors, have signed memorandums with USACE declaring their village cleanup mission complete. All remaining debris may be considered illegal dumping.
San Nicolas added, “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, Malojojo, and Agat. 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.”
Also calling the community to action in the video PSA is DPW Highway Maintenance Supervisor Dennis Eber. Eber is among the DPW staff who, alongside the Department of Corrections, have been activated to clean up illegal dumpsites appearing throughout the island.
“Illegal dumping has a fine of $1,000 a day,” Eber said. “So let’s do our part, Guam. Let’s keep Guam green and clean.”
To report illegal dumping, visit epa.guam.gov or call 671-300-4751. Illegal dumping is a violation of Guam law. 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.
