A sign regarding a zoning public hearing on Hong Ye’s conditional application use is seen on Sand Street in Dandan.
FARMER Edwin A. Tenorio is strongly opposing the zoning request by Hong Ye Rental and Construction Ltd. “to operate mining” on Lots 003 J 03 & 019 J 104 in Dandan.
In an email to Variety on Wednesday, Tenorio said the lots are adjacent to his private property and other Dandan residential homes.
“I am a farmer and raising my pigs and vegetables on my lot. The CNMI has more than four companies that are operating this type of business. Our island of Saipan is too small for this type of business,” Tenorio said, referring to quarrying.
According to Variety files, the island’s quarry permittees are Construction Materials & Supply Inc. in Kannat Tabla, Resource Management International Corp. in As Matuis, Success International Corp. in As Matuis, USA Fanter in Kannat Tabla, Hong Ye Rental in Dandan, and JG Sablan Quarry in As Matuis.
Hong Ye Rental and JG Sablan Quarry are currently not in operation.
According to Tenorio, “The mining companies are chipping away land for the indigenous people to live on, not just today but in the future, for the people of the CNMI and my descendants.”
Variety tried to obtain a copy of conditional use application No. 2024-2319 of Hong Ye Rental and Construction Ltd. but was told by the Commonwealth Zoning Board to file an Open Government Act request instead.
The zoning board has scheduled a hearing on Hong Ye’s application for Sept. 5 at 2 p.m., at the multi-purpose center in Susupe.
Variety was unable to get a comment from Hong Ye.
