SAIPAN Mayor Juan B. Tudela yesterday said the island could become one big dumpsite if illegal garbage disposal would continue.
“Garbage is all over the place,” Tudela said.
Most of the trash was found in overgrown grasses along roadsides and in the boonies.
He said he has been conducting a cleanup drive since he took office six months ago and has always found garbage wrapped in plastic bags.
Tudela said this illegal practice, aside from creating eyesores, also poses health problems.
Some people have been throwing their trash anywhere due to sheer laziness, he said. They don’t want to drive all the way to the Puerto Rico dump or to any designated garbage pickup site, he added.
According to the mayor, illegal dumping is rampant in Kagman, Koblerville, Garapan and Marpi.
Tudela said the tipping fee charged at Puerto Rico is also a factor.
“I don’t think they want to pay the fee,” Tudela said.
The mayor said he has coordinated with Sanitation Director John Tagabuel and other appropriate officials to address the matter.
Saipan has a statute prohibiting illegal dumping, but the problem is in enforcing it, Tudela said.
Some people also dispose their garbage at night, making it difficult for authorities to apprehend them, he added.
“The problem is that even though we (clean up) everyday, it still would not work. We have to do something,” said Tudela.
He said the people should be educated about the need to respect other people’s private lands.
“Every resident has a responsibility,” he said.
The mayor said that with Saipan’s growing population, it would not be long before heaps of garbage can be found at every street corner.
