REPRESENTATIVE Roman Benavente on Friday pre-filed House Bill 23-2 requiring the Department of Public Works to build a solid waste transfer station in Kagman and the southern point of Saipan.
The bill would mandate the DPW secretary to design and construct a transfer station, similar to the one operating in Lower Base, where solid waste is sorted out for recyclables before sending the rest of the trash to the Marpi landfill.
Benavente cited the Solid Waste Management Act which says, “It is declared to be the public policy of the Commonwealth and the purpose of this chapter, to provide for collection, disposal, and management systems for solid waste that will protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public and the environment of the Commonwealth.”
He said large amounts of trash are being dumped illegally, sometimes along roadsides in Kagman and Koblerville.
He believes that a large part of this illegal dumping could be alleviated if there is an accessible transfer station in Kagman and the southern part of Saipan.
As for the funding source, Benavente said the Solid Waste Management Revolving Fund receives 10% of all excise taxes. This fund, he added, can pay for the design and the construction of new transfer stations.
Roman Benavente
