by Sabrina Salas Matanane

Guam - Serving her fourth term in office, Guam Delegate Madeleine Bordallo delivered her annual Congressional Report on issues she has been working on over the last year as well as projects she is currently working on or will work on in the future. Here is a summary of the issues she touched on in her address before the Guam Legislature Tuesday evening:

Bordallo discussed the issue of War Reparations and how she is pushing for its inclusion in this year's National Defense Bill.
She plans to request increase funding for Compact Impact
She will assist DOE in getting help from USDOE to resolve its funding crisis

The biggest chunk of her address was dedicated to the military buildup and the Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Bordallo listed off six areas of concern:

The Navy's Plans to acquire more land for the buildup: Bordallo said she will challenge the Navy to conduct the buildup within its existing footprint
Proposed Firing Ranges in Pagat and Sasayan: Bordallo said she is opposed to eminent domain and will ask the navy to re-evaluate the use of Naval Magazine as well as training ranges in Tinian as an alternative.
Air Craft Carrier Berthing: Bordallo plans to challenge the Navy to identify other alternatives that will minimize coral damage and take advantage are Kilo or Delta Wharves.
Lack of Financial Commitment from the Federal Government to fund civilian infrastructure projects: Bordallo is calling on the Navy to address this issue in a serious manner.
Lack of comprehensive housing for guest workers and providing healthcare needs in a manner that does not further overwhelm the island's infrastructure and healthcare system.
Socio-Economic Impact: Bordallo said the DEIS portion must be completely re-written in order to truly address the socio-economic impacts of the buildup.

The Congresswoman, meanwhile, said she supports the Governor's efforts to extend the construction timeline for the buildup. She said that in her comments she will submit on the Draft EIS she will request the Navy to provide a more realistic timeline and adjust the EIS analysis to reflect a realistic construction phase of eight to ten years.

In closing Bordallo mentioned President Barack Obama's upcoming visit next month which will give him an opportunity to hear the island's concerns. She ended by thanking the people of Guam and also recognized the men and women from Guam who are currently serving in harm's way in the Middle East.