DOI working on mandated buildup report

by Mindy Aguon

Guam - Tomorrow marks the deadline for the Department of the Interior and the Department of Defense to submit comprehensive reports to Congress that were mandated by the Fiscal Year 2011 National Defense Authorization Act. Elected officials in the nation's capitol are waiting to review these reports to get more clarity on the buildup that's planned for Guam.

The Senate has made it clear they will not authorize any additional spending for the buildup until they receive more details from the DoD. Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Insular Affairs Tony Babauta tells KUAM News the Department of the Interior continues to work on the report due to Congress. He said, "There have been a multitude of issues which have arisen in the past several months which may affect the realignment of forces in the Pacific. We hope the report will capture these issues, reflect Guam's priorities, and highlight necessary infrastructure improvements.

A recently released report from the Government Accountability Office outlined continued concerns that the DoD still has not finalized its Guam Joint Military Master Plan since congressional committees began requesting for one in 2006.