by Krystal Paco

Guam - It's 2012 and still little has been done to correct an illegal dump site in Yigo, which poses a major threat to the island's northern aquifer and main source of water. "Based on Guam EPA's investigations, this is a massive illegal dumpsite 0721 and something needs to be done to complete it and clean it up and fix it in the long run," said agency spokeswoman Tammy Jo Anderson Taft. "The size of this case shows that if action is not taken quickly how out of hand it can become."

Taft says there's hard evidence to prove Yigo resident Joseph Taitano has been operating an illegal dump on his property - but according to Taitano's attorney, Curtis Van De Veld, the Guam EPA board continues to make technical errors, which are further delaying any settlement. Prior to today's hearing with Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Barrett Anderson, both parties agreed to rescind the board's actions from December's special hearing because the board failed to give the defendant 10 days notice.

Back in December the Guam EPA board voted to deny Taitano's motion to dismiss the case as well as agreed to a proposed corrective action plan. That plan ordered Taitano to install two groundwater monitoring wells, sample the wells semi-annually, install chain link fencing around the perimeter of the quarry, and submit and adjusted penalty of $312,000 within 60 calendar days.

"The court has accepted the settlement now; now there will be a submission of an order and return the matter to the status it had prior to December 2011," Van De Veld noted.

Taitano himself told KUAM News, "Praise the Lord, it's over! Praise the Lord, its over! Thank you, Lord! That's all and thank my best attorney - best attorney in the island, can fight anybody, EPA anybody. Thank you, Lord!"

Taitano continues free of penalties until the Guam EPA board can schedule another special hearing and the case can start from Square One. "Now that's not to say the case is over because it's far from over," Taft stated. "The case will come back before the board of directors and it will be heard again as it was in December. And when it comes before the board of directors all the T's will be crossed and all the I's will be dotted and we'll make sure that all the facts are present and see what the board decides."

Although the dumpsite was capped after a fire years ago, Taft says residents need to be proactive at reporting illegal dumps in their villages to the Guam EPA.