by Ken Quintanilla

Guam - Just as the acquisition of three new cranes is to be finalized, Vice Speaker B.J. Cruz is renewing his call for the Port Authority of Guam to reconsider. Cruz disagrees with the Port purchasing three used cranes from Matson and Horizon. He refers to a recent article in an international crane magazine that states that the cost to purchase and maintain the used cranes will be more than purchasing two or three new ones.

Cruz said, "I'm hoping that the brighter minds at Adelup will come to their senses and realize that this is a horrible idea and to just stop it at this point." Cruz has expressed his concerns before about the Port Authority purchasing the cranes that the Port of Los Angeles discarded back in 2006 and sold to Matson and Horizon for $50,000 apiece.

Port board chair Dan Tydingco, however, says the agency has had certified crane consultants, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and others scrutinize the condition and financial viability of the cranes and maintains the acquisition is a win-win for Guam. "If we're going to purchase new cranes, not only is that initial price tag going to have to be rendered, there's going to have to be shipping which is probably seven digits, at least one million dollars per crane. you have to take into consideration the availability of those cranes," he said.

Tydingco added that new cranes would likely result in additional changes to the Port's infrastructure. The agreement is supposed to be signed next month in Hawaii, but officials are waiting for the Public Utilities Commission to give the final approval. Vice Speaker Cruz meanwhile says he intends to seen a Freedom of Information Act request to find out how long some of the cranes have been inoperable.