Legislation could move waste-to-energy facility forward

by Ken Quintanilla

Guam - What is a waste-to-energy facility? Guam Resource Recovery Partners consultant David Sablan breaks it down. "It basically reduces the volume of solid waste by 90% so if 10 truckloads of solid waste go into the plant, only one truckload of ash will come out so we reduce the volume of solid waste therefore we don't need a landfill every seven or eight years if its only solid waste we're depositing," he said.   

Sablan spoke before the Mayors Council of Guam Wednesday morning not only hoping to draw support of the idea of waste-to-energy but of recent legislation that may help finally move it forward. Senator Tina Muna Barnes introduced Bill 433 earlier this week. "Bill 433 is a bill that will negotiate the settlement between the Government of Guam and GRRP moving forward," she said.

Barnes, like many, says this proposal has spanned years, and believes it's time to finally get down to the pros and cons of the project and make a decision. "This issue has been over a decade old, it's been 14 years that this issue has come in to play with the government and based on what agreements were made in the past, it's gone through the court, the court says do the mediation, go back to GEDA, GEDA has done a memorandum of understanding, it's been sent to the legislature and it's been sent to me and I feel that this should at least be given its fair presentation on the floor," she stated.

The matter was last before lawmakers over the summer during an informational briefing. But why is this proposal so important to address? Senator Barnes said, "As we look at saving our environment and as we look at the cost of the landfill down in the south and spending more money to build new cells 0159 where are we at today? Are there other alternatives that can be presented and put on the table we have to make sure that we leave no stone unturned and this is probably one of those things."

Barnes adds her office has received inquiries about the proposal and even met with some of the opponents as recent as Suesday. Sablan in the meantime addressed the naysayers with the mayors.  "These individuals in my opinion, and I know who they are, have a special interest in protecting their business concerns if this project goes into effect, it could have an effect on their contracts but what's more important and a priority for us, is that we lessen this costs of solid waste management to the people," she said.

Sablan further noted the proposal not only makes sense economically and environmentally, but that it does not require the use of much land. The Mayors Council introduced a resolution that would support GRRP's "Worthy and beneficial" waste-to-energy facility and the passage of Bill 433. No action however was taken as some mayors wanted more time to review and ask more questions.

The bill was referred to Senator Dennis Rodriguez Jr.'S committee. He says a public hearing on Bill 433 will be scheduled sometime next week.