Legislature holds buildup hearings

Legislature holds buildup hearings

By Dionesis Tamondong • Pacific Daily News • January 22, 2010

The Legislature is holding public hearings all next week to allow more opportunities for the public to learn about and comment on the military buildup.

Residents have until Feb. 17 to submit comments on the draft Environmental Impact Statement. Their comments on the document could affect the actions the military carries out on the island.

"Don't be afraid to come because you're not familiar with the 11,000 pages. Just come and tell us what your thinking is, and we'll translate it into the proper format," said Sen. Judith Guthertz, chairwoman of the legislative Committee on the Guam Military Buildup.

Guthertz yesterday sent her Comment Paper on Land Issues to President Obama and other federal officials that calls on them to, among other things, modify the draft EIS to locate all the military's needs and activities on existing federal land on Guam, as the preferred alternative.

"The welcome mat could be eliminated over those months if no justice is provided," Guthertz said in the letter.

The Committee on Federal Affairs, Committee on the Military Buildup, and the Committee on Education have scheduled the following hearings:

•Jan. 25, at the Southern High School cafeteria in Santa Rita;

•Jan. 26, at the Yigo Senior Center; and

•Jan. 29, at the Sinajana Senior Center.

These meetings are scheduled from 4 to 9 p.m.

The Committee on Utilities, Transportation and Public Works has scheduled a couple of hearings in the Legislature's public hearing room.

The Jan. 27 hearing will focus on the buildup's impact to Guam's water, sewer and power utilities, while the Jan. 28 hearing will focus on the impact to road and solid waste capacities.

The hearings are scheduled from 6 to 9 p.m.