PNC :: Ada Says Feds Need to Pay for Infrastructure

PNC :: Ada Says Feds Need to Pay for Infrastructure

Friday, 29 January 2010

Guam - The Guam Economic Development Authority has issued a list outlining the major economic impacts to Guam as a result of the military buildup.

According to geda the potential economic impacts as outlined in the DEIS will exceed the economic benefits. GEDA does note however that these are potential impacts noted by the Department of Defense. One of the major impacts listed is the fact that Govguam can't afford to make the infrastructural upgrades needed for the military buildup.

Senator Tom Ada is the chairman of the committee on utilities. He says that after this weeks DEIS hearings the Consolidated Commission on Utilities made it clear that they will need money from the feds to make the necessary upgrades to the islands power water and wastewater systems. For example the Guam Power Authority will need at least 110 million dollars for it's upgrades while the Guam Waterworks Authority will need at least $50 million dollars. Senator Ada says that these upgrades are all achievable if the Federal Government provides the money needed to start on the projects.

Ada says that the CCU has worked with the Department of Defense to come up with solutions. Part of the solution is to identify the upgrades that are directly necessary as a result of the buildup and have the U.S. federal government pay for them. Ada says the bottom line is that the federal government will have to fund the improvements to infrastructure needed to support the buildup.

The senator also spoke about the indirect impacts to the island's utilities and how they are much harder to identify. In fact according to Ada DEIS fails to address the indirect impacts to the islands infrastructure.

The senator also wants to make it clear that the current bonds that GWA has secured are meant for upgrades that are needed without the buildup the agency still needs money to fund the upgrades necessary as a result of the buildup.