Bordallo addresses people of Guam
Posted: Feb 16, 2010 7:27 PM
Updated: Feb 17, 2010 9:05 AM
by Sabrina Salas Matanane
*Madeleine Bordallo's Congressional Address
http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/gu00_bordallo/congressional_address.html
Guam - Serving her fourth term in office, Guam Delegate Madeleine Bordallo delivered her annual Congressional Report on issues she has been working on over the last year as well as projects she is currently working on or will work on in the future. Here is a summary of the issues she touched on in her address before the Guam Legislature Tuesday evening:
* Bordallo discussed the issue of War Reparations and how she is pushing for its inclusion in this year's National Defense Bill.
* She plans to request increase funding for Compact Impact
* She will assist DOE in getting help from USDOE to resolve its funding crisis
The biggest chunk of her address was dedicated to the military buildup and the Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Bordallo listed off six areas of concern:
1. The Navy's Plans to acquire more land for the buildup: Bordallo said she will challenge the Navy to conduct the buildup within its existing footprint
2. Proposed Firing Ranges in Pagat and Sasayan: Bordallo said she is opposed to eminent domain and will ask the navy to re-evaluate the use of Naval Magazine as well as training ranges in Tinian as an alternative.
3. Air Craft Carrier Berthing: Bordallo plans to challenge the Navy to identify other alternatives that will minimize coral damage and take advantage are Kilo or Delta Wharves.
4. Lack of Financial Commitment from the Federal Government to fund civilian infrastructure projects: Bordallo is calling on the Navy to address this issue in a serious manner.
5. Lack of comprehensive housing for guest workers and providing healthcare needs in a manner that does not further overwhelm the island's infrastructure and healthcare system.
6. Socio-Economic Impact: Bordallo said the DEIS portion must be completely re-written in order to truly address the socio-economic impacts of the buildup.
The Congresswoman, meanwhile, said she supports the Governor's efforts to extend the construction timeline for the buildup. She said that in her comments she will submit on the Draft EIS she will request the Navy to provide a more realistic timeline and adjust the EIS analysis to reflect a realistic construction phase of eight to ten years.
In closing Bordallo mentioned President Barack Obama's upcoming visit next month which will give him an opportunity to hear the island's concerns. She ended by thanking the people of Guam and also recognized the men and women from Guam who are currently serving in harm's way in the Middle East.
Showing posts with label Eminent Domain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Eminent Domain. Show all posts
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Bordallo challenges DEIS
Bordallo challenges DEIS
Wednesday, 17 February 2010 03:37
by Therese Hart | Variety News Staff
Congressional report lists flaws of the draft study
THE military buildup must be delayed, Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo said last night, acknowledging that the draft environmental impact statement has serious deficiencies that need to be addressed.
In her congressional report to the people, Bordallo identified six areas of concern regarding the draft study, including and the Navy’s desire to acquire additional private and public lands.
“We will challenge the Navy to conduct the military buildup on their existing land. The Navy should better utilize its land and consider moving housing and some support facilities for the Marine aviation unit to Andersen Air Force Base,” Bordallo said.
Secondly, an area of concern is the proposed firing range at Pagat and Sasayan. “If private property owners choose not to lease or sell their land I will support them and oppose any effort by the Department of Defense to use eminent domain to acquire that land. I recognize the input of private landowners and the organization ‘We Are Guahan’ on this issue.
A third area of concern is the proposed alternative for an aircraft carrier transient berth in Apra Harbor. “The plans for the carrier berth in Apra Harbor will result in a significant loss of coral. I will challenge the Navy to identify other alternatives that will minimize coral damage and that will take advantage of currently dredged areas such as Kilo or Delta wharves among others. I thank Senator Guthertz for her input,” said the congresswoman.
Fourth, she noted the need for federal assistance for improving civilian infrastructure on Guam to support the military buildup.
“While the DEIS draft report recognizes the need to improve civilian infrastructure it does not provide a clear strategy that details how the federal government will assist Guam,” Bordallo said as she opposed the Navy’s plan to drill 22 new wells in the north “until an independent assessment is made about the capacity of the northern aquifer.”
The fifth area of concern is the lack of a comprehensive plan for the housing of guest workers and providing for their health care needs in a manner that does not further overwhelm Guam’s local infrastructure and health care system.
“Let me be clear about this issue – we must do all that we can to train our local workforce and hire them before we utilize guest workers. Any proposal to house guest workers outside the gates must address their impact on civilian infrastructure such as water, wastewater and power. We cannot allow guest worker housing off-base to cause the faucets to run dry or power outages in our homes.”
Socioeconomic
Finally, Bordallo said, the socioeconomic portion of the draft study must be completely rewritten “in order to truly address the socioeconomic impacts of the military buildup.”
She said she will encourage the Navy to work closely with the University of Guam, the Guam Community College and the Department of Chamorro Affairs to develop a better understanding of the cultural issues and to formulate a comprehensive plan to support programs which preserve and promote Chamorro culture and language and I thank Fuetsan Famaloan for this input.”
On the issue of war claims, Bordallo said that she has made significant progress and that “we are closer than ever to passing this bill and we will continue to build on our progress.”
Bordallo spoke strongly on Guam’s quest for self-determination saying that Guam must refocus on the process to achieve decolonization and improve its political status with the U.S.
Projects
Bordallo also said she was concerned about the one of the assumption in the draft impact report that all projects will be completed by 2014.
“It would not be an exaggeration to say that this draft EIS has done more harm than good. The DEIS has not accurately identified the impacts on Guam and it has exaggerated some impacts based on a false assumption that all projects will be completed by 2014,” said the congresswoman.
“This flawed assumption has drawn consequences and conclusions that are not sustainable and not supported by anyone. Nobody wants 80,000 additional people on Guam in 2014,” Bordallo said. “We will do everything that we can, federally and locally, to stop that from happening. As I said before, we have our foot on the brakes. I will not support appropriations and authorizations that will result in a construction pace that brings 80,000 people to Guam in 2014.”
Wednesday, 17 February 2010 03:37
by Therese Hart | Variety News Staff
Congressional report lists flaws of the draft study
THE military buildup must be delayed, Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo said last night, acknowledging that the draft environmental impact statement has serious deficiencies that need to be addressed.
In her congressional report to the people, Bordallo identified six areas of concern regarding the draft study, including and the Navy’s desire to acquire additional private and public lands.
“We will challenge the Navy to conduct the military buildup on their existing land. The Navy should better utilize its land and consider moving housing and some support facilities for the Marine aviation unit to Andersen Air Force Base,” Bordallo said.
Secondly, an area of concern is the proposed firing range at Pagat and Sasayan. “If private property owners choose not to lease or sell their land I will support them and oppose any effort by the Department of Defense to use eminent domain to acquire that land. I recognize the input of private landowners and the organization ‘We Are Guahan’ on this issue.
A third area of concern is the proposed alternative for an aircraft carrier transient berth in Apra Harbor. “The plans for the carrier berth in Apra Harbor will result in a significant loss of coral. I will challenge the Navy to identify other alternatives that will minimize coral damage and that will take advantage of currently dredged areas such as Kilo or Delta wharves among others. I thank Senator Guthertz for her input,” said the congresswoman.
Fourth, she noted the need for federal assistance for improving civilian infrastructure on Guam to support the military buildup.
“While the DEIS draft report recognizes the need to improve civilian infrastructure it does not provide a clear strategy that details how the federal government will assist Guam,” Bordallo said as she opposed the Navy’s plan to drill 22 new wells in the north “until an independent assessment is made about the capacity of the northern aquifer.”
The fifth area of concern is the lack of a comprehensive plan for the housing of guest workers and providing for their health care needs in a manner that does not further overwhelm Guam’s local infrastructure and health care system.
“Let me be clear about this issue – we must do all that we can to train our local workforce and hire them before we utilize guest workers. Any proposal to house guest workers outside the gates must address their impact on civilian infrastructure such as water, wastewater and power. We cannot allow guest worker housing off-base to cause the faucets to run dry or power outages in our homes.”
Socioeconomic
Finally, Bordallo said, the socioeconomic portion of the draft study must be completely rewritten “in order to truly address the socioeconomic impacts of the military buildup.”
She said she will encourage the Navy to work closely with the University of Guam, the Guam Community College and the Department of Chamorro Affairs to develop a better understanding of the cultural issues and to formulate a comprehensive plan to support programs which preserve and promote Chamorro culture and language and I thank Fuetsan Famaloan for this input.”
On the issue of war claims, Bordallo said that she has made significant progress and that “we are closer than ever to passing this bill and we will continue to build on our progress.”
Bordallo spoke strongly on Guam’s quest for self-determination saying that Guam must refocus on the process to achieve decolonization and improve its political status with the U.S.
Projects
Bordallo also said she was concerned about the one of the assumption in the draft impact report that all projects will be completed by 2014.
“It would not be an exaggeration to say that this draft EIS has done more harm than good. The DEIS has not accurately identified the impacts on Guam and it has exaggerated some impacts based on a false assumption that all projects will be completed by 2014,” said the congresswoman.
“This flawed assumption has drawn consequences and conclusions that are not sustainable and not supported by anyone. Nobody wants 80,000 additional people on Guam in 2014,” Bordallo said. “We will do everything that we can, federally and locally, to stop that from happening. As I said before, we have our foot on the brakes. I will not support appropriations and authorizations that will result in a construction pace that brings 80,000 people to Guam in 2014.”
Friday, February 19, 2010
Senators to meet with Webb
Senators to meet with Webb
Wednesday, 17 February 2010 03:29
by Therese Hart | Variety News Staff
SENATOR Jim Webb from Virginia, who is on a weeklong tour of Japan and Guam, will meet with Guam lawmakers on Thursday.
In Japan, Webb said he was open to hearing options on how to resolve the dispute over the relocation of the Futenma Marine air base in Okinawa.
The situation has become a contentious issue with the U.S. government and the new Japanese government, which has put a hold on plans to move Futenma air base on Nago, the southern island of Okinawa.
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has said he will make a decision on Futenma by May.
Speaker Judi Won Pat said lawmakers will share with Webb their concerns regarding the draft environmental impact statement, as well as the U.S. not providing any funding to assist Guam in preparing for the military buildup which includes strengthening its infrastructure, the building of new schools to mitigate the already overcrowded facilities, the U.S. proposed firing range, the dredging of Apra Harbor, eminent domain, and the true overall sentiments of the people regarding the buildup.
Won Pat said with the recent fact-finding mission by a Japanese delegation to Guam, Japanese officials now have a clear picture of the reality of the buildup and the financial burden the government of Guam must carry. Won Pat said she was assured by Diet members that the information gathered will be carried back to Japan and told.
Won Pat said she hopes Webb will be open to lawmakers’ concerns and that he too will bring back these issues to his colleagues in Washington.
Webb has traveled to Okinawa in the last 40 years, first as a Marine during the Vietnam War and later as a U.S. defense planner and government official. He is a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee.
Wednesday, 17 February 2010 03:29
by Therese Hart | Variety News Staff
SENATOR Jim Webb from Virginia, who is on a weeklong tour of Japan and Guam, will meet with Guam lawmakers on Thursday.
In Japan, Webb said he was open to hearing options on how to resolve the dispute over the relocation of the Futenma Marine air base in Okinawa.
The situation has become a contentious issue with the U.S. government and the new Japanese government, which has put a hold on plans to move Futenma air base on Nago, the southern island of Okinawa.
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has said he will make a decision on Futenma by May.
Speaker Judi Won Pat said lawmakers will share with Webb their concerns regarding the draft environmental impact statement, as well as the U.S. not providing any funding to assist Guam in preparing for the military buildup which includes strengthening its infrastructure, the building of new schools to mitigate the already overcrowded facilities, the U.S. proposed firing range, the dredging of Apra Harbor, eminent domain, and the true overall sentiments of the people regarding the buildup.
Won Pat said with the recent fact-finding mission by a Japanese delegation to Guam, Japanese officials now have a clear picture of the reality of the buildup and the financial burden the government of Guam must carry. Won Pat said she was assured by Diet members that the information gathered will be carried back to Japan and told.
Won Pat said she hopes Webb will be open to lawmakers’ concerns and that he too will bring back these issues to his colleagues in Washington.
Webb has traveled to Okinawa in the last 40 years, first as a Marine during the Vietnam War and later as a U.S. defense planner and government official. He is a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee.
PNC :: Congressional Report: Bordallo Details Her Objections To The Buildup
PNC :: Congressional Report: Bordallo Details Her Objections To The Buildup
Monday, 15 February 2010
Guam - Guam Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo detailed her objections to the military buildup in her annual Congressional Report before the Guam Legislature Tuesday night.
Speaking for just over a half hour, Bordallo reiterated her opposition to any attempt by the military to use eminent domain to gain access to additional island lands and she challenged DoD to complete the buildup within its current footprint.
The Congresswoman also raised objections to the Navy's plans to dredge acres of coral in Apra Harbor to make way for a new berth for a nuclear powered Aircraft carrier. Instead she suggested that there are alternatives like berthing any visiting carriers at Kilo Warf.
She also criticised the federal governmnet for not recognizing the severe strain the buildup will put on the island's civilian infrastructure and called on Washington to share the burden.
And Bordallo said she supports the Governor's efforts to delay the buildup to allow more time for the island to prepare for the impact.
Written by : Kevin Kerrigan
Monday, 15 February 2010
Guam - Guam Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo detailed her objections to the military buildup in her annual Congressional Report before the Guam Legislature Tuesday night.
Speaking for just over a half hour, Bordallo reiterated her opposition to any attempt by the military to use eminent domain to gain access to additional island lands and she challenged DoD to complete the buildup within its current footprint.
The Congresswoman also raised objections to the Navy's plans to dredge acres of coral in Apra Harbor to make way for a new berth for a nuclear powered Aircraft carrier. Instead she suggested that there are alternatives like berthing any visiting carriers at Kilo Warf.
She also criticised the federal governmnet for not recognizing the severe strain the buildup will put on the island's civilian infrastructure and called on Washington to share the burden.
And Bordallo said she supports the Governor's efforts to delay the buildup to allow more time for the island to prepare for the impact.
Written by : Kevin Kerrigan
Thursday, February 11, 2010
2011 buildup spending pegged at $1.3B
2011 buildup spending pegged at $1.3B
Guam Delegate Bordallo emphasizes her position against forced land acquisition for the buildup
By Amritha Alladi • Pacific Daily News aalladi@guampdn.com • February 5, 2010
President Obama has proposed $566 million for military construction projects on Guam as part of his fiscal 2011 defense spending budget.
But that's only a portion of the money set aside for Guam, according to Guam Department of Labor chief economist Gary Hiles, who said the Defense Department's draft Environmental Impact Statement has cited an overall assumed value of military contracts for 2011 is over $1.3 billion, including Japan's share of costs.
"It should be noted that there are other sources of funds for the buildup plans including Japan government appropriations and non-appropriated Japan financing. There also could be projects funded from other defense budgets so U.S. (military contract) appropriations do not provide the entire picture for Guam construction," Hiles said.
'Fact-finding team'
This, just as Japan plans to send a "fact-finding team" to Guam on Feb. 10 as part of a mission by Japan's Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama to compile a list of possible relocation sites for the Marine Corps Futenma Air station, the Stars and Stripes reported yesterday.
The relocation of the base to northern Okinawa is part of a 2006 agreement between Japan and the United States, and U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said in October he didn't see the Guam buildup materializing unless Japan and the United States come to an agreement on the Futenma issue.
Since he was elected last year, Hatoyama has been seesawing between going forward with the current relocation plan to move Futenma to northern Okinawa, or to opt for an alternate site -- possibly Guam-- by the end of May.
But whether Guam will receive more than the 8,000 Marines already scheduled to arrive by 2014 is only one of several looming concerns Guam residents have regarding the buildup.
Eminent domain
On Wednesday, Guam Delegate Madeleine Bordallo reiterated to leaders in Washington, D.C., her position against the use eminent of domain for acquisition of non-Defense Department lands for military buildup projects on Guam, a release from her office stated.
Bordallo, during a House Armed Services Committee hearing on the Fiscal 2011 defense budget, addressed Gates and Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. She suggested they look into building within their existing land on Guam.
Bordallo also shared concerns raised by members of the community at recent town hall meetings regarding the Defense Department's draft Environmental Impact Statement--specifically the aircraft carrier berthing and the potential damage to coral reefs during the dredging process, according to the release.
Gates, according to Bordallo, responded the Department of Defense would work with Guam stakeholders to "have transparency and for (Department of Defense) to take into account the views of the people of Guam," according to the release. Bordallo stated that Mullen and Gates agreed the buildup must be done right.
Army fast ships
Speaking in response to media reports that Guam may also see an increased military presence by way of a dozen Army fast ships that can carry about 300 troops per ship, Sen. Judith Guthertz yesterday raised several questions, among them: when the addition of these forces would occur, where they would be sited and why this project wasn't included within the Defense Department's document that Guam residents are currently reviewing.
Guam Delegate Bordallo emphasizes her position against forced land acquisition for the buildup
By Amritha Alladi • Pacific Daily News aalladi@guampdn.com • February 5, 2010
President Obama has proposed $566 million for military construction projects on Guam as part of his fiscal 2011 defense spending budget.
But that's only a portion of the money set aside for Guam, according to Guam Department of Labor chief economist Gary Hiles, who said the Defense Department's draft Environmental Impact Statement has cited an overall assumed value of military contracts for 2011 is over $1.3 billion, including Japan's share of costs.
"It should be noted that there are other sources of funds for the buildup plans including Japan government appropriations and non-appropriated Japan financing. There also could be projects funded from other defense budgets so U.S. (military contract) appropriations do not provide the entire picture for Guam construction," Hiles said.
'Fact-finding team'
This, just as Japan plans to send a "fact-finding team" to Guam on Feb. 10 as part of a mission by Japan's Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama to compile a list of possible relocation sites for the Marine Corps Futenma Air station, the Stars and Stripes reported yesterday.
The relocation of the base to northern Okinawa is part of a 2006 agreement between Japan and the United States, and U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said in October he didn't see the Guam buildup materializing unless Japan and the United States come to an agreement on the Futenma issue.
Since he was elected last year, Hatoyama has been seesawing between going forward with the current relocation plan to move Futenma to northern Okinawa, or to opt for an alternate site -- possibly Guam-- by the end of May.
But whether Guam will receive more than the 8,000 Marines already scheduled to arrive by 2014 is only one of several looming concerns Guam residents have regarding the buildup.
Eminent domain
On Wednesday, Guam Delegate Madeleine Bordallo reiterated to leaders in Washington, D.C., her position against the use eminent of domain for acquisition of non-Defense Department lands for military buildup projects on Guam, a release from her office stated.
Bordallo, during a House Armed Services Committee hearing on the Fiscal 2011 defense budget, addressed Gates and Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. She suggested they look into building within their existing land on Guam.
Bordallo also shared concerns raised by members of the community at recent town hall meetings regarding the Defense Department's draft Environmental Impact Statement--specifically the aircraft carrier berthing and the potential damage to coral reefs during the dredging process, according to the release.
Gates, according to Bordallo, responded the Department of Defense would work with Guam stakeholders to "have transparency and for (Department of Defense) to take into account the views of the people of Guam," according to the release. Bordallo stated that Mullen and Gates agreed the buildup must be done right.
Army fast ships
Speaking in response to media reports that Guam may also see an increased military presence by way of a dozen Army fast ships that can carry about 300 troops per ship, Sen. Judith Guthertz yesterday raised several questions, among them: when the addition of these forces would occur, where they would be sited and why this project wasn't included within the Defense Department's document that Guam residents are currently reviewing.
Gates vows to listen to Guam
Gates vows to listen to Guam
Friday, 05 February 2010 00:58
Variety News Staff
(Office of the Guam Delegate) -- Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo yesterday addressed Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Admiral Michael Mullen, Chairman of the Join Chiefs of Staff, during a House Armed Services Committee hearing in Washington, D.C. on the fiscal year 2011 defense budget.
Bordallo shared concerns raised by members of the community at recent town hall meetings regarding the draft environmental impact statement.
Gates stated that his department will work with Guam stakeholders to “have transparency and for [the Department of Defense] to take into account the views of the people of Guam.”
Bordallo expressed her continued opposition to the use of eminent domain by the Department of Defense for land acquisition and suggested that the DoD should look into building within their existing footprint on Guam.
Bordallo also expressed concerns regarding the aircraft carrier berthing and the potential damage to coral reefs during the dredging process.
Mullen further stated that these “are major moves that we want to get right.”
“I along with Chairman Skelton and others have repeatedly stated that we need to get this military build-up done right,” Bordallo said.
“The draft environmental impact statement released by the Department of Defense, in its current form, insufficiently addresses concerns raised by our local government, our community, and stakeholders on Guam,” Bordallo said.
“I took this opportunity today to share some of these concerns with Secretary Gates and Admiral Mullen during a House Armed Services Committee hearing.
Both Secretary Gates and Admiral Mullen agreed that this military buildup must be done right, and most importantly, that the concerns of our community must be taken into account before we get to a final environmental impact statement
Friday, 05 February 2010 00:58
Variety News Staff
(Office of the Guam Delegate) -- Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo yesterday addressed Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Admiral Michael Mullen, Chairman of the Join Chiefs of Staff, during a House Armed Services Committee hearing in Washington, D.C. on the fiscal year 2011 defense budget.
Bordallo shared concerns raised by members of the community at recent town hall meetings regarding the draft environmental impact statement.
Gates stated that his department will work with Guam stakeholders to “have transparency and for [the Department of Defense] to take into account the views of the people of Guam.”
Bordallo expressed her continued opposition to the use of eminent domain by the Department of Defense for land acquisition and suggested that the DoD should look into building within their existing footprint on Guam.
Bordallo also expressed concerns regarding the aircraft carrier berthing and the potential damage to coral reefs during the dredging process.
Mullen further stated that these “are major moves that we want to get right.”
“I along with Chairman Skelton and others have repeatedly stated that we need to get this military build-up done right,” Bordallo said.
“The draft environmental impact statement released by the Department of Defense, in its current form, insufficiently addresses concerns raised by our local government, our community, and stakeholders on Guam,” Bordallo said.
“I took this opportunity today to share some of these concerns with Secretary Gates and Admiral Mullen during a House Armed Services Committee hearing.
Both Secretary Gates and Admiral Mullen agreed that this military buildup must be done right, and most importantly, that the concerns of our community must be taken into account before we get to a final environmental impact statement
120-day stretch for DEIS review period sought
120-day stretch for DEIS review period sought
Friday, 05 February 2010 00:51
by Mar-Vic Cagurangan | Variety News Staff
THE new activist group called “We Are Guahan” has launched an online petition asking the Department of Defense to extend the review and comment period for the draft environmental impact statement by 120 days.
The Guam community was given 90 days to review and respond to the 11,000-page draft study releases in November. Under the current schedule, the comment period expires on Feb. 17.
The official request for extension was made earlier by Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo to Department of Navy Secretary Ray Mabus. The Navy official has yet to respond to the request.
“As evident in recent [draft environmental impact statement] hearings, concerns about land acquisition among other critical issues have emerged. Given this 90 day commenting period, the people of Guam have not been given adequate time and resources to comment on the Department of Defense's plans to increase its land inventory, especially when the Land Acquisition Impact,” states the petition, which has 394 signatures so far.
The petitioners are targeting 1,000 signatures for the petition.
“One of the many issues local Guam residents are concerned about is the measures the military will take to acquire the additional lands they seek to complete their mission,” the petition said.
We Are Guahan noted that the draft study uses “vague language, making it unclear to private landowners whether or not the military would seek to negotiate with landowners instead of resorting to the use of eminent domain and/or land condemnation.”
This petition “calls for the military to reveal to the public their plans to acquire land and to extend the period of time residents have to review and respond to said plan.”
To sign up or view the petition stats online go to: www.thepetitionsite.com/1/call-for-transparency-and-extension-of-deis-commenting-period.
Friday, 05 February 2010 00:51
by Mar-Vic Cagurangan | Variety News Staff
THE new activist group called “We Are Guahan” has launched an online petition asking the Department of Defense to extend the review and comment period for the draft environmental impact statement by 120 days.
The Guam community was given 90 days to review and respond to the 11,000-page draft study releases in November. Under the current schedule, the comment period expires on Feb. 17.
The official request for extension was made earlier by Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo to Department of Navy Secretary Ray Mabus. The Navy official has yet to respond to the request.
“As evident in recent [draft environmental impact statement] hearings, concerns about land acquisition among other critical issues have emerged. Given this 90 day commenting period, the people of Guam have not been given adequate time and resources to comment on the Department of Defense's plans to increase its land inventory, especially when the Land Acquisition Impact,” states the petition, which has 394 signatures so far.
The petitioners are targeting 1,000 signatures for the petition.
“One of the many issues local Guam residents are concerned about is the measures the military will take to acquire the additional lands they seek to complete their mission,” the petition said.
We Are Guahan noted that the draft study uses “vague language, making it unclear to private landowners whether or not the military would seek to negotiate with landowners instead of resorting to the use of eminent domain and/or land condemnation.”
This petition “calls for the military to reveal to the public their plans to acquire land and to extend the period of time residents have to review and respond to said plan.”
To sign up or view the petition stats online go to: www.thepetitionsite.com/1/call-for-transparency-and-extension-of-deis-commenting-period.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Bordallo Raises Buildup Concerns With Gates And Mullen
Bordallo Raises Buildup Concerns With Gates And Mullen
Guam - Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo addressed Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Admiral Michael Mullen,
Chairman of the Join Chiefs of Staff, during a House Armed Services Committee hearing today in Washington, D.C. on the Fiscal Year 2011 defense budget.
During the hearing, Congresswoman Bordallo shared concerns raised by members of the community at recent town hall meetings regarding the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). Specifically, Congresswoman Bordallo expressed her continued opposition to the use of eminent domain by the Department of Defense (DoD) for land acquisition and suggested that the DoD should look into building within their existing footprint on Guam.
Congresswoman Bordallo also expressed concerns regarding the aircraft carrier berthing and the potential damage to coral reefs during the dredging process. Secretary Gates stated that the Department of Defense would work with Guam stakeholders to “have transparency and for us [Department of Defense] to take into account the views of the people of Guam.”
Admiral Mullen further stated that these, “are major moves that we want to get right.”
“I along with Chairman Skelton and others have repeatedly stated that we need to get this military build-up done right,” Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo said today. “The Draft Environmental Impact Statement released by the Department of Defense, in its current form, insufficiently addresses concerns raised by our local government, our community, and stakeholders on Guam. I took this opportunity today to share some of these concerns with Secretary Gates and Admiral Mullen during a House Armed Services Committee hearing. Both Secretary Gates and Admiral Mullen agreed that this military build-up must be done right, and most importantly, that the concerns of our community must be taken into account before we get to a Final Environmental Impact Statement.”
Written by :
Kevin Kerrigan
Guam - Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo addressed Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Admiral Michael Mullen,
Chairman of the Join Chiefs of Staff, during a House Armed Services Committee hearing today in Washington, D.C. on the Fiscal Year 2011 defense budget.
During the hearing, Congresswoman Bordallo shared concerns raised by members of the community at recent town hall meetings regarding the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). Specifically, Congresswoman Bordallo expressed her continued opposition to the use of eminent domain by the Department of Defense (DoD) for land acquisition and suggested that the DoD should look into building within their existing footprint on Guam.
Congresswoman Bordallo also expressed concerns regarding the aircraft carrier berthing and the potential damage to coral reefs during the dredging process. Secretary Gates stated that the Department of Defense would work with Guam stakeholders to “have transparency and for us [Department of Defense] to take into account the views of the people of Guam.”
Admiral Mullen further stated that these, “are major moves that we want to get right.”
“I along with Chairman Skelton and others have repeatedly stated that we need to get this military build-up done right,” Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo said today. “The Draft Environmental Impact Statement released by the Department of Defense, in its current form, insufficiently addresses concerns raised by our local government, our community, and stakeholders on Guam. I took this opportunity today to share some of these concerns with Secretary Gates and Admiral Mullen during a House Armed Services Committee hearing. Both Secretary Gates and Admiral Mullen agreed that this military build-up must be done right, and most importantly, that the concerns of our community must be taken into account before we get to a Final Environmental Impact Statement.”
Written by :
Kevin Kerrigan
Bordallo addresses HASC on defense spending
Bordallo addresses HASC on defense spending
Posted: Feb 03, 2010 4:10 PM PST
by Heather Hauswirth
Guam - Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo today addressed Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Admiral Michael Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, during today's hearing on the Fiscal Year 2011 defense budget. During the House Armed Services hearing, Congresswoman Bordallo shared concerns raised by members of the community at recent town hall meetings regarding the Draft Environmental Impact Statement.
Specifically, Congresswoman Bordallo expressed her continued opposition to the use of eminent domain Department of Defense for land acquisition and suggested the feds should look into building within their existing footprint on Guam. Congresswoman Bordallo also expressed concerns regarding the aircraft carrier berthing and the potential damage to coral reefs during the dredging process.
Secretary Gates stated that the DoD would work with Guam stakeholders to "have transparency and for us [Department of Defense] to take into account the views of the people of Guam." Admiral Mullen further stated that these, "are major moves that we want to get right."
Posted: Feb 03, 2010 4:10 PM PST
by Heather Hauswirth
Guam - Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo today addressed Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Admiral Michael Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, during today's hearing on the Fiscal Year 2011 defense budget. During the House Armed Services hearing, Congresswoman Bordallo shared concerns raised by members of the community at recent town hall meetings regarding the Draft Environmental Impact Statement.
Specifically, Congresswoman Bordallo expressed her continued opposition to the use of eminent domain Department of Defense for land acquisition and suggested the feds should look into building within their existing footprint on Guam. Congresswoman Bordallo also expressed concerns regarding the aircraft carrier berthing and the potential damage to coral reefs during the dredging process.
Secretary Gates stated that the DoD would work with Guam stakeholders to "have transparency and for us [Department of Defense] to take into account the views of the people of Guam." Admiral Mullen further stated that these, "are major moves that we want to get right."
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
Cruz critical of Bordallo's role in buildup
Cruz critical of Bordallo's role in buildup
Posted: Jan 30, 2010 6:15 PM
by Michele Catahay
Guam - Things heated up during a town hall meeting hosted by Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo this morning. Vice-Speaker B.J. Cruz questioned Bordallo's role in fighting for the people as it pertains to the military buildup.
Cruz says he isn't quite satisfied with the way Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo has been handling the issues pertaining to the movement of U.S. Marines from Okinawa to Guam. During the hearing today, Cruz suggested to Bordallo to go back to the federal government to find out if the Draft environmental Impact Statement could be revised and resubmitted before it becomes a permanent document.
He said, "I said that since this DEIS is much larger than the original scope that was originally discussed, and I think it's fair. And I asked her if she could spearhead the move to ask the Secretary of Defense to change the NEPA process that is currently being discussed and take this as an initial Draft EIS, have them revise it and resubmit it to us again as a draft."
Cruz says he remains critical of Bordallo, saying not enough has been done on her part to protect the island's coral reefs. Bordallo is the chairperson of the Subcommittee on Insular Affairs and Oceans and Wildlife. Cruz says he finds it disheartening that Bordallo received an award for the protection of the reefs and corals last year, but isn't speaking out against the dredging in Apra Harbor.
"Her silence in not speaking out against the fact they were going to dredge out 39 acres of coral in Apra Harbor was deafening," he continued. "And in being literate and polite, I said it was deafening and when pointing and trying to find the next word, she said 'unconscionable', and that probably is the best word."
Bordallo is on Guam hosting her own town hall meetings to gather input from stakeholders on the relocation. She says she will be submitting her own comments to the Joint Guam Program Office. Although there are many issues in line with the buildup, Bordallo says one thing for sure is that she does not support the use of eminent domain to acquire property for the military.
Said the delegate, "If a private landowner wants to lease or sell their property, that is their right because it's their property and if they choose not to, that is also their right, and I will not support the military using eminent domain to acquire the property if the landowner is opposed to doing so."
As for the use of government lands, Bordallo says the governor and Legislature are the only ones who can decide whether to lease or sell government property.
In the meantime, Barrigada resident Juan Unpingco says he has been living on Guam all his life and would hate to see his family's land be taken away by the military, saying, "I'm in support of the military buildup, provided there is no land condemnation. I'm in favor of rescinding land of equitable value of leasing property to meet the needs of the military buildup."
Dededo resident Janet Aguon says it's unfair how Guam has no say in this buildup. She says although she fought for the county in two wars, Aguon believes the buildup is not in the best interest of the people of Guam. "I'm truly sick and tired of the United States of America and the Department of Defense treating the people of Guam as if they were trash. So my message to President (Barack) Obama, the DoD, the Secretary of the Navy: take the military and put them in your own country and not on our tiny little island."
Two more hearings are scheduled tomorrow. One will be held at the Agat Community Center from 2-4pm. The other will be held at the Our Lady of Assumption Church Social Hall in Piti from 5-7pm.
Posted: Jan 30, 2010 6:15 PM
by Michele Catahay
Guam - Things heated up during a town hall meeting hosted by Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo this morning. Vice-Speaker B.J. Cruz questioned Bordallo's role in fighting for the people as it pertains to the military buildup.
Cruz says he isn't quite satisfied with the way Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo has been handling the issues pertaining to the movement of U.S. Marines from Okinawa to Guam. During the hearing today, Cruz suggested to Bordallo to go back to the federal government to find out if the Draft environmental Impact Statement could be revised and resubmitted before it becomes a permanent document.
He said, "I said that since this DEIS is much larger than the original scope that was originally discussed, and I think it's fair. And I asked her if she could spearhead the move to ask the Secretary of Defense to change the NEPA process that is currently being discussed and take this as an initial Draft EIS, have them revise it and resubmit it to us again as a draft."
Cruz says he remains critical of Bordallo, saying not enough has been done on her part to protect the island's coral reefs. Bordallo is the chairperson of the Subcommittee on Insular Affairs and Oceans and Wildlife. Cruz says he finds it disheartening that Bordallo received an award for the protection of the reefs and corals last year, but isn't speaking out against the dredging in Apra Harbor.
"Her silence in not speaking out against the fact they were going to dredge out 39 acres of coral in Apra Harbor was deafening," he continued. "And in being literate and polite, I said it was deafening and when pointing and trying to find the next word, she said 'unconscionable', and that probably is the best word."
Bordallo is on Guam hosting her own town hall meetings to gather input from stakeholders on the relocation. She says she will be submitting her own comments to the Joint Guam Program Office. Although there are many issues in line with the buildup, Bordallo says one thing for sure is that she does not support the use of eminent domain to acquire property for the military.
Said the delegate, "If a private landowner wants to lease or sell their property, that is their right because it's their property and if they choose not to, that is also their right, and I will not support the military using eminent domain to acquire the property if the landowner is opposed to doing so."
As for the use of government lands, Bordallo says the governor and Legislature are the only ones who can decide whether to lease or sell government property.
In the meantime, Barrigada resident Juan Unpingco says he has been living on Guam all his life and would hate to see his family's land be taken away by the military, saying, "I'm in support of the military buildup, provided there is no land condemnation. I'm in favor of rescinding land of equitable value of leasing property to meet the needs of the military buildup."
Dededo resident Janet Aguon says it's unfair how Guam has no say in this buildup. She says although she fought for the county in two wars, Aguon believes the buildup is not in the best interest of the people of Guam. "I'm truly sick and tired of the United States of America and the Department of Defense treating the people of Guam as if they were trash. So my message to President (Barack) Obama, the DoD, the Secretary of the Navy: take the military and put them in your own country and not on our tiny little island."
Two more hearings are scheduled tomorrow. One will be held at the Agat Community Center from 2-4pm. The other will be held at the Our Lady of Assumption Church Social Hall in Piti from 5-7pm.
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
Locals question military’s plan to acquire more land on Guam
Locals question military’s plan to acquire more land on Guam
By Teri Weaver, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Thursday, January 28, 2010
MANGILAO, Guam — As the U.S. military makes preparations to add at least 9,000 troops to Guam, Glenn Nelson wonders how close they’ll be coming to his driveway.
Nelson lives with relatives on the Pacific island’s western shore. North of Nelson’s property lie jungle, freshwater caves, a few quarries and Guam’s only sanctioned raceway.
Photo: The Pagat area on Guam’s eastern side provides popular swimming and diving spots in the summer and good fishing year round. The U.S. military has proposed building three firing ranges – part of plans to move more than 9,000 troops to the island - just north of the area on land controlled by the government of Guam. The ranges would most likely mean limited access to more freshwater caves and land north of this shoreline.
It’s there the military wants to add three ranges to train on live firing, from pistols to .50-caliber guns.
And it’s that proposal for more land — plus another to acquire acreage on the western side of the island for Marine housing — that is at the heart of many arguments from island residents about the military’s plans.
“It’s very important to know — there is a moral wrong for acquiring more land than they actually need,” Nelson said on a recent Sunday from his back deck. “[If our land isn’t affected], that’s great. But everyone has an interest in these lands.”
The military plans to move 8,600 Marines from Okinawa to Guam, a $10.27 billion project partially funded by the Japanese government. Plans also include the addition of an Army unit. As the United States continues to work with the Japanese on the move, residents and leaders on Guam are asking the military to reconsider its plans to use more of the island.
Photo: 222 - The military controls about one-third of the 212-square-mile island, including 8,800 acres of ammunition storage for the Navy toward Guam’s southern end. These 1,000-pound bombs are ammunition for the 5th and 7th U.S. fleets in one of 129 earth-covered magazines at the Navy Munitions Command.
Land is a sensitive issue for a place where some people remember how their parents and grandparents ceded or sold land, often reluctantly, to the U.S. military before and after World War II. The military holds nearly one-third of the island’s 212 square miles, including the northern end for Andersen Air Force Base, much of the natural port at Apra Harbor and another 8,800 acres in the middle of the island that stores millions of pounds of munitions for the Navy’s 5th and 7th fleets.
Those bullets, bombs and missiles are the military’s stockpile for crises and contingencies, as are the mostly empty flight lines at Andersen, military officials on Guam say.
It’s Andersen — a base with no home AIR squadron and 15,000 acres of land that include a golf course, a recreational beach and a planned wildlife preserve — that has drawn more recent criticism from local residents and leaders.
On Thursday, the chairwoman of the Guam Legislature’s military buildup committee sent an eight-page proposal to the Navy office in charge of the buildup, asking officials to consider rearranging weapons stockpiles on Andersen and looking harder at its own recreational beach for firing ranges.
“The Navy needs to put on its thinking cap about this matter and be open-minded,” Sen. Judith Guthertz wrote to the military’s Joint Guam Program Office.
Marine Corps Capt. Neil Ruggiero, a spokesman for the program office on Guam, said Thursday that his office had received the proposal. He said it would likely take a week to get a reply from the program’s headquarters office in the Washington area.
David Bice, a retired Marine major general now in charge of the buildup plan, said in an interview Jan. 8 that earlier proposed plans included more use of military lands for the ranges. But he said that would mean more Marines would be driving around the island each day, additional traffic that local leaders have said they don’t want.
“You’d have 7-ton trucks going up and down the highway every day,” Bice said during an interview in his office on Naval Base Guam.
Bice said the military has approached only three private landowners for the entire buildup. While he declines to name them, he said he is confident there will be no problems with land transactions.
Photo: 444 - The hotels and the military control access to some of Guam’s beachfront, like this area at Ritidian Point just on the outside of Andersen. The beach is controlled by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which allows access to the sand but not the water during the day. Tourists, like this family from South Korea, come to visit, take photos and look for crabs.
But the military also is looking at land controlled by the government of Guam, including that swath north of the Nelsons’ home. To get a hold of that land, the Guam Legislature must either approve the land deal or force the military to use eminent domain proceedings. Nearly every leader on the island, including Bice, has said they do not want things to come to that.
Earlier this month, Air Force Brig. Gen. Philip Ruhlman, commander of the 36th Wing and Andersen, said some of the base’s land that looks unused now is needed for response plans in case of crises or war.
“There were 155 B-52s here in Vietnam,” Ruhlman said in an interview in his office Jan. 13. “Every parking space was taken. That’s the marker.”
The base also hosts routine deployments of U.S.-based fighter, bomber and tanker squadrons, and it’s the home to the 36th Contingency Response Group, a rapid-deployment unit that can secure and establish airfields.
Another 5,500 acres at Andersen contains more even ammunition for the military — 19 million pounds valued at $2 billion — making that land off limits for further buildup, Ruhlman said. The base’s old airfield, known as the Northwest Field, is being developed as a training center for Air Force security forces on their way to Iraq or Afghanistan, he said.
The undeveloped land on Andersen further complicates things, Ruhlman said. An agreement between the departments of Defense and Interior means that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has oversight of much of the overgrown land on Andersen.
“For every tree I cut down, I have to plant four more,” Ruhlman said.
The Air Force environmental unit working under Ruhlman is putting up a 12,000-foot fence to enclose 135 acres to provide a home for endangered or near-extinct plants and birds, including the Guam rail and the Mariana crow. The decision to create that refuge was made more than three years ago, according to Andersen officials, about the same time the United States and Japan announced plans to move the Marines.
Still, the government’s simultaneous plans to create a habitat for birds while asking for more land for ranges are hard for some residents to take.
“There’s a golf range at Andersen,” Guam Sen. Ben Pangelinan said at one of the military’s public hearings on the project. “You can bulldoze it and just put [the ranges] there.”
The proposed ranges would also limit access to swimming and fishing areas around the Pagat Caves, just north of the Nelson home, according to the military. It’s this that upsets Desiree Ventura, Glenn Nelson’s niece who also lives in the family home.
“It’s not just about the land,” she said. “We’re lucky because we have land. Most of the people don’t have it. It’s about the environment. It’s about the access to recreational sites.”
The following clarification to this story was posted January 28: A Jan. 28 story should have said that although Andersen Air Force Base on Guam has no permanently stationed air squadrons, it hosts routine deployments of U.S.-based fighter, bomber and tanker squadrons. It also is home to the 36th Contingency Response Group, a rapid-deployment unit that can secure and establish airfields.
By Teri Weaver, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Thursday, January 28, 2010
MANGILAO, Guam — As the U.S. military makes preparations to add at least 9,000 troops to Guam, Glenn Nelson wonders how close they’ll be coming to his driveway.
Nelson lives with relatives on the Pacific island’s western shore. North of Nelson’s property lie jungle, freshwater caves, a few quarries and Guam’s only sanctioned raceway.
Photo: The Pagat area on Guam’s eastern side provides popular swimming and diving spots in the summer and good fishing year round. The U.S. military has proposed building three firing ranges – part of plans to move more than 9,000 troops to the island - just north of the area on land controlled by the government of Guam. The ranges would most likely mean limited access to more freshwater caves and land north of this shoreline.
It’s there the military wants to add three ranges to train on live firing, from pistols to .50-caliber guns.
And it’s that proposal for more land — plus another to acquire acreage on the western side of the island for Marine housing — that is at the heart of many arguments from island residents about the military’s plans.
“It’s very important to know — there is a moral wrong for acquiring more land than they actually need,” Nelson said on a recent Sunday from his back deck. “[If our land isn’t affected], that’s great. But everyone has an interest in these lands.”
The military plans to move 8,600 Marines from Okinawa to Guam, a $10.27 billion project partially funded by the Japanese government. Plans also include the addition of an Army unit. As the United States continues to work with the Japanese on the move, residents and leaders on Guam are asking the military to reconsider its plans to use more of the island.
Photo: 222 - The military controls about one-third of the 212-square-mile island, including 8,800 acres of ammunition storage for the Navy toward Guam’s southern end. These 1,000-pound bombs are ammunition for the 5th and 7th U.S. fleets in one of 129 earth-covered magazines at the Navy Munitions Command.
Land is a sensitive issue for a place where some people remember how their parents and grandparents ceded or sold land, often reluctantly, to the U.S. military before and after World War II. The military holds nearly one-third of the island’s 212 square miles, including the northern end for Andersen Air Force Base, much of the natural port at Apra Harbor and another 8,800 acres in the middle of the island that stores millions of pounds of munitions for the Navy’s 5th and 7th fleets.
Those bullets, bombs and missiles are the military’s stockpile for crises and contingencies, as are the mostly empty flight lines at Andersen, military officials on Guam say.
It’s Andersen — a base with no home AIR squadron and 15,000 acres of land that include a golf course, a recreational beach and a planned wildlife preserve — that has drawn more recent criticism from local residents and leaders.
On Thursday, the chairwoman of the Guam Legislature’s military buildup committee sent an eight-page proposal to the Navy office in charge of the buildup, asking officials to consider rearranging weapons stockpiles on Andersen and looking harder at its own recreational beach for firing ranges.
“The Navy needs to put on its thinking cap about this matter and be open-minded,” Sen. Judith Guthertz wrote to the military’s Joint Guam Program Office.
Marine Corps Capt. Neil Ruggiero, a spokesman for the program office on Guam, said Thursday that his office had received the proposal. He said it would likely take a week to get a reply from the program’s headquarters office in the Washington area.
David Bice, a retired Marine major general now in charge of the buildup plan, said in an interview Jan. 8 that earlier proposed plans included more use of military lands for the ranges. But he said that would mean more Marines would be driving around the island each day, additional traffic that local leaders have said they don’t want.
“You’d have 7-ton trucks going up and down the highway every day,” Bice said during an interview in his office on Naval Base Guam.
Bice said the military has approached only three private landowners for the entire buildup. While he declines to name them, he said he is confident there will be no problems with land transactions.
Photo: 444 - The hotels and the military control access to some of Guam’s beachfront, like this area at Ritidian Point just on the outside of Andersen. The beach is controlled by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which allows access to the sand but not the water during the day. Tourists, like this family from South Korea, come to visit, take photos and look for crabs.
But the military also is looking at land controlled by the government of Guam, including that swath north of the Nelsons’ home. To get a hold of that land, the Guam Legislature must either approve the land deal or force the military to use eminent domain proceedings. Nearly every leader on the island, including Bice, has said they do not want things to come to that.
Earlier this month, Air Force Brig. Gen. Philip Ruhlman, commander of the 36th Wing and Andersen, said some of the base’s land that looks unused now is needed for response plans in case of crises or war.
“There were 155 B-52s here in Vietnam,” Ruhlman said in an interview in his office Jan. 13. “Every parking space was taken. That’s the marker.”
The base also hosts routine deployments of U.S.-based fighter, bomber and tanker squadrons, and it’s the home to the 36th Contingency Response Group, a rapid-deployment unit that can secure and establish airfields.
Another 5,500 acres at Andersen contains more even ammunition for the military — 19 million pounds valued at $2 billion — making that land off limits for further buildup, Ruhlman said. The base’s old airfield, known as the Northwest Field, is being developed as a training center for Air Force security forces on their way to Iraq or Afghanistan, he said.
The undeveloped land on Andersen further complicates things, Ruhlman said. An agreement between the departments of Defense and Interior means that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has oversight of much of the overgrown land on Andersen.
“For every tree I cut down, I have to plant four more,” Ruhlman said.
The Air Force environmental unit working under Ruhlman is putting up a 12,000-foot fence to enclose 135 acres to provide a home for endangered or near-extinct plants and birds, including the Guam rail and the Mariana crow. The decision to create that refuge was made more than three years ago, according to Andersen officials, about the same time the United States and Japan announced plans to move the Marines.
Still, the government’s simultaneous plans to create a habitat for birds while asking for more land for ranges are hard for some residents to take.
“There’s a golf range at Andersen,” Guam Sen. Ben Pangelinan said at one of the military’s public hearings on the project. “You can bulldoze it and just put [the ranges] there.”
The proposed ranges would also limit access to swimming and fishing areas around the Pagat Caves, just north of the Nelson home, according to the military. It’s this that upsets Desiree Ventura, Glenn Nelson’s niece who also lives in the family home.
“It’s not just about the land,” she said. “We’re lucky because we have land. Most of the people don’t have it. It’s about the environment. It’s about the access to recreational sites.”
The following clarification to this story was posted January 28: A Jan. 28 story should have said that although Andersen Air Force Base on Guam has no permanently stationed air squadrons, it hosts routine deployments of U.S.-based fighter, bomber and tanker squadrons. It also is home to the 36th Contingency Response Group, a rapid-deployment unit that can secure and establish airfields.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Panel to take Guam concerns to D.C.
Panel to take Guam concerns to D.C.
Tuesday, 26 January 2010 05:15
by Therese Hart | Variety News Staff
SPEAKER Judi Won Pat will head a Guam delegation to Washington D.C. to bring the local community’s perspectives on the military buildup to members of Congress.
The delegation will include members of the legislature.
Won Pat said she wants to know if public comments will make a difference in the final draft of the environmental impact statement and if the people of Guam be given the opportunity to review and comment on the final report.
The traveling time is crucial, said Won Pat. “We want to leave in February because Congress is still in session and will recess on the 12th and we want to be there before that because if we wait, it'll be too late. There won't be anybody to present our case to,” she said.
Won Pat said she and her colleagues who attended the public hearings on the draft environmental impact statement were deeply troubled by the overwhelmingly negative comments from those who had testified.
Another question lawmakers will ask Congress is whether the people of Guam will have the opportunity to present testimonies after the public comment period ends Feb. 18 on the final draft study. “And nobody can answer that question for us. Not the Matrix Group, not the Joint Guam Program Office,” Won Pat said.
“We we're going to put these oral testimonies on DVD, because we want them to hear and feel the sentiments of the people. They need to understand how frustrating it is to our people,” she added.
The other goal is to present a legislative resolution that will reveal the major concerns and the local community’s sentiments about the buildup, Won Pat said.
Won Pat said she intends to call a one-day session to discuss Resolution 275, which identifies specific elements of great concern that were expressed during the public hearings hosted by Joint Guam Program Office and Gov. Felix Camacho.
The delegation will also present to Congress Resolution 160, which expresses opposition to the possible exercise of eminent domain power for acquisition of public lands.
The speaker's open invitation to her colleagues has garnered interest of Vice Speaker BJ Cruz, Senators Rory Respicio, Judi Guthertz, Frank Blas Jr., who have committed to travel to the nation’s capital as part of the legislative delegation.
Won Pat said she hopes that a majority of her colleagues will join her because now is the time to send out a big message to Congress that “we're not going to take this sitting down. Whatever we can do, we'll do. We must,” said the Speaker. “The governor talks about One vision. One future. One Guam. Let us make it so.”
Tuesday, 26 January 2010 05:15
by Therese Hart | Variety News Staff
SPEAKER Judi Won Pat will head a Guam delegation to Washington D.C. to bring the local community’s perspectives on the military buildup to members of Congress.
The delegation will include members of the legislature.
Won Pat said she wants to know if public comments will make a difference in the final draft of the environmental impact statement and if the people of Guam be given the opportunity to review and comment on the final report.
The traveling time is crucial, said Won Pat. “We want to leave in February because Congress is still in session and will recess on the 12th and we want to be there before that because if we wait, it'll be too late. There won't be anybody to present our case to,” she said.
Won Pat said she and her colleagues who attended the public hearings on the draft environmental impact statement were deeply troubled by the overwhelmingly negative comments from those who had testified.
Another question lawmakers will ask Congress is whether the people of Guam will have the opportunity to present testimonies after the public comment period ends Feb. 18 on the final draft study. “And nobody can answer that question for us. Not the Matrix Group, not the Joint Guam Program Office,” Won Pat said.
“We we're going to put these oral testimonies on DVD, because we want them to hear and feel the sentiments of the people. They need to understand how frustrating it is to our people,” she added.
The other goal is to present a legislative resolution that will reveal the major concerns and the local community’s sentiments about the buildup, Won Pat said.
Won Pat said she intends to call a one-day session to discuss Resolution 275, which identifies specific elements of great concern that were expressed during the public hearings hosted by Joint Guam Program Office and Gov. Felix Camacho.
The delegation will also present to Congress Resolution 160, which expresses opposition to the possible exercise of eminent domain power for acquisition of public lands.
The speaker's open invitation to her colleagues has garnered interest of Vice Speaker BJ Cruz, Senators Rory Respicio, Judi Guthertz, Frank Blas Jr., who have committed to travel to the nation’s capital as part of the legislative delegation.
Won Pat said she hopes that a majority of her colleagues will join her because now is the time to send out a big message to Congress that “we're not going to take this sitting down. Whatever we can do, we'll do. We must,” said the Speaker. “The governor talks about One vision. One future. One Guam. Let us make it so.”
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Senators to hear DEIS concerns
Senators to hear DEIS concerns
Monday, 25 January 2010 01:30
Variety News Staff
(Legislature) — The weeklong public hearing to discuss the community’s concerns with the draft environmental impact statement start tonight at the legislature.
The public hearing will continue until Friday.
Last week, a majority of lawmakers expressed support for Resolution 258 that expresses opposition to the use of condemnation of private land in association with the military buildup.
"All this insensitivity incenses me," vice speaker BJ Cruz told his colleagues. "They've got to take eminent domain off the table. I'm saying enough - you have sufficient land within your bases."
Sen. Eddie Calvo said, “"Not only am I against eminent domain, I'm against any further taking of any properties from the federal government - not one square inch.
Monday, 25 January 2010 01:30
Variety News Staff
(Legislature) — The weeklong public hearing to discuss the community’s concerns with the draft environmental impact statement start tonight at the legislature.
The public hearing will continue until Friday.
Last week, a majority of lawmakers expressed support for Resolution 258 that expresses opposition to the use of condemnation of private land in association with the military buildup.
"All this insensitivity incenses me," vice speaker BJ Cruz told his colleagues. "They've got to take eminent domain off the table. I'm saying enough - you have sufficient land within your bases."
Sen. Eddie Calvo said, “"Not only am I against eminent domain, I'm against any further taking of any properties from the federal government - not one square inch.
PNC :: Sen. Guthertz Calls On DOD To Modify Buildup Plan
PNC :: Sen. Guthertz Calls On DOD To Modify Buildup Plan
Thursday, 21 January 2010
Guam - The Chairperson of the Guam Legislature’s Committee on the Guam Military Buildup has warned that absent major changes in present military land use plans on the island, the “welcome mat” for the buildup may disappear.
Senator Judith P. Guthertz sent her ‘Comment Paper on Land Issues’ to a wide range of high ranking federal officials, starting with President Obama and including numerous members of his cabinet as well as Major General David Bice, USMC (Ret.) who is the executive director of the Joint Guam Program Office, which is charged with carrying out the buildup.
Senator Guthertz and other Guam officials have maintained that they received private assurances from persons connected to the buildup that it would involve no taking of local land by condemnation (eminent domain) or other means, but the draft Environmental Impact Statement revealed alternatives that would require the military to obtain considerable land beyond the present one third of the island owned by the Department of Defense.
“The DEIS must be modified to locate, as the preferred alternative, all of the military’s needs on existing federal land,” Senator Guthertz’ paper said. “This modification must be done NOW, not behind locked doors between the second half of February and the first half of July.”
“The welcome mat could well be eliminated over those months if no justice is provided.”
Since November, Guam residents have been poring over the thousands of pages of the DEIS, seeking to decipher what its highly technical language means for their future and the future of Guam. Many of these citizen-reviewers have found issues to dispute in the plans and public hearings held to gather public input have become increasingly contentious.
Land issues identified by Senator Guthertz are particularly focused on what appear to be the military’s preferences for the location of firing ranges and new housing for additional personnel, all requiring property outside of the present military “footprint.” The paper reviews these choices and proposes alternatives that could all be located on existing military land.
Written by : News Release
Thursday, 21 January 2010
Guam - The Chairperson of the Guam Legislature’s Committee on the Guam Military Buildup has warned that absent major changes in present military land use plans on the island, the “welcome mat” for the buildup may disappear.
Senator Judith P. Guthertz sent her ‘Comment Paper on Land Issues’ to a wide range of high ranking federal officials, starting with President Obama and including numerous members of his cabinet as well as Major General David Bice, USMC (Ret.) who is the executive director of the Joint Guam Program Office, which is charged with carrying out the buildup.
Senator Guthertz and other Guam officials have maintained that they received private assurances from persons connected to the buildup that it would involve no taking of local land by condemnation (eminent domain) or other means, but the draft Environmental Impact Statement revealed alternatives that would require the military to obtain considerable land beyond the present one third of the island owned by the Department of Defense.
“The DEIS must be modified to locate, as the preferred alternative, all of the military’s needs on existing federal land,” Senator Guthertz’ paper said. “This modification must be done NOW, not behind locked doors between the second half of February and the first half of July.”
“The welcome mat could well be eliminated over those months if no justice is provided.”
Since November, Guam residents have been poring over the thousands of pages of the DEIS, seeking to decipher what its highly technical language means for their future and the future of Guam. Many of these citizen-reviewers have found issues to dispute in the plans and public hearings held to gather public input have become increasingly contentious.
Land issues identified by Senator Guthertz are particularly focused on what appear to be the military’s preferences for the location of firing ranges and new housing for additional personnel, all requiring property outside of the present military “footprint.” The paper reviews these choices and proposes alternatives that could all be located on existing military land.
Written by : News Release
Tiyan parkway could cost landowners' property
Tiyan parkway could cost landowners' property
Posted: Jan 21, 2010 3:25 PM
by Janjeera Hail
Guam - It appears efforts to build a Tiyan parkway will result in the Government of Guam taking property from some Tiyan landowners. Department of Public Works Director Larry Perez says the agency met with the Federal Aviation and Highway Administration and representatives from the Governor's Office, as well as Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo's office.
While progress has been made, Perez admits there are challenges. He said, "It looks like there might be some land taking required, if it's a settlement that's great, but if its not a settlement and it requires eminent domain or condemnation, then we're going to need to go before the senators for their approval. He also said, "To pass a law to undo that, to reconcile that is going to be a challenge. The other is with this buildup there's this passion out there to not condemn land. So we're trying to ask the federal government not to condemn land, then GovGuam should follow suit."
Other challenges include some of the Tiyan properties are deemed unusable and have clouded titles. While officials work to finalize the alignment of the parkway, Perez says they are trying to ensure they minimize the impact to landowners and the airport.
Posted: Jan 21, 2010 3:25 PM
by Janjeera Hail
Guam - It appears efforts to build a Tiyan parkway will result in the Government of Guam taking property from some Tiyan landowners. Department of Public Works Director Larry Perez says the agency met with the Federal Aviation and Highway Administration and representatives from the Governor's Office, as well as Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo's office.
While progress has been made, Perez admits there are challenges. He said, "It looks like there might be some land taking required, if it's a settlement that's great, but if its not a settlement and it requires eminent domain or condemnation, then we're going to need to go before the senators for their approval. He also said, "To pass a law to undo that, to reconcile that is going to be a challenge. The other is with this buildup there's this passion out there to not condemn land. So we're trying to ask the federal government not to condemn land, then GovGuam should follow suit."
Other challenges include some of the Tiyan properties are deemed unusable and have clouded titles. While officials work to finalize the alignment of the parkway, Perez says they are trying to ensure they minimize the impact to landowners and the airport.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Bice: Impressed With Turnout And What Was Said
Bice: Impressed With Turnout And What Was Said
Guam - The public hearings on Guam for the military buildup are now over. Four public hearings have been held over the past week, and the last one wrapped up Tuesday night at Okkado High School.
Military officials are now in the CNMI to conduct 2 more public hearings this week.
Summing up the outcome of the hearings on Guam, JGPO Director David Bice Wednesday said he was pleased and impressed with the turnout.
He said Guam could be proud of its young people in particular who spoke their minds and expressed their concerns.
If there was one theme that ran though the remarks, Bice said it was culture, the need to protect and preserve local culture. Bice promised that those concerns were heard and that the military would work with local historic and preservation groups to preserve the island's culture.
All of the comments, both written and verbal will be documented and entered into volume 10 of the already voluminous EIS, and a response will be entered after each comment.
One of the ongoing political concerns over the buildup process has been about whether the military would use its power of eminent domain to acquire land through condemnation. Bice expressed confidence that settlements will be reached with
land owners before it comes to that.
And despite the uncertainty in Japan over the relocation of the Futenma Air Base in Okinawa, Bice pointed out that the Japanese Government has already approved more than $500 million dollars in funding for the Guam buildup and the first contract award using Japanese funds was announced Wednesday. He said he was confident the move will go forward, despite some waffling in Tokyo.
The final EIS is expected sometime late this summer.
Written by :
Kevin Kerrigan
Guam - The public hearings on Guam for the military buildup are now over. Four public hearings have been held over the past week, and the last one wrapped up Tuesday night at Okkado High School.
Military officials are now in the CNMI to conduct 2 more public hearings this week.
Summing up the outcome of the hearings on Guam, JGPO Director David Bice Wednesday said he was pleased and impressed with the turnout.
He said Guam could be proud of its young people in particular who spoke their minds and expressed their concerns.
If there was one theme that ran though the remarks, Bice said it was culture, the need to protect and preserve local culture. Bice promised that those concerns were heard and that the military would work with local historic and preservation groups to preserve the island's culture.
All of the comments, both written and verbal will be documented and entered into volume 10 of the already voluminous EIS, and a response will be entered after each comment.
One of the ongoing political concerns over the buildup process has been about whether the military would use its power of eminent domain to acquire land through condemnation. Bice expressed confidence that settlements will be reached with
land owners before it comes to that.
And despite the uncertainty in Japan over the relocation of the Futenma Air Base in Okinawa, Bice pointed out that the Japanese Government has already approved more than $500 million dollars in funding for the Guam buildup and the first contract award using Japanese funds was announced Wednesday. He said he was confident the move will go forward, despite some waffling in Tokyo.
The final EIS is expected sometime late this summer.
Written by :
Kevin Kerrigan
Bordallo opposed to use of eminent domain by DoD for land acquisition
Bordallo opposed to use of eminent domain by DoD for land acquisition
Saipan Tribune
Thursday, January 14, 2010
WASHINGTON, D.C.-Guam Delegate Madeleine Z. Bordallo is opposed to the idea of allowing the U.S. Department of Defense to use eminent domain as a means to acquire private property from an unwilling landowner in Guam.
In a statement issued yesterday, Bordallo said she would oppose any DoD efforts to use eminent domain to acquire the private property of a landowner who is not interested in leasing or selling their private property.
“On several occasions when I have met with DoD officials I told them that I oppose the use of eminent domain to acquire private property and that this option would not be supported by our leaders and our community,” she said. “I have encouraged the DoD to work closely with the Government of Guam and any private landowners to explore mutually agreeable solutions to any land issues.”
Bordallo's statement was in response to land acquisition issues that were raised at recent Draft Environmental Impact Statement public hearings in Guam.
She pointed out that any effort by the DoD to use eminent domain for land acquisition would have to be approved by the U.S. Congress and reviewed by the House Armed Services Committee.
“I believe that further dialogue between DoD, our elected leaders, and private landowners will go a long way in finding solutions to military requirements while avoiding use of eminent domain and minimizing the impact to our cultural heritage and environment. I will reiterate my opposition to the use of eminent domain to acquire land in comments that I will submit on the draft EIS,” she said. (Saipan Tribune)
Saipan Tribune
Thursday, January 14, 2010
WASHINGTON, D.C.-Guam Delegate Madeleine Z. Bordallo is opposed to the idea of allowing the U.S. Department of Defense to use eminent domain as a means to acquire private property from an unwilling landowner in Guam.
In a statement issued yesterday, Bordallo said she would oppose any DoD efforts to use eminent domain to acquire the private property of a landowner who is not interested in leasing or selling their private property.
“On several occasions when I have met with DoD officials I told them that I oppose the use of eminent domain to acquire private property and that this option would not be supported by our leaders and our community,” she said. “I have encouraged the DoD to work closely with the Government of Guam and any private landowners to explore mutually agreeable solutions to any land issues.”
Bordallo's statement was in response to land acquisition issues that were raised at recent Draft Environmental Impact Statement public hearings in Guam.
She pointed out that any effort by the DoD to use eminent domain for land acquisition would have to be approved by the U.S. Congress and reviewed by the House Armed Services Committee.
“I believe that further dialogue between DoD, our elected leaders, and private landowners will go a long way in finding solutions to military requirements while avoiding use of eminent domain and minimizing the impact to our cultural heritage and environment. I will reiterate my opposition to the use of eminent domain to acquire land in comments that I will submit on the draft EIS,” she said. (Saipan Tribune)
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