Head of Guam EPA shows at oversight hearing
Posted: May 21, 2010 4:44 PM
KUAM NEWS
by Nick Delgado
Guam - Lawmakers spent the afternoon questioning budget officials as well as village mayors before grilling Guam Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lorilee Crisostomo about how she's been operating her agency.
"Alarm bells are now sounding in Guam, and they are sounding because of the state of the Guam Environmental Protection Agency. The concerns are being presented by a broad cross-section of the community, ranging from grassroots people to business leaders and most especially by the Environmental Protection Agency," said oversight chairman Senator Rory Respicio (D).
Respicio called for today's oversight hearing on the Guam EPA after a scathing financial mismanagement report surfaced from the environmental agencies federal counterparts. Respicio during today's hearing said the oversight is necessary so that they can prevent an environmental disaster from occurring, something the senator says is possible with the way things are currently operating at the Guam EPA. The federal report stated a lack of communication with the USEPA and the Bureau of Budget Management & Research.
BBMR Director Bertha Duenas says however she has said from the beginning that she anticipates financial troubles for the Guam EPA. "We knew that the payroll alone was over $2 million and the next award wasn't until April, then it's pretty easy to see without too much math that we're going to run out of money soon in October."
BBMR is now working out the issues stated in the USEPA report.
But after about two-and-a-half hours of not being given the opportunity to speak, senators flooded Crisostomo with criticism and questions, as lawmakers feel the agency may be on the brink of federal receivership. It's an issue Respicio called Crisostomo out on, as he anticipates the problems at the agency will only get worse with the impending military buildup.
Respicio said, "What concerns me is it took USEPA to call out the DoD to say that the Draft Environmental Impact Statement gave it the worst grade ever, you were pretty silent throughout that whole process." Crisostomo replied, "We are just one of the government agencies, we are not the cooperative agency for the NEPA process our voice is just as much as your voice in the NEPA process, but we do an extensive review."
Although Crisostomo has called the federal report "inaccurate", the agency is reviewing the recommendations in the report to determine if it's possible for them to comply with.
When asked about the illegal dump fire in Yigo and the Notice of Violation issued against the property owner, Joseph Taitano, she said although it happened before her time. She followed-up and the matter, she reassured, is sitting with the AG's Office for further action.
Meanwhile, Senator Respicio said it seemed as though Crisostomo had an excuse for everything and added that today's hearing was not a witch hunt.
Showing posts with label Report. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Report. Show all posts
Friday, May 21, 2010
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
Guam EPA Under Scrutiny
GEPA under scrutiny .
Thursday, 06 May 2010 05:05
by Therese Hart
Marianas Variety News Staff
EPA official says environment agency facing high-risk status
REPRESENTATIVES from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are currently on island to look into the Guam EPA’s financial control system, which a report found to be mismanaged.
Enrique Manzanilla, director of EPA’s communities and ecosystems division, earlier told Guam EPA administrator Lorilee Crisostomo that the fiscal mismanagement could place the agency under a high-risk status.
EPA’s 2009 End of Year Program Review Summary found that in the last two years, Guam EPA has been hiring staff without increasing its revenues.
Gerry Cruz, public information officer for GEPA, said yesterday that Crisostomo was off-island and she would have to review the report thoroughly before she could comment.
An administration officer in Adelup, who requested not to be identified, said Crisostomo is likely to be placed on administrative leave once she gets back from her trip.
Manzanilla stated in his letter to the Guam EPA administrator that his staff has discussed the agency’s financial difficulties with Crisostomo over the last two years.
Cruz said EPA officials are working with Guam EPA and discussing all the points made in the report.
Cruz said the problems that GEPA is facing “didn’t just happen overnight.” He said there were some good points EPA mentioned about the progress GEPA is making in spite of its financial woes.
In discussions with Crisostomo, the administrative services office and other Guam EPA managers, EPA stated it was unclear how the local agency prioritizes its work, controls its finances or even whether it can determine if it is able to meet its salary and other operational expenses for the rest of the fiscal year.
The EPA report concluded that Guam EPA has not taken any steps to prevent the cash flow deficit from happening at the beginning of fiscal year 2011.
As an indicator of the difficulty GEPA will have meeting its expenses this year, Guam EPA’s salary expenses alone will total over $3 million. Local mandates require Guam EPA staff salaries to be paid exclusively by the EPA grant.
USEPA’s total consolidated grant for the year is $3.2 million, which is extended to cover salary plus other operational expenses. Because the EPA grant is encumbered for special purposes, less than $3 million of the grant is actually available for GEPA salaries.
“It is unlikely that current EPA funding would cover existing GEPA salaries, let alone contractors, project implementation, other operational expenses, unanticipated expenses, or higher-than-anticipated costs. This is a problem for an agency that is mostly funded by EPA’s grant,” Manzanilla stated in his letter to Crisostomo.
“Clearly there is a pattern of behavior that hardly helps its financial difficulties. The pattern over the last few years has been a ‘boom or bust’ system: funds have been frozen during the beginning of year cash flow “deficit” crisis GEPA experiences. Then an ad hoc hiring and other spending decisions are made after receiving EPA’s first grant award in spring, followed by spending cuts on an as-needed basis as the fiscal year closes,” the EPA report stated.
“This process has contributed to the financial problems described…and it is a fundamental deficiency,” according to the report.
##
Thursday, 06 May 2010 05:05
by Therese Hart
Marianas Variety News Staff
EPA official says environment agency facing high-risk status
REPRESENTATIVES from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are currently on island to look into the Guam EPA’s financial control system, which a report found to be mismanaged.
Enrique Manzanilla, director of EPA’s communities and ecosystems division, earlier told Guam EPA administrator Lorilee Crisostomo that the fiscal mismanagement could place the agency under a high-risk status.
EPA’s 2009 End of Year Program Review Summary found that in the last two years, Guam EPA has been hiring staff without increasing its revenues.
Gerry Cruz, public information officer for GEPA, said yesterday that Crisostomo was off-island and she would have to review the report thoroughly before she could comment.
An administration officer in Adelup, who requested not to be identified, said Crisostomo is likely to be placed on administrative leave once she gets back from her trip.
Manzanilla stated in his letter to the Guam EPA administrator that his staff has discussed the agency’s financial difficulties with Crisostomo over the last two years.
Cruz said EPA officials are working with Guam EPA and discussing all the points made in the report.
Cruz said the problems that GEPA is facing “didn’t just happen overnight.” He said there were some good points EPA mentioned about the progress GEPA is making in spite of its financial woes.
In discussions with Crisostomo, the administrative services office and other Guam EPA managers, EPA stated it was unclear how the local agency prioritizes its work, controls its finances or even whether it can determine if it is able to meet its salary and other operational expenses for the rest of the fiscal year.
The EPA report concluded that Guam EPA has not taken any steps to prevent the cash flow deficit from happening at the beginning of fiscal year 2011.
As an indicator of the difficulty GEPA will have meeting its expenses this year, Guam EPA’s salary expenses alone will total over $3 million. Local mandates require Guam EPA staff salaries to be paid exclusively by the EPA grant.
USEPA’s total consolidated grant for the year is $3.2 million, which is extended to cover salary plus other operational expenses. Because the EPA grant is encumbered for special purposes, less than $3 million of the grant is actually available for GEPA salaries.
“It is unlikely that current EPA funding would cover existing GEPA salaries, let alone contractors, project implementation, other operational expenses, unanticipated expenses, or higher-than-anticipated costs. This is a problem for an agency that is mostly funded by EPA’s grant,” Manzanilla stated in his letter to Crisostomo.
“Clearly there is a pattern of behavior that hardly helps its financial difficulties. The pattern over the last few years has been a ‘boom or bust’ system: funds have been frozen during the beginning of year cash flow “deficit” crisis GEPA experiences. Then an ad hoc hiring and other spending decisions are made after receiving EPA’s first grant award in spring, followed by spending cuts on an as-needed basis as the fiscal year closes,” the EPA report stated.
“This process has contributed to the financial problems described…and it is a fundamental deficiency,” according to the report.
##
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Buildup Angers Guam
On Guam, planned Marine base raises anger, infrastructure concerns
By Blaine Harden
Washington Post
March 22, 2010
HAGATNA, GUAM -- This remote Pacific island is home to U.S. citizens who are fervent supporters of the military, as measured by their record of fighting and dying in America's recent wars.
"It is not possible and it is not fair that the island bear the cost," Woo said.
By Blaine Harden
Washington Post
March 22, 2010
HAGATNA, GUAM -- This remote Pacific island is home to U.S. citizens who are fervent supporters of the military, as measured by their record of fighting and dying in America's recent wars.
But they are angry about a major military buildup here, which the government of Guam and many residents say is being grossly underfunded. They fear that the construction of a new Marine Corps base will overwhelm the island's already inadequate water and sewage systems, as well as its port, power grid, hospital, highways and social services.
"Our nation knows how to find us when it comes to war and fighting for war," said Michael W. Cruz, lieutenant governor of Guam and an Army National Guard colonel who recently returned from a four-month tour as a surgeon in Afghanistan. "But when it comes to war preparations -- which is what the military buildup essentially is -- nobody seems to know where Guam is."
The federal government has given powerful reasons to worry to the 180,000 residents of Guam, a balmy tropical island whose military importance derives from its location as by far the closest U.S. territory to China and North Korea.
The Environmental Protection Agency said last month that the military buildup, as described in Pentagon documents, could trigger island-wide water shortages that would "fall disproportionately on a low income medically underserved population." It also said the buildup would overload sewage-treatment systems in a way that "may result in significant adverse public health impacts."
A report by the Government Accountability Office last year came to similar conclusions, saying the buildup would "substantially" tax Guam's infrastructure.
President Obama had planned to visit Guam on Monday as the brief first stop of an Asia trip, but he delayed his travel because of Sunday's health-care vote in the House. Obama is aware of the problems here and had planned to promise some federal help, White House officials said.
"We're trying to identify and understand the current conditions on Guam and the potential impact of the relocation," said Nancy Sutley, head of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, who on Tuesday will lead a delegation to the island. "There's no question that the environmental conditions on Guam are not ideal."
Besides a new Marine base and airfield, the buildup includes port dredging for a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, a project that would cause what the EPA describes as an "unacceptable" impact on 71 acres of a vibrant coral reef. The military, which owns 27 percent of the island, also wants to build a Marine firing range on land that includes one of the last undeveloped beachfront forests on Guam.
'Should not proceed'
In a highly unusual move, the EPA graded the buildup plan as "environmentally unsatisfactory" and said it "should not proceed as proposed."
"The government of Guam and the Guam Waterworks cannot by themselves accommodate the military expansion," said Nancy Woo, associate director of the EPA's western regional water division. She said Guam would need about $550 million to upgrade its water and sewage systems. White House officials said the EPA findings are preliminary.
Guam government officials put the total direct and indirect costs of coping with the buildup at about $3 billion, including $1.7 billion to improve roads and $100 million to expand the already overburdened public hospital. On this island -- where a third of the population receives food stamps and about 25 percent lives below the U.S. poverty level -- that price tag cannot be paid with local tax revenue.
At the peak of construction, the buildup would increase Guam's population by 79,000 people, or about 45 percent. The EPA said the military plans, so far, to pay for public services for about 23,000 of the new arrivals, mostly Marines and their dependents who are relocating from the Japanese island of Okinawa. Ceded to the United States by Spain in 1898, Guam is a U.S. territory. Its residents are American citizens, but they cannot vote in presidential elections and have no voting representative in Congress.
The Marine Corps is sensing a populist backlash on Guam, which is three times the size of the District of Columbia and more than 6,000 miles west of Los Angeles.
"I see a rising level of concern about how we are going to manage this," Lt. Gen. Keith J. Stalder, the Hawaii-based commander of Marine forces in the Pacific, said in a telephone interview. "I think it is becoming clearer every day that they need outside assistance."
The White House said Obama included $750 million in his budget to address the civilian impact of the relocation and has asked Congress for $1 billion next year, but Guam officials say they have received no assurances from the federal government that the money is headed their way.
No input in decision
Guam was not consulted in the decision to move 8,000 Marines -- about half those based in Okinawa -- to the island. The $13 billion move was negotiated in 2006 between the Bush administration and a previous Japanese government, with Japan paying about $6 billion of the non-civilian cost, as a way of reducing the large U.S. military footprint in Okinawa.
But in the past year, with new leadership in Tokyo, the Japanese role in the move has become complicated. Anti-military sentiment is growing in Okinawa; Japan's new leaders have yet to decide if they will allow a Marine air station to remain anywhere in the country. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has expressed irritation with Japan, even as the Pentagon presses ahead with its plan to shift the Marines to Guam by 2014.
The government of Guam and most of its residents initially welcomed the buildup. It was viewed as good for business, and the military enjoys deep respect here. Many families have members serving in the armed forces; among the 50 states and four territories, this island regularly ranks first in recruiting success. Guam's killed-in-action rate is about four times as high as on the mainland.
Guam is the only American soil with a sizable population to have been occupied by a foreign military power. During World War II, the Japanese held the island for 2 1/2 brutal years, building concentration camps and forcing the indigenous Chamorro people to provide slave labor and sex. Beheadings were common.
Led by the Marines, American forces liberated the island in 1944, and people here say they still feel a debt to the United States. To repay it, they proudly call their island the "tip of the spear" for projecting U.S. military power in the Far East. Guam already has Navy and Air Force bases that can handle many of the most potent weapons in the U.S. arsenal. Nuclear-powered attack submarines, F-22 fighter jets and B-2 stealth bombers frequent the island, which will soon be protected by its own anti-missile system.
"We don't mind being the tip of spear, but we don't want to get the shaft," said Simon A. Sanchez II, chairman of Guam's commission on public utilities. "We have been asking for help from Day One, but we have not got any meaningful appropriations."
'Not being listened to'
The governor of Guam, Felix Camacho, asked the military last month to slow down the deployment of Marines until sufficient federal money arrives. But as a territory, and without a vote in Congress, the island has negligible lobbying power and no legal means of halting the buildup.
Many residents have hoped that Obama -- a fellow Pacific islander, who was born in Hawaii and lived in Indonesia -- might understand their anxieties and unlock federal resources. The White House said Obama will visit Guam when his Asia trip is rescheduled, perhaps in June.
I just want to remind President Obama that his story is our story," said Victoria-Lola Leon Guerrero, an English instructor at the University of Guam and a leader of a group opposing the buildup. She said her students read Obama's autobiography, "Dreams From My Father," focusing on a coming-of-age passage from his years in Hawaii, in which he describes his realization that he was "utterly alone."
"That's how we feel here," she said. "We feel like we are not being listened to, like we are not being respected."
The federal government's push to further militarize this island -- combined with its heel-dragging in paying for the impact on civilians -- has led many Guam residents to doubt the value of their relationship with the United States.
"This is old-school colonialism all over again," said LisaLinda Natividad, an assistant professor of social work at the University of Guam and an activist opposing the buildup. "It boils down to our political status -- we are occupied territory."
Staff writer Michael D. Shear in Washington contributed to this report.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Final EIS This Summer
Final EIS out by summer
Thursday, 25 March 2010 04:55
by Zita Y. Taitano
Marianas Variety News Staff
THE final version of the environmental impact statement for the military buildup could be ready by late June or early July, Joint Guam Program Office director John Jackson said yesterday.
Jackson made the announcement before the Mayors Council during yesterday’s special meeting.
He said JGPO has received a total of 8,600 comments on the draft report.
He said the comments came from different places including Guam, Japan, the Philippines, and Hawaii, among others.
“Those comments range from ‘We’re glad to see the Marines coming’ to ‘Yankee go home,’” Jackson said.
The documents received will be reviewed by a team in Hawaii and then put in 45 categories for the final version.
And while he didn’t go into what those categories were, Jackson said that they would be included in the final version and be referred to as actionable comments. Other comments that do not have any direct impact on the final study will be omitted.
“Once the final study is put out on the street, there will be a 30-day period from the time it is published to the time that the record of decision can be made in August,” Jackson said.
Jackson explained that the record of decision will be comprised of multiple alternatives and preferred alternatives by the Secretary of the Navy.
“The Secretary of the Navy may say he concurs with the preferred alternative at Finegayan for the Marine Corps Base or he may say I like that part, but I also want you to modify it to do the following things so the record of decision basically takes the recommendations from the final EIS and the decision signs off on it with yes or no,” said Jackson.
As for the failing grade that the draft report has received from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Jackson said when the study was drafted last September, it was based on the input from the scoping meetings, and that several issues brought up had already been addressed.
He said Nancy Sutley, chairwoman of the Environmental Quality Council, told him the issues and concerns were already taken care of.
Jackson, however, didn’t specify the issues that he said have been addressed.
Thursday, 25 March 2010 04:55
by Zita Y. Taitano
Marianas Variety News Staff
THE final version of the environmental impact statement for the military buildup could be ready by late June or early July, Joint Guam Program Office director John Jackson said yesterday.
Jackson made the announcement before the Mayors Council during yesterday’s special meeting.
He said JGPO has received a total of 8,600 comments on the draft report.
He said the comments came from different places including Guam, Japan, the Philippines, and Hawaii, among others.
“Those comments range from ‘We’re glad to see the Marines coming’ to ‘Yankee go home,’” Jackson said.
The documents received will be reviewed by a team in Hawaii and then put in 45 categories for the final version.
And while he didn’t go into what those categories were, Jackson said that they would be included in the final version and be referred to as actionable comments. Other comments that do not have any direct impact on the final study will be omitted.
“Once the final study is put out on the street, there will be a 30-day period from the time it is published to the time that the record of decision can be made in August,” Jackson said.
Jackson explained that the record of decision will be comprised of multiple alternatives and preferred alternatives by the Secretary of the Navy.
“The Secretary of the Navy may say he concurs with the preferred alternative at Finegayan for the Marine Corps Base or he may say I like that part, but I also want you to modify it to do the following things so the record of decision basically takes the recommendations from the final EIS and the decision signs off on it with yes or no,” said Jackson.
As for the failing grade that the draft report has received from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Jackson said when the study was drafted last September, it was based on the input from the scoping meetings, and that several issues brought up had already been addressed.
He said Nancy Sutley, chairwoman of the Environmental Quality Council, told him the issues and concerns were already taken care of.
Jackson, however, didn’t specify the issues that he said have been addressed.
Friday, May 08, 2009
Pentagon Reconsiders Pricey Guam Move
Pentagon reconsiders pricey Guam move
By Otto Kreisher
CongressDaily May 7, 2009
The Marine Corps commandant told House appropriators on Wednesday that the initial $4 billion estimated U.S. cost for relocating thousands of Marines from Japan to Guam is "way short" of what the service will likely spend.
"It will be far more than that," Gen. James Conway told the House Military Construction Appropriations Subcommittee.
Conway said the decision to move more than 8,000 Marines from Okinawa and some bases in mainland Japan would be reconsidered as part of the global basing study during the upcoming Quadrennial Defense Review. The Defense Department will have to come up with a prioritized list of projects and determine Guam's ability to support the additional forces, the commandant said.
Rep. Norman Dicks, D-Wash., opened the issue, saying he was concerned that Guam does not have the infrastructure to support all the Marines and additional sailors that are planned to be based there.
Conway agreed and noted that plans call for $3 billion a year in construction over a considerable period, and the territory of Guam could support only half of that. He also expressed concern about the ability to provide training facilities for those Marines.
Japan has committed to financing most of the cost of moving the Marines out of the bases on Okinawa, which are impacted by the growing population. But the Japanese government is struggling to provide the funds for that effort and the relocation on the island of a Marine air base.
Military Construction Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Chet Edwards, D-Texas, asked if additional funds were provided in the fiscal 2010 budget to reflect the higher cost for the Guam move. Conway noted that he could not provide details until the budget is released on Thursday, but said "X amount of dollars" were in the budget.
Most of the big expenses, he added, were in future years, subject to decisions made in the QDR.
Rep. Ander Crenshaw, R-Fla., noted that the Navy's plan to relocate a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier from Norfolk, Va., to Mayport, Fla., also would be reviewed in the QDR. But Crenshaw asked Adm. Gary Roughead, the chief of naval operations who also attended the hearing, if he still supported that move.
Roughead said he did, because he considered the concentration of all five of the Atlantic Fleet's carriers in Norfolk a security risk. He noted that the six Pacific Fleet carriers are in three locations.
The Virginia delegation has protested the move, arguing that the Navy could not afford what could be as much as $1 billion to prepare Mayport to host a nuclear carrier. The base had been home to the conventionally powered carrier John F. Kennedy, which has been retired.
By Otto Kreisher
CongressDaily May 7, 2009
The Marine Corps commandant told House appropriators on Wednesday that the initial $4 billion estimated U.S. cost for relocating thousands of Marines from Japan to Guam is "way short" of what the service will likely spend.
"It will be far more than that," Gen. James Conway told the House Military Construction Appropriations Subcommittee.
Conway said the decision to move more than 8,000 Marines from Okinawa and some bases in mainland Japan would be reconsidered as part of the global basing study during the upcoming Quadrennial Defense Review. The Defense Department will have to come up with a prioritized list of projects and determine Guam's ability to support the additional forces, the commandant said.
Rep. Norman Dicks, D-Wash., opened the issue, saying he was concerned that Guam does not have the infrastructure to support all the Marines and additional sailors that are planned to be based there.
Conway agreed and noted that plans call for $3 billion a year in construction over a considerable period, and the territory of Guam could support only half of that. He also expressed concern about the ability to provide training facilities for those Marines.
Japan has committed to financing most of the cost of moving the Marines out of the bases on Okinawa, which are impacted by the growing population. But the Japanese government is struggling to provide the funds for that effort and the relocation on the island of a Marine air base.
Military Construction Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Chet Edwards, D-Texas, asked if additional funds were provided in the fiscal 2010 budget to reflect the higher cost for the Guam move. Conway noted that he could not provide details until the budget is released on Thursday, but said "X amount of dollars" were in the budget.
Most of the big expenses, he added, were in future years, subject to decisions made in the QDR.
Rep. Ander Crenshaw, R-Fla., noted that the Navy's plan to relocate a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier from Norfolk, Va., to Mayport, Fla., also would be reviewed in the QDR. But Crenshaw asked Adm. Gary Roughead, the chief of naval operations who also attended the hearing, if he still supported that move.
Roughead said he did, because he considered the concentration of all five of the Atlantic Fleet's carriers in Norfolk a security risk. He noted that the six Pacific Fleet carriers are in three locations.
The Virginia delegation has protested the move, arguing that the Navy could not afford what could be as much as $1 billion to prepare Mayport to host a nuclear carrier. The base had been home to the conventionally powered carrier John F. Kennedy, which has been retired.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
KPMG Report on the Military Buildup
KPMG’s military buildup study details challenges, recommendations
By Gerardo R. Partido
Variety News Staff
11/21/07
KPMG, the government of Guam’s consultant on the military buildup, has released the results of its study, detailing the challenges that GovGuam faces. It also recommends courses of action for the government to take.
The comprehensive 150-page study made preliminary assessments of the military buildup impact on Guam infrastructure, the economy and social issues facing the island.
The study, which GovGuam will use in its unified approach to the U.S. Congress and military buildup authorities, was presented by KPMG with a governance strategy and public information program for GovGuam.
KPMG was chosen in May this year to assist GovGuam in preparing a strategic plan for military growth and integration.
The governance plan outlines two recommendations for the implementation of Guam’s governance principles and strategies to address the military buildup.
The first involves executive action by the governor through a Directorate for the Transition of Military Expansion and Integration Activities.
In the second recommendation, KPMG drafted legislation for the creation of a Guam Central Commission for Military Expansion and Integration Activities.
KPMG suggested that the governor’s executive action could set the foundation for the legislative approach.
After analyzing information provided by GovGuam and private industry officials, KPMG concluded that it does “not appear that the military can succeed on its own, and that the military, federal agencies, and the people and government of Guam must succeed together.”
KPMG said the cornerstone challenges are physical infrastructure, health and human services, labor, environment, economic development, and master planning.
The consultancy firm also put together nine point papers identifying challenges, and recommends courses of action to make the military expansion work for the benefit of both the military and civilian communities.
Some of the highlights of the point papers are:
• Port — The commercial port may need to double its capacity to sustain the buildup. There may be over-capacity once the buildup is over. The expansion could cost as much as $100 million. KPMG recommends enhanced budgetary support, a government debt program and private sector participation;
• Power — Some $665 million would be needed to complete several projects aimed at improving power generation, transmission, distribution system reliability, investigating fuel diversification, and renewable energy. The Department of Defense is the Guam Power Authority’s largest customer. If DOD develops its own power system, power rates for the civilian community could increase. KPMG recommends an integrated DOD/GPA approach for power generation and distribution;
• Water and wastewater — The Guam Waterworks Authority has made significant capital improvements. The anticipated influx of new residents will place a tremendous strain on water and wastewater resources. KPMG recommends GWA evaluate impacts carefully, update its Master Plan and develop funding alternatives;
• Solid waste — Both civilian and military solid waste facilities are nearing end of use life. There are several inefficiencies in solid waste collection and disposal. KPMG recommends increased private sector involvement, recycling options and assessment of funding;
• Labor — Guam’s existing labor shortage may be exacerbated by the military expansion in as little as two years. The Guam Department of Labor is addressing workforce development issues. KPMG recommends determining more specific labor demands from the buildup and how the buildup can increase sustainable employment opportunities.
• Transport and housing — Guam’s roadway system, which was built after World War II and is difficult to maintain, is undergoing a series of repairs that began in 2006. A major highway between Apra Harbor and Andersen Air Force Base is proposed. The Department of Public Works has a three-point plan to address military expansion roadways requirements. Property values are increasing because of the anticipation of the military influx. Current housing construction rates will not keep pace with demand, while finite land resources will impact development and housing inventory. KPMG recommends a comprehensive housing needs analysis, a review of regulations to eliminate barriers to affordable housing, a land use plan, a review of possible approaches to rent control, the investigation of investment opportunities, and potential funding approaches;
* IT and telecommunications - Guam is the telecommunications hub of the Pacific. However, the physical infrastructure is outdated. There will be a substantial increase in demand for information and communications systems. Guam needs a sustainable technical skills base. KPMG recommends GovGuam play a leading role in encouraging development on the island of fourth generation technologies for convergence of wireless voice, video and data services;
* Economic development - Guam is going through a prolonged expansion due to increased tourism and construction activity. Military buildup presents unprecedented opportunity for long-term development. KPMG recommends GovGuam and private sector develop an Economic Development Master Plan;
* Environment - Guam faces serious environmental challenges including groundwater contamination, negative ecological impact and scarcity of regulatory agency resources. KPMG recommends sustainable development and appropriate environmental management practices to maintain Guam’s natural environment; and
* Health and social services - Healthcare and education in Guam are divided along military and civilian lines. Civilian healthcare infrastructure should be expanded and modernized, along with the workforce capacity. The influx of construction workers and off-island investors will cause healthcare concerns. There are crowding, under-funding, infrastructure and transportation issues in the civilian education system. Guam education system at all levels needs more information from the military in order to properly plan.
By Gerardo R. Partido
Variety News Staff
11/21/07
KPMG, the government of Guam’s consultant on the military buildup, has released the results of its study, detailing the challenges that GovGuam faces. It also recommends courses of action for the government to take.
The comprehensive 150-page study made preliminary assessments of the military buildup impact on Guam infrastructure, the economy and social issues facing the island.
The study, which GovGuam will use in its unified approach to the U.S. Congress and military buildup authorities, was presented by KPMG with a governance strategy and public information program for GovGuam.
KPMG was chosen in May this year to assist GovGuam in preparing a strategic plan for military growth and integration.
The governance plan outlines two recommendations for the implementation of Guam’s governance principles and strategies to address the military buildup.
The first involves executive action by the governor through a Directorate for the Transition of Military Expansion and Integration Activities.
In the second recommendation, KPMG drafted legislation for the creation of a Guam Central Commission for Military Expansion and Integration Activities.
KPMG suggested that the governor’s executive action could set the foundation for the legislative approach.
After analyzing information provided by GovGuam and private industry officials, KPMG concluded that it does “not appear that the military can succeed on its own, and that the military, federal agencies, and the people and government of Guam must succeed together.”
KPMG said the cornerstone challenges are physical infrastructure, health and human services, labor, environment, economic development, and master planning.
The consultancy firm also put together nine point papers identifying challenges, and recommends courses of action to make the military expansion work for the benefit of both the military and civilian communities.
Some of the highlights of the point papers are:
• Port — The commercial port may need to double its capacity to sustain the buildup. There may be over-capacity once the buildup is over. The expansion could cost as much as $100 million. KPMG recommends enhanced budgetary support, a government debt program and private sector participation;
• Power — Some $665 million would be needed to complete several projects aimed at improving power generation, transmission, distribution system reliability, investigating fuel diversification, and renewable energy. The Department of Defense is the Guam Power Authority’s largest customer. If DOD develops its own power system, power rates for the civilian community could increase. KPMG recommends an integrated DOD/GPA approach for power generation and distribution;
• Water and wastewater — The Guam Waterworks Authority has made significant capital improvements. The anticipated influx of new residents will place a tremendous strain on water and wastewater resources. KPMG recommends GWA evaluate impacts carefully, update its Master Plan and develop funding alternatives;
• Solid waste — Both civilian and military solid waste facilities are nearing end of use life. There are several inefficiencies in solid waste collection and disposal. KPMG recommends increased private sector involvement, recycling options and assessment of funding;
• Labor — Guam’s existing labor shortage may be exacerbated by the military expansion in as little as two years. The Guam Department of Labor is addressing workforce development issues. KPMG recommends determining more specific labor demands from the buildup and how the buildup can increase sustainable employment opportunities.
• Transport and housing — Guam’s roadway system, which was built after World War II and is difficult to maintain, is undergoing a series of repairs that began in 2006. A major highway between Apra Harbor and Andersen Air Force Base is proposed. The Department of Public Works has a three-point plan to address military expansion roadways requirements. Property values are increasing because of the anticipation of the military influx. Current housing construction rates will not keep pace with demand, while finite land resources will impact development and housing inventory. KPMG recommends a comprehensive housing needs analysis, a review of regulations to eliminate barriers to affordable housing, a land use plan, a review of possible approaches to rent control, the investigation of investment opportunities, and potential funding approaches;
* IT and telecommunications - Guam is the telecommunications hub of the Pacific. However, the physical infrastructure is outdated. There will be a substantial increase in demand for information and communications systems. Guam needs a sustainable technical skills base. KPMG recommends GovGuam play a leading role in encouraging development on the island of fourth generation technologies for convergence of wireless voice, video and data services;
* Economic development - Guam is going through a prolonged expansion due to increased tourism and construction activity. Military buildup presents unprecedented opportunity for long-term development. KPMG recommends GovGuam and private sector develop an Economic Development Master Plan;
* Environment - Guam faces serious environmental challenges including groundwater contamination, negative ecological impact and scarcity of regulatory agency resources. KPMG recommends sustainable development and appropriate environmental management practices to maintain Guam’s natural environment; and
* Health and social services - Healthcare and education in Guam are divided along military and civilian lines. Civilian healthcare infrastructure should be expanded and modernized, along with the workforce capacity. The influx of construction workers and off-island investors will cause healthcare concerns. There are crowding, under-funding, infrastructure and transportation issues in the civilian education system. Guam education system at all levels needs more information from the military in order to properly plan.
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Marine move to Guam may be Jeopardized
Lack of funding, room jeopardize Guam buildup
By Michael Hoffman - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Sep 30, 2007 9:30:13 EDT
Marine Corps Times
More than 60 years after leathernecks liberated Guam during World War II, plans for a second invasion of 8,000 Marines and 9,000 dependents from Okinawa, Japan, scheduled for 2014, are falling behind as uncertainties with funding the transfer and finding enough room on the tiny Pacific island risk dooming the project altogether.
Issues have arisen with getting Congress and the Japanese government to approve funding for the estimated $10.3 billion military buildup, which also includes constructing an Army ballistic missile defense station and a new Navy pier capable of berthing a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, according to retired Marine Maj. Gen. David Bice, the director of the Joint Guam Program Office, and a recent report by the Government Accountability Office.
The Japanese government has agreed to fund $6.1 billion of the $10.3 billion price tag for the Marine move, but Bice said he is still worried that the Guam project could be passed over for other priorities in the Middle East.
“We recognize that Congress and the [Defense Department] is always going to be challenged for funding,” he said. “Our program is going to have to be fully justified.”
His office missed a December 2006 deadline to submit a master plan for the buildup to the Senate Appropriations Committee, but Bice said his office isn’t planning to issue one until February 2009, so funding will be included in the fiscal 2010 military budget and construction can start by summer 2010.
While the transfer of Marines is still seven years off and the units that will be sent to Guam may still change, the units identified for relocation from Okinawa include the command element for III Marine Expeditionary Force; the headquarters for 3rd Marine Division, 3rd Marine Logistics Group and 1st Marine Aircraft Wing; and 12th Marines, according to the GAO report.
By all accounts there is a lot of work ahead to upgrade Guam’s infrastructure and construct enough houses and military buildings to prepare for the 39,310 service members and dependents that will make up the buildup.
“There will be impacts on the infrastructure and we are working to respond to that growth,” said Shawn Gumataotao, spokesman for Guam Gov. Felix Camacho.
The GAO report described the two major roads in Guam as in “poor condition” and pointed out that the lack of roadways forces the Air Force to transport ordnance through highly populated areas to its depots.
The electric grid is also unreliable and the utility transmission lines are antiquated, according to the report. The solid-waste landfills are near capacity and the “waste-water treatment facilities have a long history of failing” and are also near capacity, the GAO reported.
Construction has been going on for the last couple years on Guam to update these faults, Gumataotao said. About $500 million has already been invested for projects to shore up roads, install power lines underground, and improve the handling of wastewater, he said.
Questions also surround how all the new Marines will be housed and how a high quality of life will be maintained on the remote island. Bice said the Japanese government plans to build 3,250 homes on base, and the governor’s office confirmed that housing developers on the island are working to build more off-base housing.
While the island can be a lonely place for service members, Bice is confident that the efforts made by his office and Guam officials will make it an attractive station.
“It’s going to be the new Oahu because it’s going to be a place people want to go,” he said.
The lack of infrastructure is fixable, but no study or congressional funding bill will create more space on the island, which is roughly the size of Camp Pendleton, Calif.
The Defense Department owns 40,000 acres of land on Guam, equal to 29 percent of the island, where 14,195 service members work, according to the Guam Integrated Military Development Plan.
DoD officials originally promised they could accomplish the buildup without obtaining more land, but Bice said his staff has reviewed the possibility of purchasing real estate from private landowners who have come forward and offered to sell.
But “there are political sensitivities to using former DoD land areas, since local community officials in Guam are concerned with the community’s reaction to DoD’s possible expansion of land holdings on the island,” the GAO reported.
While there is a minority on the island that is opposed to the buildup, Gumataotao said 70 percent of Guam residents polled do support it and are excited about the economic development it could provide.
Military planners might not be as excited when it comes to ensuring Marines meet training requirements.
“Training is going to be an issue on Guam,” said Bice, who once commanded 3rd Marine Division. Instead of staying on the island, Marines will have to travel to islands about 90 miles away to complete training exercises, Bice said.
By Michael Hoffman - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Sep 30, 2007 9:30:13 EDT
Marine Corps Times
More than 60 years after leathernecks liberated Guam during World War II, plans for a second invasion of 8,000 Marines and 9,000 dependents from Okinawa, Japan, scheduled for 2014, are falling behind as uncertainties with funding the transfer and finding enough room on the tiny Pacific island risk dooming the project altogether.
Issues have arisen with getting Congress and the Japanese government to approve funding for the estimated $10.3 billion military buildup, which also includes constructing an Army ballistic missile defense station and a new Navy pier capable of berthing a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, according to retired Marine Maj. Gen. David Bice, the director of the Joint Guam Program Office, and a recent report by the Government Accountability Office.
The Japanese government has agreed to fund $6.1 billion of the $10.3 billion price tag for the Marine move, but Bice said he is still worried that the Guam project could be passed over for other priorities in the Middle East.
“We recognize that Congress and the [Defense Department] is always going to be challenged for funding,” he said. “Our program is going to have to be fully justified.”
His office missed a December 2006 deadline to submit a master plan for the buildup to the Senate Appropriations Committee, but Bice said his office isn’t planning to issue one until February 2009, so funding will be included in the fiscal 2010 military budget and construction can start by summer 2010.
While the transfer of Marines is still seven years off and the units that will be sent to Guam may still change, the units identified for relocation from Okinawa include the command element for III Marine Expeditionary Force; the headquarters for 3rd Marine Division, 3rd Marine Logistics Group and 1st Marine Aircraft Wing; and 12th Marines, according to the GAO report.
By all accounts there is a lot of work ahead to upgrade Guam’s infrastructure and construct enough houses and military buildings to prepare for the 39,310 service members and dependents that will make up the buildup.
“There will be impacts on the infrastructure and we are working to respond to that growth,” said Shawn Gumataotao, spokesman for Guam Gov. Felix Camacho.
The GAO report described the two major roads in Guam as in “poor condition” and pointed out that the lack of roadways forces the Air Force to transport ordnance through highly populated areas to its depots.
The electric grid is also unreliable and the utility transmission lines are antiquated, according to the report. The solid-waste landfills are near capacity and the “waste-water treatment facilities have a long history of failing” and are also near capacity, the GAO reported.
Construction has been going on for the last couple years on Guam to update these faults, Gumataotao said. About $500 million has already been invested for projects to shore up roads, install power lines underground, and improve the handling of wastewater, he said.
Questions also surround how all the new Marines will be housed and how a high quality of life will be maintained on the remote island. Bice said the Japanese government plans to build 3,250 homes on base, and the governor’s office confirmed that housing developers on the island are working to build more off-base housing.
While the island can be a lonely place for service members, Bice is confident that the efforts made by his office and Guam officials will make it an attractive station.
“It’s going to be the new Oahu because it’s going to be a place people want to go,” he said.
The lack of infrastructure is fixable, but no study or congressional funding bill will create more space on the island, which is roughly the size of Camp Pendleton, Calif.
The Defense Department owns 40,000 acres of land on Guam, equal to 29 percent of the island, where 14,195 service members work, according to the Guam Integrated Military Development Plan.
DoD officials originally promised they could accomplish the buildup without obtaining more land, but Bice said his staff has reviewed the possibility of purchasing real estate from private landowners who have come forward and offered to sell.
But “there are political sensitivities to using former DoD land areas, since local community officials in Guam are concerned with the community’s reaction to DoD’s possible expansion of land holdings on the island,” the GAO reported.
While there is a minority on the island that is opposed to the buildup, Gumataotao said 70 percent of Guam residents polled do support it and are excited about the economic development it could provide.
Military planners might not be as excited when it comes to ensuring Marines meet training requirements.
“Training is going to be an issue on Guam,” said Bice, who once commanded 3rd Marine Division. Instead of staying on the island, Marines will have to travel to islands about 90 miles away to complete training exercises, Bice said.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Terror Threat for Guam
Report warns Guam, CNMI
Post-9/11 report details terror threat
By Gaynor Dumat-ol Daleno
Pacific Daily News
gdumat-ol@guampdn.com
Guam and the Northern Marianas offer a "ready-made environment" for terror groups to launch attacks on U.S. facilities and personnel, according to a report that assessed security vulnerabilities on the islands in the aftermath of the 9/11 terror attacks.
With the nation's security at stake and the islands vulnerable to terror groups, the report states that "the level of safeguards and federal control" on the islands has not measured up.
A federal government regional security specialist prepared the report five years ago, but it has resurfaced in light of the federal conspiracy case filed earlier last week against Mark D. Zachares.
Zachares, a former Northern Marianas Cabinet official and ex-congressional staffer, said he used his job while still employed in the U.S. Congress to seek a copy of the report at the request of now disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
Zachares pleaded guilty on April 24 and is cooperating with authorities in the widening investigation into public corruption and Abramoff's lobbying activities. Abramoff has pleaded guilty to corruption and fraud charges.
The prosecution's case against Zachares in the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia states that he used his various positions as congressional staffer to obtain insider information for Abramoff in exchange for a "steady stream" of gifts from the lobbyist and his associates.
Zachares in plea documents admitted that he accepted $10,000 in two wire transfers, a golfing trip to Scotland that included luxury accommodations, and a $160,000 Gulfstream charter jet service; and $30,000 worth of tickets to sporting events and concerts in the Washington, D.C., area.
Zachares is cooperating with prosecutors and, according to his plea agreement, has to provide "substantial assistance" in the ongoing federal investigation.
The security assessment report wasn't meant to be seen by lobbyists like Abramoff, who at the time was being paid by the Northern Marianas government to fight any federal attempt to take away immigration powers from the CNMI government.
'High-risk environment'
Local immigration control in the CNMI has helped the local economy tap into foreign workers' skills for lower than U.S. minimum wage, but at the same time, CNMI control of immigration has become a loophole in the tight federal screening of foreigners entering other parts of the United States, including Guam, according to previous PDN interviews with authorities.
The 2002 report states if the "high-risk environment is allowed to stand, it will continue to threaten federal and public interests and seriously jeopardize the national security of the United States."
Guam Delegate Madeleine Bordallo last week said: "It is an egregious breach of the public trust for a federal employee to provide a classified government report to a lobbyist for private gain.
"I would not go so far as to say our nation's security was compromised," the delegate said, "but I would say that classified information is classified for a reason."
Since the Abramoff public corruption scandal broke more than a year ago, the Democrats in the U.S. Congress have tightened the House rules, but Democrats say more should be done to "eradicate the corrupt lobbying practices that the Abramoff scandals represent."
Abramoff was paid about $7 million by the Northern Marianas government between 1998 and 2002, according to Zachares' plea documents.
Meissner report
The 2002 security report strongly recommended tighter scrutiny of foreigners entering the islands, in part by applying U.S. immigration law in the Northern Marianas and positioning federal Customs agents at Guam points of entry for passengers and cargo.
The report is labeled "sensitive -- for limited official use only".
R. G. Meissner, a regional security specialist with the U.S. Attorney's Office East District of Virginia prepared the report on April 25, 2002.
The report was prepared at the request of Frederick Black, then-acting U.S. Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the CNMI.
According to the report, Meissner visited both districts in January and February 2002. Meissner said federal law enforcement officials, and a variety of military and territorial officials were consulted.
Previously compiled documents, surveys, reports, newspaper articles and other information pertaining to security-related actions also were reviewed, according to the report.
The CNMI, according to CNMI Attorney General Matthew Gregory, also is "a victim of the Abramoff conspiracy in other ways, not only in the overcharging of lobbying fees, but most significantly in the besmirching of the commonwealth's reputation."
Gregory stated, in a written comment, that the report "is primarily focused on physical security," of federal offices on the islands and emphasizes obtaining additional funding from Washington.
"CNMI immigration is mentioned almost as an afterthought," Gregory stated.
'Single most cause of concern'
The report states that the lack of oversight by federal immigration law enforcers over the screening of foreigners entering the CNMI is "the single most cause of concern" expressed by all federal law enforcement officials who provided input for the report.
Abramoff allegedly used his connections at the Justice Department to suppress the security-risk assessment report, according to a January 2006 statement from California Rep. George Miller and several other Democratic members of Congress.
The report was never acted upon, according to the statement from the congressional Democrats.
"The entire justice system lacks credibility when ... lobbyists are permitted to gain access to information that they cannot legally have," according John Conyers, senior Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, in the January 2006 joint statement that also included the signature of Bordallo.
The risk assessment report was made at the request of Black, the acting Assistant U.S. Attorney on Guam and the CNMI at the time, according to a Justice Department Office of Inspector General report last year.
Examples cited
Prepared seven months after 9/11, the report lists examples of the presence of certain people or groups on the islands that raise security concerns:
A man who claimed to be Iranian attempted to enter Guam using forged documents, and immediately requested asylum when arrested.
"Federal authorities fear that this individual is from Kabul and has terrorist ties," the report noted.
During a routine discussion between a member of the U.S. Attorney's Office and an official of the Guam airport agency, it was learned that the Guam airport received letters from three different addresses within Iraq.
"Each letter contained a request for maps, posters and promotional materials about Guam and the airport," the security report stated. "The information was compiled and was being readied for dispatch when it was discovered by a supervisor who brought the requests to the attention of higher management. No materials or information were provided."
Al-Qaida concern
Past incidents provide sufficient indication that Guam and the CNMI are being considered as possible targets for terrorist activity, according to the report.
It mentions a "bio-terrorism threat" that was received at several local government locations.
The threat was credited to al-Qaida "as much as one year prior to the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center," according to the report.
The identification of possible al-Qaida "cell members and other highly questionable individuals foster additional concern," according to the report.
"Additionally, there is a growing sentiment among federal officials that since the attacks against U.S. sites in Malaysia and Singapore were foiled, Guam and the CNMI have ... been moved up on a list of potential targets in the Pacific. These factors and others create a valid concern," according to the five-year-old security report.
While the report was being prepared, according to Meissner, a federal attorney on Guam was attempting to gather "open-source information" -- for the report -- about bombings in the Philippines.
But in the process of doing the electronic research, according to the report, the federal attorney's anti-hacking software warned that "the online activity was being monitored from a source in Pakistan."
Transnational crime organizations
The report made a host of recommendations, but it's unclear whether the recommendations were ever followed.
Besides beefing up Guam and Northern Marianas border security with federal law enforcers, the report also recommended "continuous on-island oversight of financial transactions ... to curtail the activities of transnational criminal organizations."
The report states there's indication of presence of Japanese, Russian, Chinese and other organized crime groups in the Northern Marianas.
"It would also provide U.S. authorities a means to monitor and prevent a flow of funding to terrorist groups and the countries that sponsor and support their efforts," according to the report.
"The presence of several transnational criminal organizations on Guam and in the CNMI coupled with the lack of federal immigration, customs and interdiction patrols present a critical vulnerability to the federal government and a ready made environment for terrorist groups to perpetrate any number of actions," according to the report.
'Done all they can'
U.S. Attorney Leonardo Rapadas, who covers Guam and replaced Black in the CNMI, said in a written response to e-mailed comments from the PDN: "All matters related to the Abramoff case are being handled by the Task Force from the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C."
But he said federal efforts on the island continue to be geared toward protecting the islands against security threats.
"We want to assure those who reside on Guam and in the CNMI that federal and local authorities have done all they can to protect their safety," Rapadas said. "Our efforts are continuing, we are at all times seeking to strengthen and improve the defenses against terrorist and national security threats."
Originally published April 30, 2007
Post-9/11 report details terror threat
By Gaynor Dumat-ol Daleno
Pacific Daily News
gdumat-ol@guampdn.com
Guam and the Northern Marianas offer a "ready-made environment" for terror groups to launch attacks on U.S. facilities and personnel, according to a report that assessed security vulnerabilities on the islands in the aftermath of the 9/11 terror attacks.
With the nation's security at stake and the islands vulnerable to terror groups, the report states that "the level of safeguards and federal control" on the islands has not measured up.
A federal government regional security specialist prepared the report five years ago, but it has resurfaced in light of the federal conspiracy case filed earlier last week against Mark D. Zachares.
Zachares, a former Northern Marianas Cabinet official and ex-congressional staffer, said he used his job while still employed in the U.S. Congress to seek a copy of the report at the request of now disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
Zachares pleaded guilty on April 24 and is cooperating with authorities in the widening investigation into public corruption and Abramoff's lobbying activities. Abramoff has pleaded guilty to corruption and fraud charges.
The prosecution's case against Zachares in the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia states that he used his various positions as congressional staffer to obtain insider information for Abramoff in exchange for a "steady stream" of gifts from the lobbyist and his associates.
Zachares in plea documents admitted that he accepted $10,000 in two wire transfers, a golfing trip to Scotland that included luxury accommodations, and a $160,000 Gulfstream charter jet service; and $30,000 worth of tickets to sporting events and concerts in the Washington, D.C., area.
Zachares is cooperating with prosecutors and, according to his plea agreement, has to provide "substantial assistance" in the ongoing federal investigation.
The security assessment report wasn't meant to be seen by lobbyists like Abramoff, who at the time was being paid by the Northern Marianas government to fight any federal attempt to take away immigration powers from the CNMI government.
'High-risk environment'
Local immigration control in the CNMI has helped the local economy tap into foreign workers' skills for lower than U.S. minimum wage, but at the same time, CNMI control of immigration has become a loophole in the tight federal screening of foreigners entering other parts of the United States, including Guam, according to previous PDN interviews with authorities.
The 2002 report states if the "high-risk environment is allowed to stand, it will continue to threaten federal and public interests and seriously jeopardize the national security of the United States."
Guam Delegate Madeleine Bordallo last week said: "It is an egregious breach of the public trust for a federal employee to provide a classified government report to a lobbyist for private gain.
"I would not go so far as to say our nation's security was compromised," the delegate said, "but I would say that classified information is classified for a reason."
Since the Abramoff public corruption scandal broke more than a year ago, the Democrats in the U.S. Congress have tightened the House rules, but Democrats say more should be done to "eradicate the corrupt lobbying practices that the Abramoff scandals represent."
Abramoff was paid about $7 million by the Northern Marianas government between 1998 and 2002, according to Zachares' plea documents.
Meissner report
The 2002 security report strongly recommended tighter scrutiny of foreigners entering the islands, in part by applying U.S. immigration law in the Northern Marianas and positioning federal Customs agents at Guam points of entry for passengers and cargo.
The report is labeled "sensitive -- for limited official use only".
R. G. Meissner, a regional security specialist with the U.S. Attorney's Office East District of Virginia prepared the report on April 25, 2002.
The report was prepared at the request of Frederick Black, then-acting U.S. Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the CNMI.
According to the report, Meissner visited both districts in January and February 2002. Meissner said federal law enforcement officials, and a variety of military and territorial officials were consulted.
Previously compiled documents, surveys, reports, newspaper articles and other information pertaining to security-related actions also were reviewed, according to the report.
The CNMI, according to CNMI Attorney General Matthew Gregory, also is "a victim of the Abramoff conspiracy in other ways, not only in the overcharging of lobbying fees, but most significantly in the besmirching of the commonwealth's reputation."
Gregory stated, in a written comment, that the report "is primarily focused on physical security," of federal offices on the islands and emphasizes obtaining additional funding from Washington.
"CNMI immigration is mentioned almost as an afterthought," Gregory stated.
'Single most cause of concern'
The report states that the lack of oversight by federal immigration law enforcers over the screening of foreigners entering the CNMI is "the single most cause of concern" expressed by all federal law enforcement officials who provided input for the report.
Abramoff allegedly used his connections at the Justice Department to suppress the security-risk assessment report, according to a January 2006 statement from California Rep. George Miller and several other Democratic members of Congress.
The report was never acted upon, according to the statement from the congressional Democrats.
"The entire justice system lacks credibility when ... lobbyists are permitted to gain access to information that they cannot legally have," according John Conyers, senior Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, in the January 2006 joint statement that also included the signature of Bordallo.
The risk assessment report was made at the request of Black, the acting Assistant U.S. Attorney on Guam and the CNMI at the time, according to a Justice Department Office of Inspector General report last year.
Examples cited
Prepared seven months after 9/11, the report lists examples of the presence of certain people or groups on the islands that raise security concerns:
A man who claimed to be Iranian attempted to enter Guam using forged documents, and immediately requested asylum when arrested.
"Federal authorities fear that this individual is from Kabul and has terrorist ties," the report noted.
During a routine discussion between a member of the U.S. Attorney's Office and an official of the Guam airport agency, it was learned that the Guam airport received letters from three different addresses within Iraq.
"Each letter contained a request for maps, posters and promotional materials about Guam and the airport," the security report stated. "The information was compiled and was being readied for dispatch when it was discovered by a supervisor who brought the requests to the attention of higher management. No materials or information were provided."
Al-Qaida concern
Past incidents provide sufficient indication that Guam and the CNMI are being considered as possible targets for terrorist activity, according to the report.
It mentions a "bio-terrorism threat" that was received at several local government locations.
The threat was credited to al-Qaida "as much as one year prior to the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center," according to the report.
The identification of possible al-Qaida "cell members and other highly questionable individuals foster additional concern," according to the report.
"Additionally, there is a growing sentiment among federal officials that since the attacks against U.S. sites in Malaysia and Singapore were foiled, Guam and the CNMI have ... been moved up on a list of potential targets in the Pacific. These factors and others create a valid concern," according to the five-year-old security report.
While the report was being prepared, according to Meissner, a federal attorney on Guam was attempting to gather "open-source information" -- for the report -- about bombings in the Philippines.
But in the process of doing the electronic research, according to the report, the federal attorney's anti-hacking software warned that "the online activity was being monitored from a source in Pakistan."
Transnational crime organizations
The report made a host of recommendations, but it's unclear whether the recommendations were ever followed.
Besides beefing up Guam and Northern Marianas border security with federal law enforcers, the report also recommended "continuous on-island oversight of financial transactions ... to curtail the activities of transnational criminal organizations."
The report states there's indication of presence of Japanese, Russian, Chinese and other organized crime groups in the Northern Marianas.
"It would also provide U.S. authorities a means to monitor and prevent a flow of funding to terrorist groups and the countries that sponsor and support their efforts," according to the report.
"The presence of several transnational criminal organizations on Guam and in the CNMI coupled with the lack of federal immigration, customs and interdiction patrols present a critical vulnerability to the federal government and a ready made environment for terrorist groups to perpetrate any number of actions," according to the report.
'Done all they can'
U.S. Attorney Leonardo Rapadas, who covers Guam and replaced Black in the CNMI, said in a written response to e-mailed comments from the PDN: "All matters related to the Abramoff case are being handled by the Task Force from the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C."
But he said federal efforts on the island continue to be geared toward protecting the islands against security threats.
"We want to assure those who reside on Guam and in the CNMI that federal and local authorities have done all they can to protect their safety," Rapadas said. "Our efforts are continuing, we are at all times seeking to strengthen and improve the defenses against terrorist and national security threats."
Originally published April 30, 2007
Friday, April 13, 2007
Report Recommends Military Build up in the Pacific
Report Recommends US Military Buildup in Pacific
By Gaynor Dumat-ol Daleno
HAGATNA, Guam (Pacific Daily News, April 13) – The U.S. government "should
give serious consideration" to shifting the balance of its naval forces from
the Atlantic to the Pacific, and beef up its military muscle on Guam as part
of the shift, according to a think-tank's report, released Tuesday in
Washington, D.C.
China's potential to become the U.S. military's next military rival is the
reason for the report's suggestion.
The 129-page report, "U.S.-China Relations: An Affirmative Agenda, A
Responsible Course," was released by a task force of the Council on Foreign
Relations.
Retired Pacific Command chief Adm. Dennis Blair and former U.S. Trade
Representative Carla Hills led the task force.
The report suggested further military buildup on Guam beyond the island's
future role as host to thousands of members of the U.S. Marines who will be
relocated from Okinawa.
The Marines' relocation to Guam is expected to cost US$10 billion that the
U.S. government and Japanese governments are expected to co-pay.
"The United States should sustain and selectively enhance its force posture
in Asia, ensuring it has capabilities commensurate with the region's growing
importance to the U.S. economy and other vital national interests,"
according to the task force's report.
"Improvements to U.S. military facilities on Guam should continue, not only
to relieve some of the burden on Okinawa, but also to upgrade the overall
capabilities of U.S. Pacific forces," according to the report.
The U.S. and China now "have a relationship that was truly unimaginable two
generations ago," according to Council on Foreign Relations President
Richard Haass in a foreword to the report.
But at the same time, the report's overall message also includes this: the
U.S. "should be clear that any aggressive behavior on China's part would be
met with strong opposition," according to Haass.
And to be ready in the event China becomes militarily aggressive, the report
states the U.S. naval forces' focus should shift from the Atlantic.
"The maritime interests of the United States in the future are increasingly
in the Asia-Pacific region, and the stationing of its naval forces should be
aligned with this trend," according to the report.
In the near future, the Washington Times quotes Blair as saying, the task
force does not think China will become a "peer competitor" of the U.S.
military.
But the report also includes partly dissenting views of certain task force
members.
"China has already increased its ability to challenge American military
preponderance in the Western Pacific," wrote task force member Aaron
Friedberg.
And Friedberg added, "maintaining a favorable balance of power will not be
easy, especially at a time when U.S. attention and resources are likely to
remain divided between Asia and the Middle East."
The 30-member task force also includes former Defense Secretary Harold
Brown, and former State Department officials Winston Lord, Wendy Sherman and
Randy Schriver.
By Gaynor Dumat-ol Daleno
HAGATNA, Guam (Pacific Daily News, April 13) – The U.S. government "should
give serious consideration" to shifting the balance of its naval forces from
the Atlantic to the Pacific, and beef up its military muscle on Guam as part
of the shift, according to a think-tank's report, released Tuesday in
Washington, D.C.
China's potential to become the U.S. military's next military rival is the
reason for the report's suggestion.
The 129-page report, "U.S.-China Relations: An Affirmative Agenda, A
Responsible Course," was released by a task force of the Council on Foreign
Relations.
Retired Pacific Command chief Adm. Dennis Blair and former U.S. Trade
Representative Carla Hills led the task force.
The report suggested further military buildup on Guam beyond the island's
future role as host to thousands of members of the U.S. Marines who will be
relocated from Okinawa.
The Marines' relocation to Guam is expected to cost US$10 billion that the
U.S. government and Japanese governments are expected to co-pay.
"The United States should sustain and selectively enhance its force posture
in Asia, ensuring it has capabilities commensurate with the region's growing
importance to the U.S. economy and other vital national interests,"
according to the task force's report.
"Improvements to U.S. military facilities on Guam should continue, not only
to relieve some of the burden on Okinawa, but also to upgrade the overall
capabilities of U.S. Pacific forces," according to the report.
The U.S. and China now "have a relationship that was truly unimaginable two
generations ago," according to Council on Foreign Relations President
Richard Haass in a foreword to the report.
But at the same time, the report's overall message also includes this: the
U.S. "should be clear that any aggressive behavior on China's part would be
met with strong opposition," according to Haass.
And to be ready in the event China becomes militarily aggressive, the report
states the U.S. naval forces' focus should shift from the Atlantic.
"The maritime interests of the United States in the future are increasingly
in the Asia-Pacific region, and the stationing of its naval forces should be
aligned with this trend," according to the report.
In the near future, the Washington Times quotes Blair as saying, the task
force does not think China will become a "peer competitor" of the U.S.
military.
But the report also includes partly dissenting views of certain task force
members.
"China has already increased its ability to challenge American military
preponderance in the Western Pacific," wrote task force member Aaron
Friedberg.
And Friedberg added, "maintaining a favorable balance of power will not be
easy, especially at a time when U.S. attention and resources are likely to
remain divided between Asia and the Middle East."
The 30-member task force also includes former Defense Secretary Harold
Brown, and former State Department officials Winston Lord, Wendy Sherman and
Randy Schriver.
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