Guam calls for transfer of U.S. Marines from Okinawa to be delayed
Feb 17 02:28 AM US/Eastern
WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 (AP) - (Kyodo) — The congresswoman who represents Guam in the U.S. House of Representatives said Tuesday that the 2014 deadline for completing the planned transfer of about 8,000 U.S. Marines from Okinawa to the Pacific island should be delayed so that the island can better prepare for the upcoming surge in population.
"One of the most troubling aspects of the draft environmental impact statement (for the military buildup on Guam) is that all assumptions are based on projects being completed by 2014," Democrat Madeleine Bordallo said in an address to Guam's legislature. The text of her speech was made available on her website.
"This flawed assumption has drawn consequences and conclusions that are not sustainable and not supported by anyone," Bordallo said.
In addition to relocating about 8,600 Marines and 9,000 family members from the southernmost Japanese prefecture, the buildup plan for the island includes the establishment of an Army Missile Defense Task Force and the construction of a wharf for use by the U.S. Navy's nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.
According to a recent report by Stars and Stripes, a Pentagon- authorized newspaper for U.S. military personnel overseas, the buildup calls for "adding nearly 80,000 people to Guam's 178,000 population during the height of construction in 2014." The 80,000 is believed to include a large number of temporary workers who will come to the island to engage in construction work necessary for the buildup.
Bordallo said among concerns associated with the buildup 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 our local infrastructure and health care system."
"We cannot allow guest worker housing off-base to cause the faucets to run dry or power outages in our homes," she said, adding she will not support "appropriations and authorizations that will result in a construction pace that brings 80,000 people to Guam in 2014."
Bordallo's call for the buildup plan to be delayed follows a similar request by Guam Gov. Felix Camacho to the U.S. military last month.
The relocation of the Marines from Okinawa to Guam is linked to the planned relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futemma Air Station within Okinawa, which is also eyed in the same time frame.
Showing posts with label Delays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Delays. Show all posts
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
Cruz supports efforts to delay buildup start
Cruz supports efforts to delay buildup start
Tuesday, 02 February 2010 00:23
by Zita Y. Taitano | Variety News Staff
VICE speaker BJ Cruz supports Gov. Felix Camacho’s request for the Department of Navy to delay the start of the military buildup.
Cruz affirmed his support in a letter he sent yesterday to the governor.
“Your action serves to confirm the fears that many of our residents have regarding the buildup, that it’s too much, too soon,” Cruz stated in his letter.
He also sent a similar letter to Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo.
Cruz noted that after reviewing the 11,000-page draft environmental impact statement, he realized that the draft study doesn’t really address the military buildup’s impact on the community.
With this in mind, Cruz said a revised military impact study should be prepared and take “into account the comments made on the existing documents.”
The revised version, he added, must be made available for public review before a record of decision is made on the final version.
He also asked that Camacho and Bordallo submit such a request to the Secretary of the Navy since it would have direct affect on the island.
“The people of Guam deserve to be assured that a DEIS on the proposed buildup reflects truly and accurately the impact that the buildup would have on their lives,” he concluded.
Tuesday, 02 February 2010 00:23
by Zita Y. Taitano | Variety News Staff
VICE speaker BJ Cruz supports Gov. Felix Camacho’s request for the Department of Navy to delay the start of the military buildup.
Cruz affirmed his support in a letter he sent yesterday to the governor.
“Your action serves to confirm the fears that many of our residents have regarding the buildup, that it’s too much, too soon,” Cruz stated in his letter.
He also sent a similar letter to Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo.
Cruz noted that after reviewing the 11,000-page draft environmental impact statement, he realized that the draft study doesn’t really address the military buildup’s impact on the community.
With this in mind, Cruz said a revised military impact study should be prepared and take “into account the comments made on the existing documents.”
The revised version, he added, must be made available for public review before a record of decision is made on the final version.
He also asked that Camacho and Bordallo submit such a request to the Secretary of the Navy since it would have direct affect on the island.
“The people of Guam deserve to be assured that a DEIS on the proposed buildup reflects truly and accurately the impact that the buildup would have on their lives,” he concluded.
Bordallo confirms Obama visit in March
Bordallo confirms Obama visit in March
Tuesday, 02 February 2010 00:23
by Therese Hart | Variety News Staff
CONGRESSWOMAN Madeleine Bordallo confirmed yesterday that President Barack Obama is coming to Guam in March as he tours Asia but details of the trip have not been relayed to her office.
The routes are likely to include India or Indonesia as well as Australia and Japan.
“He’s coming and we don’t have any details as of yet. Soon as we have them, we’ll share them with you,” Bordallo said.
Bordallo met with members of the legislature yesterday to discuss the draft environmental impact statement.
Lawmakers are hopeful that when the president visits they will be given the opportunity to impress their true feelings of the buildup, starting with the draft environmental impact statement.
Speaker Judi Won Pat said the military buildup will be one of the biggest policy decisions that Obama will make. His intimate understanding of the entire process is necessary if it is to be a success, not just for the federal government, but for the people of Guam, too, the speaker added.
One concern discussed during the meeting was whether lawmakers were in sync with the sentiments that Bordallo and Gov. Felix Camacho are saying to Washington leaders—that the buildup is happening too soon and a delay will benefit Guam.
Won Pat said the legislature has a resolution that shares a common ground with Bordallo and Camacho.
“There are 14 senators with 14 different ideas. Therefore, what we want to do is to make sure that what’s in the resolution will be something that everybody would be willing to sign off and agree on so there will be that common ground from the legislature,” the speaker said.
Won Pat said one common ground that is clear is the issue of whether the federal government will condemn lands and that the congresswoman, the governor and the legislature are all against.
Another common ground is the concern of the dredging of Apra Harbor, as well as the fact that the issues that the Guam Memorial Hospital Authority will face when the buildup happens was “underdiscussed” in the draft impact report, said Won Pat.
The Guam community will not be able to keep up with the military buildup and a delay would be a good thing, said the speaker.
“There has to be discussion on how the military can assist the government to go beyond organic growth. I know they’re moving fast and by moving fast, this could totally flop. They need to stop and reconsider and that’s why there is this request for additional time,” said Won Pat.
Tuesday, 02 February 2010 00:23
by Therese Hart | Variety News Staff
CONGRESSWOMAN Madeleine Bordallo confirmed yesterday that President Barack Obama is coming to Guam in March as he tours Asia but details of the trip have not been relayed to her office.
The routes are likely to include India or Indonesia as well as Australia and Japan.
“He’s coming and we don’t have any details as of yet. Soon as we have them, we’ll share them with you,” Bordallo said.
Bordallo met with members of the legislature yesterday to discuss the draft environmental impact statement.
Lawmakers are hopeful that when the president visits they will be given the opportunity to impress their true feelings of the buildup, starting with the draft environmental impact statement.
Speaker Judi Won Pat said the military buildup will be one of the biggest policy decisions that Obama will make. His intimate understanding of the entire process is necessary if it is to be a success, not just for the federal government, but for the people of Guam, too, the speaker added.
One concern discussed during the meeting was whether lawmakers were in sync with the sentiments that Bordallo and Gov. Felix Camacho are saying to Washington leaders—that the buildup is happening too soon and a delay will benefit Guam.
Won Pat said the legislature has a resolution that shares a common ground with Bordallo and Camacho.
“There are 14 senators with 14 different ideas. Therefore, what we want to do is to make sure that what’s in the resolution will be something that everybody would be willing to sign off and agree on so there will be that common ground from the legislature,” the speaker said.
Won Pat said one common ground that is clear is the issue of whether the federal government will condemn lands and that the congresswoman, the governor and the legislature are all against.
Another common ground is the concern of the dredging of Apra Harbor, as well as the fact that the issues that the Guam Memorial Hospital Authority will face when the buildup happens was “underdiscussed” in the draft impact report, said Won Pat.
The Guam community will not be able to keep up with the military buildup and a delay would be a good thing, said the speaker.
“There has to be discussion on how the military can assist the government to go beyond organic growth. I know they’re moving fast and by moving fast, this could totally flop. They need to stop and reconsider and that’s why there is this request for additional time,” said Won Pat.
Labor agency prepared for possible buildup delay
Labor agency prepared for possible buildup delay
Posted: Feb 01, 2010 4:18 PM
Updated: Feb 01, 2010 4:18 PM
by Janjeera Hail
Guam - Department of Labor Director Maria Connelly is not surprised by Governor Felix Camacho's request to extend the completion date for the relocation of U.S. Marines from Okinawa to Guam. Either way, she says the agency will be prepared.
Connelly says DOL has been fostering relationships with federal officials as well as working with Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Immigration Services Office and setting up training workshops for local contractors who bring in H2b workers with administrators and experts.
"What that means to us is the work is still there, but it is planned out. Not having to complete all those by 2014, but at least further out, later on," she said.
Connelly stresses that it is important that contractors succeed. Individuals interested in information about training and workshops should check the department's website for further information.
Posted: Feb 01, 2010 4:18 PM
Updated: Feb 01, 2010 4:18 PM
by Janjeera Hail
Guam - Department of Labor Director Maria Connelly is not surprised by Governor Felix Camacho's request to extend the completion date for the relocation of U.S. Marines from Okinawa to Guam. Either way, she says the agency will be prepared.
Connelly says DOL has been fostering relationships with federal officials as well as working with Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Immigration Services Office and setting up training workshops for local contractors who bring in H2b workers with administrators and experts.
"What that means to us is the work is still there, but it is planned out. Not having to complete all those by 2014, but at least further out, later on," she said.
Connelly stresses that it is important that contractors succeed. Individuals interested in information about training and workshops should check the department's website for further information.
Cruz to Bordallo: return your award
Cruz to Bordallo: return your award
Monday, 01 February 2010 03:36
by Therese Hart | Variety News Staff
VICE speaker BJ Cruz, during a town hall meeting hosted by Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo over the weekend at the University of Guam, reiterated his opposition to the dredging in Apra Harbor for the berthing of the two U.S. carriers.
Cruz said one inch of dredging is not enough to determine if there are radioactive materials in the area.
The vice speaker said Bordallo’s silence on the dredging issue is “deafening.”
In June last year, Bordallo was honored with the 2009 Leadership Award by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation in recognition of her tireless commitment and strong leadership to help protect and preserve the nation’s ocean and coastal resources.
“The stewardship of our ocean is a responsibility that each of us must bear. I will continue my work in Congress to protect our ocean and marine life,” Bordallo said after the dinner awards.
But Cruz was not impressed.
"Your deafening silence in not speaking out about the dredging of the coral. It's not only disturbing, it is unconscionable," he told Bordallo. "And you won an award last year for this. You probably need to return the award."
Public comments
Bordallo said residents will have the opportunity to respond to the final environmental impact statement, 30 days after its public release. Bordallo did not know when the final environmental statement will be finalized.
Bordallo began her town hall meetings Saturday in Tamuning, Yigo and UOG. Two other meetings were held yesterday in Agat and Piti, where residents were given another opportunity to make public comments on the draft environmental impact statement.
Residents who have been following the meetings and testifying were upset when they were told at Bordallo’s town hall meeting that if they had already spoken at one town hall meeting, they would not be given the opportunity to speak again.
Too fast
Bordallo and Gov. Felix Camacho believe the military buildup is happening too fast.
Camacho wrote a letter to Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus last Friday, asking him to delay the move of 8,000 Marines and their 9,000 dependents from Okinawa to Guam.
The delay in the buildup will give Guam some “breathing space” to figure out how to address the financial caveat that the local government must shoulder for the move, according to speaker Judi Won Pat.
In his letter to Mabus, the governor stated. “I believe that a request for an extension would help lessen the impact of the military buildup on Guam.”
Postponement
“In fact,” he added, “during our village workshop on Jan. 20, I expressed my intention to ask the United States to consider extending their deadline for the buildup. The extension will greatly impact every area of public concern. It will lessen the pressure currently being placed on our people to accommodate a significant influx in our population.”
Monday, 01 February 2010 03:36
by Therese Hart | Variety News Staff
VICE speaker BJ Cruz, during a town hall meeting hosted by Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo over the weekend at the University of Guam, reiterated his opposition to the dredging in Apra Harbor for the berthing of the two U.S. carriers.
Cruz said one inch of dredging is not enough to determine if there are radioactive materials in the area.
The vice speaker said Bordallo’s silence on the dredging issue is “deafening.”
In June last year, Bordallo was honored with the 2009 Leadership Award by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation in recognition of her tireless commitment and strong leadership to help protect and preserve the nation’s ocean and coastal resources.
“The stewardship of our ocean is a responsibility that each of us must bear. I will continue my work in Congress to protect our ocean and marine life,” Bordallo said after the dinner awards.
But Cruz was not impressed.
"Your deafening silence in not speaking out about the dredging of the coral. It's not only disturbing, it is unconscionable," he told Bordallo. "And you won an award last year for this. You probably need to return the award."
Public comments
Bordallo said residents will have the opportunity to respond to the final environmental impact statement, 30 days after its public release. Bordallo did not know when the final environmental statement will be finalized.
Bordallo began her town hall meetings Saturday in Tamuning, Yigo and UOG. Two other meetings were held yesterday in Agat and Piti, where residents were given another opportunity to make public comments on the draft environmental impact statement.
Residents who have been following the meetings and testifying were upset when they were told at Bordallo’s town hall meeting that if they had already spoken at one town hall meeting, they would not be given the opportunity to speak again.
Too fast
Bordallo and Gov. Felix Camacho believe the military buildup is happening too fast.
Camacho wrote a letter to Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus last Friday, asking him to delay the move of 8,000 Marines and their 9,000 dependents from Okinawa to Guam.
The delay in the buildup will give Guam some “breathing space” to figure out how to address the financial caveat that the local government must shoulder for the move, according to speaker Judi Won Pat.
In his letter to Mabus, the governor stated. “I believe that a request for an extension would help lessen the impact of the military buildup on Guam.”
Postponement
“In fact,” he added, “during our village workshop on Jan. 20, I expressed my intention to ask the United States to consider extending their deadline for the buildup. The extension will greatly impact every area of public concern. It will lessen the pressure currently being placed on our people to accommodate a significant influx in our population.”
Guam call for delays in troop move
Guam call for delays in troop move
Posted at 17:08 on 31 January, 2010 UTC
Guam’s governor has asked the United States military to delay its plans to move more than 9,000 troops to the island.
Stars and Stripes Online reports a statement from Governor Felix Camacho saying he thought extending the construction timeline would lessen the overall impact on the island.
He did not offer specifics, other than to say the buildup should extend beyond 2014.
In a letter to the Navy Secretary, Ray Mabus, the Governor says there is support for the relocation of U.S. Marines from Okinawa to Guam.
However, he said it was important not to overlook the reality that Guam has a fragile territorial economy.
According to the governor’s spokeswoman, the request is not meant to signal an overall decrease in Governor Camacho’s support for the project.
But it does come as more residents and local leaders have expressed concerns about the buildup in public meetings in recent weeks.
The military transfer could result in an additional 80,000 people living in Guam’s during the height of construction.
Posted at 17:08 on 31 January, 2010 UTC
Guam’s governor has asked the United States military to delay its plans to move more than 9,000 troops to the island.
Stars and Stripes Online reports a statement from Governor Felix Camacho saying he thought extending the construction timeline would lessen the overall impact on the island.
He did not offer specifics, other than to say the buildup should extend beyond 2014.
In a letter to the Navy Secretary, Ray Mabus, the Governor says there is support for the relocation of U.S. Marines from Okinawa to Guam.
However, he said it was important not to overlook the reality that Guam has a fragile territorial economy.
According to the governor’s spokeswoman, the request is not meant to signal an overall decrease in Governor Camacho’s support for the project.
But it does come as more residents and local leaders have expressed concerns about the buildup in public meetings in recent weeks.
The military transfer could result in an additional 80,000 people living in Guam’s during the height of construction.
Bordallo: Timeline 'ambitious': Residents speak out on buildup at town hall meetings
Bordallo: Timeline 'ambitious': Residents speak out on buildup at town hall meetings
By Laura Matthews • Pacific Sunday News • January 31, 2010
Guam Delegate Madeleine Bordallo yesterday said she believes the military buildup will have to be extended beyond its current 2014 deadline.
"We feel this is big," Bordallo said. "And we got delays along the way, and so we never thought -- even from the beginning -- that it would ever conclude by 2014."
The congresswoman echoed the sentiments of Gov. Felix Camacho at a town hall meeting yesterday at the University of Guam, where she held the first of five public hearings on the buildup.
These town hall meetings are another opportunity for residents to comment on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement before the Feb. 17 deadline.
"The Congress and the governor control the breaks and spending for this buildup," Bordallo said. "And the timeline, we feel, will ultimately have to be pushed back. I mean it is very ambitious."
Camacho wrote Navy Secretary Ray Mabus on Thursday asking him to delay the arrival of 8,000 Marines and their 9,000 dependents.
Additionally, Guam's population is about to surge by approximately 80,000 in 2014 -- an increase of almost half the current population. This increase means that the island will get 20 years of growth in five years.
The buildup will create 33,000 new jobs for civilian workers by 2014, which is expected to generate a tax revenue of $325 million for the GovGuam that year alone, according to the draft EIS report. That is a 60 percent increase in GovGuam's current annual tax revenue.
Guam residents will take up about 2,000 direct on-site construction jobs for the Marine Corps facilities between 2013 and 2014. Furthermore, excluding on-site construction jobs, locals will only benefit from 2,566 jobs during the 2014 construction boom. The related jobs "include civilian military jobs, direct from purchases jobs and indirect or induced jobs," the draft EIS said.
Camacho said the delay will help more residents qualify themselves for the jobs.
"There are shortages all throughout the skilled areas and that is evident by the number of people we have to bring in," Camacho said. "What this means is that we can better prepare our kids and they can train up. Rather our kids can get into these industries."
But Bordallo said the number of workers coming on the island can be controlled by the governor himself.
"The governor can control the guest worker numbers because he signs certification," she said.
Whether or not the number of workers certified to come to Guam for the buildup is lessened, there are still other issues that must be dealt with.
The island will have to drill more wells to accommodate the additional population, and expand the commercial port to handle incoming construction material.
Moreover, the Department of Defense plans to widen an existing shipping channel to fit one of its carriers, and make a turning basin near the wharf that will dredge about 2.3 million square feet of sea floor. Nearly 35 percent of that area is covered in coral reef that will be permanently destroyed, the draft EIS stated.
This doesn't sit well with Sen. Benjamin Cruz, the chairman for the Committee on Tourism, who on Friday said he appropriated hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Guam Environmental Planning Agency to determine if radioactive material is present in the area.
However, the agency has yet to give him an answer, and yesterday he pressed the congresswoman to look into the dredging plans on island.
"Your deafening silence in not speaking out about the dredging of the coral, it's not only disturbing, it is unconscionable," he said. "And you won an award last year for this. You probably need to return the award."
Bordallo assured Cruz that she has many professionals looking into the issue.
But this isn't enough for some residents. In fact, they just want the military to just get out.
At a rally yesterday in Anigua for the "Freedom To Make Our Own Decisions", Trini Torres, a leader for the Taotaomona Native Rights and Chamorro Nation, said residents must unite to protect the island from the buildup.
The group was dedicating the new Plasan Maga' Lahi Hurao beach park, which is across the street from Pigo Cemetery, to Hurao, the leader of the Chamorro people during the Chamorro Spanish War, which began in 1671. Torres said Hurao fought for the freedom of the Chamorros, which the group is now asking from the United States.
"We don't want to be a colony anymore," she said.
Torres said the group wants the island's people to unite to protect the island from the buildup.
"This buildup, we are afraid of it," she said. "How can we survive when we lose our island? The U.S. needs to just get out."
Other residents like Will Calori, 29, of Mangilao believes that the draft EIS contains inaccurate information, which makes them unable to make valid comments.
Clutching his 2-year-old son in his arms, the businessman said if he only cared about making money today, then he probably wouldn't give the issue as much thought as he is now.
"We're not getting the accurate information and we aren't able to make a thorough decision on what is going to happen," he said. "I think (children) are the reason we are here. I want his kids to enjoy this island after it's all done."
The draft EIS provides a detailed account of how Guam's community will be affected through changes caused by the buildup. JGPO and a team of socioeconomic experts collected feedback from the Guam and CNMI governors, the Chambers of Commerce, other island resources and community experts in its assessment of what kind of impact the relocation of Marines to Guam will have on the island's education, health care services, employment opportunities, property values, crime, cost of living and other socioeconomic issues.
By Laura Matthews • Pacific Sunday News • January 31, 2010
Guam Delegate Madeleine Bordallo yesterday said she believes the military buildup will have to be extended beyond its current 2014 deadline.
"We feel this is big," Bordallo said. "And we got delays along the way, and so we never thought -- even from the beginning -- that it would ever conclude by 2014."
The congresswoman echoed the sentiments of Gov. Felix Camacho at a town hall meeting yesterday at the University of Guam, where she held the first of five public hearings on the buildup.
These town hall meetings are another opportunity for residents to comment on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement before the Feb. 17 deadline.
"The Congress and the governor control the breaks and spending for this buildup," Bordallo said. "And the timeline, we feel, will ultimately have to be pushed back. I mean it is very ambitious."
Camacho wrote Navy Secretary Ray Mabus on Thursday asking him to delay the arrival of 8,000 Marines and their 9,000 dependents.
Additionally, Guam's population is about to surge by approximately 80,000 in 2014 -- an increase of almost half the current population. This increase means that the island will get 20 years of growth in five years.
The buildup will create 33,000 new jobs for civilian workers by 2014, which is expected to generate a tax revenue of $325 million for the GovGuam that year alone, according to the draft EIS report. That is a 60 percent increase in GovGuam's current annual tax revenue.
Guam residents will take up about 2,000 direct on-site construction jobs for the Marine Corps facilities between 2013 and 2014. Furthermore, excluding on-site construction jobs, locals will only benefit from 2,566 jobs during the 2014 construction boom. The related jobs "include civilian military jobs, direct from purchases jobs and indirect or induced jobs," the draft EIS said.
Camacho said the delay will help more residents qualify themselves for the jobs.
"There are shortages all throughout the skilled areas and that is evident by the number of people we have to bring in," Camacho said. "What this means is that we can better prepare our kids and they can train up. Rather our kids can get into these industries."
But Bordallo said the number of workers coming on the island can be controlled by the governor himself.
"The governor can control the guest worker numbers because he signs certification," she said.
Whether or not the number of workers certified to come to Guam for the buildup is lessened, there are still other issues that must be dealt with.
The island will have to drill more wells to accommodate the additional population, and expand the commercial port to handle incoming construction material.
Moreover, the Department of Defense plans to widen an existing shipping channel to fit one of its carriers, and make a turning basin near the wharf that will dredge about 2.3 million square feet of sea floor. Nearly 35 percent of that area is covered in coral reef that will be permanently destroyed, the draft EIS stated.
This doesn't sit well with Sen. Benjamin Cruz, the chairman for the Committee on Tourism, who on Friday said he appropriated hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Guam Environmental Planning Agency to determine if radioactive material is present in the area.
However, the agency has yet to give him an answer, and yesterday he pressed the congresswoman to look into the dredging plans on island.
"Your deafening silence in not speaking out about the dredging of the coral, it's not only disturbing, it is unconscionable," he said. "And you won an award last year for this. You probably need to return the award."
Bordallo assured Cruz that she has many professionals looking into the issue.
But this isn't enough for some residents. In fact, they just want the military to just get out.
At a rally yesterday in Anigua for the "Freedom To Make Our Own Decisions", Trini Torres, a leader for the Taotaomona Native Rights and Chamorro Nation, said residents must unite to protect the island from the buildup.
The group was dedicating the new Plasan Maga' Lahi Hurao beach park, which is across the street from Pigo Cemetery, to Hurao, the leader of the Chamorro people during the Chamorro Spanish War, which began in 1671. Torres said Hurao fought for the freedom of the Chamorros, which the group is now asking from the United States.
"We don't want to be a colony anymore," she said.
Torres said the group wants the island's people to unite to protect the island from the buildup.
"This buildup, we are afraid of it," she said. "How can we survive when we lose our island? The U.S. needs to just get out."
Other residents like Will Calori, 29, of Mangilao believes that the draft EIS contains inaccurate information, which makes them unable to make valid comments.
Clutching his 2-year-old son in his arms, the businessman said if he only cared about making money today, then he probably wouldn't give the issue as much thought as he is now.
"We're not getting the accurate information and we aren't able to make a thorough decision on what is going to happen," he said. "I think (children) are the reason we are here. I want his kids to enjoy this island after it's all done."
The draft EIS provides a detailed account of how Guam's community will be affected through changes caused by the buildup. JGPO and a team of socioeconomic experts collected feedback from the Guam and CNMI governors, the Chambers of Commerce, other island resources and community experts in its assessment of what kind of impact the relocation of Marines to Guam will have on the island's education, health care services, employment opportunities, property values, crime, cost of living and other socioeconomic issues.
Camacho asks Defense to slow buildup
Camacho asks Defense to slow buildup
By Gaynor Dumat-ol Daleno • gdumat-ol@guampdn.com • January 30, 2010
Saying Guam simply can't absorb the shock of a population surge in four years, Gov. Felix Camacho is asking the Defense Department to relocate about 8,000 Marines and their 9,000 dependents to Guam in eight years instead of four.
Rather than completing the Marines' relocation from Okinawa to Guam by 2014, Camacho is requesting the Defense Department for a phase-in time extending through 2018.
"I believe that a request for an extension would help lessen the impact of the military buildup on Guam. In fact, during our village workshop on Jan. 20, I expressed my intention to ask the United States to consider extending their deadline for the buildup," according to Camacho.
"The extension will greatly impact every area of public concern. It will lessen the pressure currently being placed on our people to accommodate a significant influx in our population," the governor added.
Camacho on Thursday wrote to Navy Secretary Ray Mabus requesting the delay.
Guam's population is expected to soar -- with 79,178 additional people in 2014, an increase of almost half the current population. And as the population increases, the military buildup is expected to create 33,000 new jobs by 2014, according to the military's draft Environmental Impact Statement. In 2014 alone, the government of Guam would see $325 million in additional revenue -- an increase of about 60 percent of its current annual budget, according to the impact statement.
Island residents have until mid-February to comment on the draft EIS.
The proposed delay in the completion of the Marines' move, according to the governor, "will lessen the impact on our territory, to give us more time to make preparations, and that affects everything from the number of wells that need to be drilled, the number of workers that need to be here at a certain time."
The island also needs more time to expand the island's only commercial port of entry for construction materials for the military buildup, according to the governor.
"I don't have a set date, but I think that moving it beyond 2014 to even 2018, a four-year push, would be better for us. It is a more sustained growth. There's no peak and a bust," Camacho said in an interview yesterday.
There will be no post-buildup recession as predicted in the draft impact statement, he added.
David Leddy, president of the Guam Chamber of Commerce, said the governor's request is consistent with the Defense Department's revisions to the buildup timetable.
"We think a delay is good for the island as it will afford us more time to assimilate the changes that are coming forth and for more of our local businesses to participate," Leddy said.
Gerry Perez, a member of the initial group of Guam Chamber officials who started knocking on doors in Washington, D.C., almost a decade ago to invite the military to expand its presence on Guam as the island faced an economic downturn starting with the economic crisis, said yesterday Guam also needs to consider America's national security interests.
Voicing his personal opinion, Perez, who also is the Guam Visitors Bureau general manager, said: "I can say that our original objective of attracting a larger military footprint to expand our economic base, provide local employment, and stimulate other economic activity was a success."
"The key question now before the island's leadership is how best to negotiate and harness this military buildup opportunity in a manner that benefits the local community while satisfying our national security interests," Perez said.
"Quite frankly, it is the reality of funding, capacity constraints, and the timely resolution of differences in the magnitude and dispersal of this (military expansion footprint) that will ultimately determine the buildup schedule, whether in 2014 or beyond," Perez said.
The relocation of Marines from Okinawa to Guam is part of a Japan-United States pact to reduce the presence of U.S. troops in Okinawa.
Japan has agreed to pay $6 billion of the $10.2 billion relocation cost under an agreement that was finalized last year -- before a new set of Japanese elected leaders came into office.
Later last year, however, some of the newly elected leaders in Japan began to suggest they want all U.S. troops out of Okinawa completely. In recent weeks, Japan officials hinted they may ask for the bilateral agreement to be renegotiated.
The relocation of Marines to Guam is part of a broader military expansion plan on Guam, which includes building an Army missile defense facility, and accommodations and wharf facilities for recurring visits of an aircraft carrier or two, according to preliminary military plans.
Vice Speaker Benjamin Cruz and Delegate Madeleine Bordallo both have written letters in support of extending the amount of time residents can comment on the buildup's draft impact statement.
Without the granting of the 45-day extension request, Guam residents have until Feb. 18, Guam time, to comment. The deadline to comment is Feb. 17, Washington time.
Bordallo was unavailable for comment yesterday. The Defense Department's Joint Guam Program Office, which coordinates buildup issues, did not have an immediate comment.
Sen. Judith Guthertz also has called for the Marines' move to be stretched "over a period of eight years instead of only two years."
The island would have to accommodate not only the Marines and their dependents, but also workers from off island who will contribute to the population boom.
"We reported on the availability of workforce housing and all of the Guam Land Use Commission's approval of all those properties in terms of the needs of the H2 workforce," said Department of Land Management Director Chris Duenas.
He said the agency presented more than 130 comments on the draft EIS to the governor's office.
The department also visited JGPO officials and requested a discussion between JGPO, the governor's office and the Legislature.
"The military and JGPO should go to the governor's office and the Legislature to discuss the possibilities of what they would do in terms of land exchange and what that would mean for the people of Guam."
The department has been working with the Chamorro Land Trust and the Ancestral Land Commissions to ensure they all have the correct inventory on the properties on Guam, Duenas said.
By Gaynor Dumat-ol Daleno • gdumat-ol@guampdn.com • January 30, 2010
Saying Guam simply can't absorb the shock of a population surge in four years, Gov. Felix Camacho is asking the Defense Department to relocate about 8,000 Marines and their 9,000 dependents to Guam in eight years instead of four.
Rather than completing the Marines' relocation from Okinawa to Guam by 2014, Camacho is requesting the Defense Department for a phase-in time extending through 2018.
"I believe that a request for an extension would help lessen the impact of the military buildup on Guam. In fact, during our village workshop on Jan. 20, I expressed my intention to ask the United States to consider extending their deadline for the buildup," according to Camacho.
"The extension will greatly impact every area of public concern. It will lessen the pressure currently being placed on our people to accommodate a significant influx in our population," the governor added.
Camacho on Thursday wrote to Navy Secretary Ray Mabus requesting the delay.
Guam's population is expected to soar -- with 79,178 additional people in 2014, an increase of almost half the current population. And as the population increases, the military buildup is expected to create 33,000 new jobs by 2014, according to the military's draft Environmental Impact Statement. In 2014 alone, the government of Guam would see $325 million in additional revenue -- an increase of about 60 percent of its current annual budget, according to the impact statement.
Island residents have until mid-February to comment on the draft EIS.
The proposed delay in the completion of the Marines' move, according to the governor, "will lessen the impact on our territory, to give us more time to make preparations, and that affects everything from the number of wells that need to be drilled, the number of workers that need to be here at a certain time."
The island also needs more time to expand the island's only commercial port of entry for construction materials for the military buildup, according to the governor.
"I don't have a set date, but I think that moving it beyond 2014 to even 2018, a four-year push, would be better for us. It is a more sustained growth. There's no peak and a bust," Camacho said in an interview yesterday.
There will be no post-buildup recession as predicted in the draft impact statement, he added.
David Leddy, president of the Guam Chamber of Commerce, said the governor's request is consistent with the Defense Department's revisions to the buildup timetable.
"We think a delay is good for the island as it will afford us more time to assimilate the changes that are coming forth and for more of our local businesses to participate," Leddy said.
Gerry Perez, a member of the initial group of Guam Chamber officials who started knocking on doors in Washington, D.C., almost a decade ago to invite the military to expand its presence on Guam as the island faced an economic downturn starting with the economic crisis, said yesterday Guam also needs to consider America's national security interests.
Voicing his personal opinion, Perez, who also is the Guam Visitors Bureau general manager, said: "I can say that our original objective of attracting a larger military footprint to expand our economic base, provide local employment, and stimulate other economic activity was a success."
"The key question now before the island's leadership is how best to negotiate and harness this military buildup opportunity in a manner that benefits the local community while satisfying our national security interests," Perez said.
"Quite frankly, it is the reality of funding, capacity constraints, and the timely resolution of differences in the magnitude and dispersal of this (military expansion footprint) that will ultimately determine the buildup schedule, whether in 2014 or beyond," Perez said.
The relocation of Marines from Okinawa to Guam is part of a Japan-United States pact to reduce the presence of U.S. troops in Okinawa.
Japan has agreed to pay $6 billion of the $10.2 billion relocation cost under an agreement that was finalized last year -- before a new set of Japanese elected leaders came into office.
Later last year, however, some of the newly elected leaders in Japan began to suggest they want all U.S. troops out of Okinawa completely. In recent weeks, Japan officials hinted they may ask for the bilateral agreement to be renegotiated.
The relocation of Marines to Guam is part of a broader military expansion plan on Guam, which includes building an Army missile defense facility, and accommodations and wharf facilities for recurring visits of an aircraft carrier or two, according to preliminary military plans.
Vice Speaker Benjamin Cruz and Delegate Madeleine Bordallo both have written letters in support of extending the amount of time residents can comment on the buildup's draft impact statement.
Without the granting of the 45-day extension request, Guam residents have until Feb. 18, Guam time, to comment. The deadline to comment is Feb. 17, Washington time.
Bordallo was unavailable for comment yesterday. The Defense Department's Joint Guam Program Office, which coordinates buildup issues, did not have an immediate comment.
Sen. Judith Guthertz also has called for the Marines' move to be stretched "over a period of eight years instead of only two years."
The island would have to accommodate not only the Marines and their dependents, but also workers from off island who will contribute to the population boom.
"We reported on the availability of workforce housing and all of the Guam Land Use Commission's approval of all those properties in terms of the needs of the H2 workforce," said Department of Land Management Director Chris Duenas.
He said the agency presented more than 130 comments on the draft EIS to the governor's office.
The department also visited JGPO officials and requested a discussion between JGPO, the governor's office and the Legislature.
"The military and JGPO should go to the governor's office and the Legislature to discuss the possibilities of what they would do in terms of land exchange and what that would mean for the people of Guam."
The department has been working with the Chamorro Land Trust and the Ancestral Land Commissions to ensure they all have the correct inventory on the properties on Guam, Duenas said.
Fitial respects Guam gov's request for delay in military buildup
Fitial respects Guam gov's request for delay in military buildup
Saturday, January 30, 2010
By Haidee V. Eugenio
Gov. Benigno R. Fitial said yesterday that he respects Guam Gov. Felix P. Camacho's request to U.S. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus to delay the implementation of the military buildup in Guam beyond 2014.
Camacho wrote Mabus a letter on Thursday, asking him that all Guam military buildup program be “delayed to beyond 2014 to protect the integrity of the III Marine Expeditionary Force and ensure that impacts are minimized to our island infrastructure and socioeconomic services.”
Fitial, whose administration is looking at the military buildup as an opportunity to boost the CNMI economy, said he respects Camacho's position on the buildup, which aims to relocate U.S. Marines from Okinawa, Japan to Guam.
The 15- to $20-billion military buildup in Guam includes the construction of military training ranges on Tinian, two-thirds of which is leased by the U.S. Department of Defense.
Because Guam cannot accommodate all training for the relocating Marines, the military looks at Tinian to provide opportunities for training groups of 200 Marines or larger due to greater land availability. Tinian is only about 100 miles or 160 kilometers away from Guam.
“If the governor of Guam and its people feel that there is a need to delay its implementation, then that is a position rightfully reserved for them. Therefore, Governor Fitial does not intend to write a separate letter to Secretary Mabus. It is important to recognize that without a buildup in Guam, there would be no anticipated impact on the Commonwealth,” said press secretary Angel A. Demapan when asked for comment on Camacho's request.
In his two-page letter to Mabus, Camacho said Article 2 of the Guam International Agreement clearly states that the U.S. shall take necessary measures for the relocation of the U.S. Marines, including funding for projects to develop facilities in Guam.
“I believe that a request for an extension would help lessen the impact of the military buildup on Guam. In fact, during our village workshop on Jan. 20, I expressed my intention to ask the United States to consider extending their deadline for the buildup. The extension will greatly impact every area of public concern. It will lessen the pressure currently being placed on our people to accommodate a significant influx in our population,” said Camacho.
He said in order to ensure that the Guam military buildup program is fully implemented as planned, he asked that the Adaptive Program Techniques as identified in the draft Environmental Impact Statement be used to extend the construction phase of the program.
Camacho said this will enable Guam to be better prepared for the impacts associated with the Marine relocation while protecting the integrity of the III Marine Expeditionary Force.
“I believe that this request is consistent with the Guam International Agreement signed by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Japan Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone on Feb. 17, 2009,” he told Mabus.
Mabus was one of ranking U.S. military officials to visit Saipan and Guam last year.
Camacho said there is support of the relocation of U.S. Marines from Okinawa to Guam and overall support for the U.S. armed services.
“However, we must not overlook the reality that we have a fragile territorial economy, posses a limited amount of financial resources and lack the capacity to absorb the impacts of 20 years worth of growth in a five-year time frame,” he said.
The request for delay comes at a time when the CNMI and Guam are preparing comments on the 11,000 pages of documents on the military buildup's draft Environmental Impact Statement. The deadline for submitting comments is on Feb. 17.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
By Haidee V. Eugenio
Gov. Benigno R. Fitial said yesterday that he respects Guam Gov. Felix P. Camacho's request to U.S. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus to delay the implementation of the military buildup in Guam beyond 2014.
Camacho wrote Mabus a letter on Thursday, asking him that all Guam military buildup program be “delayed to beyond 2014 to protect the integrity of the III Marine Expeditionary Force and ensure that impacts are minimized to our island infrastructure and socioeconomic services.”
Fitial, whose administration is looking at the military buildup as an opportunity to boost the CNMI economy, said he respects Camacho's position on the buildup, which aims to relocate U.S. Marines from Okinawa, Japan to Guam.
The 15- to $20-billion military buildup in Guam includes the construction of military training ranges on Tinian, two-thirds of which is leased by the U.S. Department of Defense.
Because Guam cannot accommodate all training for the relocating Marines, the military looks at Tinian to provide opportunities for training groups of 200 Marines or larger due to greater land availability. Tinian is only about 100 miles or 160 kilometers away from Guam.
“If the governor of Guam and its people feel that there is a need to delay its implementation, then that is a position rightfully reserved for them. Therefore, Governor Fitial does not intend to write a separate letter to Secretary Mabus. It is important to recognize that without a buildup in Guam, there would be no anticipated impact on the Commonwealth,” said press secretary Angel A. Demapan when asked for comment on Camacho's request.
In his two-page letter to Mabus, Camacho said Article 2 of the Guam International Agreement clearly states that the U.S. shall take necessary measures for the relocation of the U.S. Marines, including funding for projects to develop facilities in Guam.
“I believe that a request for an extension would help lessen the impact of the military buildup on Guam. In fact, during our village workshop on Jan. 20, I expressed my intention to ask the United States to consider extending their deadline for the buildup. The extension will greatly impact every area of public concern. It will lessen the pressure currently being placed on our people to accommodate a significant influx in our population,” said Camacho.
He said in order to ensure that the Guam military buildup program is fully implemented as planned, he asked that the Adaptive Program Techniques as identified in the draft Environmental Impact Statement be used to extend the construction phase of the program.
Camacho said this will enable Guam to be better prepared for the impacts associated with the Marine relocation while protecting the integrity of the III Marine Expeditionary Force.
“I believe that this request is consistent with the Guam International Agreement signed by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Japan Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone on Feb. 17, 2009,” he told Mabus.
Mabus was one of ranking U.S. military officials to visit Saipan and Guam last year.
Camacho said there is support of the relocation of U.S. Marines from Okinawa to Guam and overall support for the U.S. armed services.
“However, we must not overlook the reality that we have a fragile territorial economy, posses a limited amount of financial resources and lack the capacity to absorb the impacts of 20 years worth of growth in a five-year time frame,” he said.
The request for delay comes at a time when the CNMI and Guam are preparing comments on the 11,000 pages of documents on the military buildup's draft Environmental Impact Statement. The deadline for submitting comments is on Feb. 17.
PNC :: GWA Supports Governor's Request for More Time To Prepare For Buildup
PNC :: GWA Supports Governor's Request for More Time To Prepare For Buildup
Friday, 29 January 2010
Guam - The Guam Waterworks Authority is supporting Governor Camacho's request for a delay in the military build up.
Yesterday during the utility hearing at the Legislature's DEIS hearing, GWA submitted a report to Senator Ada’s Committee on Utilities.
The reporty delt with the status of the GWA's preparation for the military buildup.
Click on the link below to view GWA's powerpoint presentation at the hearing:
www.guamwaterworks.org
Go to Divisions, click on Public Information. You will find the powerpoint there.
Written by : News Release
Friday, 29 January 2010
Guam - The Guam Waterworks Authority is supporting Governor Camacho's request for a delay in the military build up.
Yesterday during the utility hearing at the Legislature's DEIS hearing, GWA submitted a report to Senator Ada’s Committee on Utilities.
The reporty delt with the status of the GWA's preparation for the military buildup.
Click on the link below to view GWA's powerpoint presentation at the hearing:
www.guamwaterworks.org
Go to Divisions, click on Public Information. You will find the powerpoint there.
Written by : News Release
Guthertz: Slow buildup pace
Guthertz: Slow buildup pace
By Dionesis Tamondong • Pacific Daily News • January 29, 2010
The relocation of Marines to Guam should be stretched out over eight years instead of two, and the military should consider shifting half of those troops to the Northern Marianas, said Democratic Sen. Judith Guthertz.
The senator made these recommendations as part of her comments to the draft Environmental Impact Statement, which details the Department of Defense's buildup plans and the potential impacts.
"The people of Guam are beginning to realize that the proposed relocation to Guam is too large and too quick for Guam's governmental services and infrastructure to adapt," said Guthertz, chairwoman of the Committee on the Guam Military Buildup, during a press conference yesterday.
Gov. Felix Camacho yesterday said he shares the idea of extending the buildup deadline. He said he's written a letter to Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus requesting a delay in the buildup.
"The extension of the overall buildup deadline will greatly impact every area of public concern. It will lessen the pressure currently being placed on our people to accommodate a significant influx in our population," the governor said in an e-mail.
Guthertz also urged the reduction of the number of Marines to Guam by half.
She recommended relocating the First Marine Aircraft Wing, an aviation command, from Futenma to Tinian and Aguijan, also known as Goat Island -- a move supported by their respective mayors.
If this happens, the military can transfer about half of the 8,652 Marines intended for Guam from Okinawa's infantry bases to the vacated Futenma facilities.
The Joint Guam Program Office, which is coordinating the buildup on Guam, didn't respond to Guthertz's specific proposals.
"We have forwarded her comments to the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific for inclusion in the Final Environmental Impact Statement," JGPO spokesman Capt. Neil Ruggiero said.
Guthertz said her proposals would alleviate the concerns on Guam and Okinawa, and shift some of the economic investments badly needed in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
By Dionesis Tamondong • Pacific Daily News • January 29, 2010
The relocation of Marines to Guam should be stretched out over eight years instead of two, and the military should consider shifting half of those troops to the Northern Marianas, said Democratic Sen. Judith Guthertz.
The senator made these recommendations as part of her comments to the draft Environmental Impact Statement, which details the Department of Defense's buildup plans and the potential impacts.
"The people of Guam are beginning to realize that the proposed relocation to Guam is too large and too quick for Guam's governmental services and infrastructure to adapt," said Guthertz, chairwoman of the Committee on the Guam Military Buildup, during a press conference yesterday.
Gov. Felix Camacho yesterday said he shares the idea of extending the buildup deadline. He said he's written a letter to Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus requesting a delay in the buildup.
"The extension of the overall buildup deadline will greatly impact every area of public concern. It will lessen the pressure currently being placed on our people to accommodate a significant influx in our population," the governor said in an e-mail.
Guthertz also urged the reduction of the number of Marines to Guam by half.
She recommended relocating the First Marine Aircraft Wing, an aviation command, from Futenma to Tinian and Aguijan, also known as Goat Island -- a move supported by their respective mayors.
If this happens, the military can transfer about half of the 8,652 Marines intended for Guam from Okinawa's infantry bases to the vacated Futenma facilities.
The Joint Guam Program Office, which is coordinating the buildup on Guam, didn't respond to Guthertz's specific proposals.
"We have forwarded her comments to the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific for inclusion in the Final Environmental Impact Statement," JGPO spokesman Capt. Neil Ruggiero said.
Guthertz said her proposals would alleviate the concerns on Guam and Okinawa, and shift some of the economic investments badly needed in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Guam governor asks U.S. to delay military buildup
Guam governor asks U.S. to delay military buildup
By Teri Weaver , Stars and Stripes
Online edition, Friday, January 29, 2010
TOKYO — Guam’s governor on Thursday asked the U.S. military to delay its plans to move more than 9,000 troops to the island.
In a subsequent news release on Friday, Gov. Felix Camacho said he thought extending the construction timeline would lessen the overall impact on the island. He did not offer specifics, other than to say the buildup should extend beyond 2014.
“There is support of the relocation of U.S. Marines from Okinawa to Guam and overall support for the U.S. armed services,” Camacho wrote to Navy Secretary Ray Mabus in a letter dated Jan. 28.
“However, we must not overlook the reality that we have a fragile territorial economy, possess a limited amount of financial resources and lack the capacity to absorb the impacts of 20 years worth of growth in a five-year time frame.”
The request is not meant to signal an overall decrease in Camacho’s support for the project, according to the governor’s spokeswoman Charlene Calip.
Through a spokeswoman, Navy Undersecretary Robert Work said late Friday the Navy had received the letter and was working on a prompt response.
“The Department appreciates the Governor’s comments and will continue to work closely with Guam’s and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands’ elected leaders in the planning and execution of the military realignment,” Work said in a written statement.
But Camacho's request does come as more residents and local leaders have expressed concerns about the buildup in public meetings in recent weeks.
Mabus was traveling in the Pacific and could not be immediately reached for comment, according to Lt. Laura Stegherr, a Navy spokeswoman.
The buildup calls for adding nearly 80,000 people to Guam’s 178,000 population during the height of construction in 2014. Plans include permanently moving 8,600 Marines from Okinawa to Guam, adding an Army air defense unit, and building a wharf that can support three-week visits by aircraft carriers, which typically carry a crew of 5,000.
In recent weeks, the military, Guam’s legislature and Camacho have all held hearings on the project as part of a federally required environmental review. Some of those meetings have turned into platforms for sharp criticism of the buildup, with residents and local leaders questioning the military’s proposal to use land outside its current footprint.
Rep. Madeleine Bordallo, the island’s non-voting congressional representative who sits on the House Armed Services Committee, was to fly back to the island to hold five more hearings on Saturday and Sunday.
By Teri Weaver , Stars and Stripes
Online edition, Friday, January 29, 2010
TOKYO — Guam’s governor on Thursday asked the U.S. military to delay its plans to move more than 9,000 troops to the island.
In a subsequent news release on Friday, Gov. Felix Camacho said he thought extending the construction timeline would lessen the overall impact on the island. He did not offer specifics, other than to say the buildup should extend beyond 2014.
“There is support of the relocation of U.S. Marines from Okinawa to Guam and overall support for the U.S. armed services,” Camacho wrote to Navy Secretary Ray Mabus in a letter dated Jan. 28.
“However, we must not overlook the reality that we have a fragile territorial economy, possess a limited amount of financial resources and lack the capacity to absorb the impacts of 20 years worth of growth in a five-year time frame.”
The request is not meant to signal an overall decrease in Camacho’s support for the project, according to the governor’s spokeswoman Charlene Calip.
Through a spokeswoman, Navy Undersecretary Robert Work said late Friday the Navy had received the letter and was working on a prompt response.
“The Department appreciates the Governor’s comments and will continue to work closely with Guam’s and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands’ elected leaders in the planning and execution of the military realignment,” Work said in a written statement.
But Camacho's request does come as more residents and local leaders have expressed concerns about the buildup in public meetings in recent weeks.
Mabus was traveling in the Pacific and could not be immediately reached for comment, according to Lt. Laura Stegherr, a Navy spokeswoman.
The buildup calls for adding nearly 80,000 people to Guam’s 178,000 population during the height of construction in 2014. Plans include permanently moving 8,600 Marines from Okinawa to Guam, adding an Army air defense unit, and building a wharf that can support three-week visits by aircraft carriers, which typically carry a crew of 5,000.
In recent weeks, the military, Guam’s legislature and Camacho have all held hearings on the project as part of a federally required environmental review. Some of those meetings have turned into platforms for sharp criticism of the buildup, with residents and local leaders questioning the military’s proposal to use land outside its current footprint.
Rep. Madeleine Bordallo, the island’s non-voting congressional representative who sits on the House Armed Services Committee, was to fly back to the island to hold five more hearings on Saturday and Sunday.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Buildup Hits Another Snag
Buildup hits another snag
Monday, 24 August 2009 01:08 by Gerardo Partido | Variety News Staff .
Conflict over military housing may delay Marines’ relocationTHE planned transfer of U.S. Marines from Okinawa to Guam has apparently hit another snag as Japanese media reported over the weekend that there are serious “differences” between the U.S. and Japan over a housing project for the relocating Marines.
The Kyodo news agency, citing sources close to Japan-U.S. relations, reported that these differences revolve around conflicting interpretations over the quality standards for the housing project.
Earlier, Japanese opposition officials already expressed concerns over the “expensive” cost of housing units on Guam given by U.S. authorities.
Bloomberg News had quoted opposition Democratic Party of Japan legislator Keiichiro Asao as saying that the projected $700,000 per housing unit for the Marines quoted by the U.S. is too much given that the land is already free.
Japan election
The Japanese election is just a week away and the opposition, which had been pushing for a review of the Guam buildup costs, is widely predicted to take over power from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
According to Kyodo, the housing project for the Marines is already more than six months behind schedule because of the conflict between the U.S. and Japanese sides.
Moreover, the impasse may delay bids by potential contractors since it normally takes about a year and half before the winning bidder is selected and three to four years before a project of that size can be completed.
This threatens to delay the Marines’ transfer, which was scheduled to be completed by the end of 2014 by both governments.
Friction
According to Kyodo, another cause of friction is the U.S. proposal to use part of the Japanese funding to help improve military facilities on Guam that are not directly linked to the transfer of the Okinawa-based Marines.
Public opinion in Japan is already very much against the financing plan for the relocation of the Marines, which many Japanese consider too high and unfair.
The decision to take on $6 billion of the total cost marks the first time a Japanese government has agreed to share the costs of building and improving facilities at a U.S. base overseas and this has enraged Japanese nationalists.
Kyodo said the deadlock in the talks to relocate the Marines to Guam may also affect the plan to transfer the heliport functions of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station from Ginowan to Nago, both in Okinawa, as the two elements are closely tied by the bilateral agreement.
Another Kyodo source, which the news agency did not name, said a delay beyond 2014 appears to have become the "tacit understanding" of officials from both sides.
Under the May 2006 agreement, Japan is to shoulder up to $6.09 billion of the $10.27 billion relocation cost mainly to build houses and improve infrastructure.
Monday, 24 August 2009 01:08 by Gerardo Partido | Variety News Staff .
Conflict over military housing may delay Marines’ relocationTHE planned transfer of U.S. Marines from Okinawa to Guam has apparently hit another snag as Japanese media reported over the weekend that there are serious “differences” between the U.S. and Japan over a housing project for the relocating Marines.
The Kyodo news agency, citing sources close to Japan-U.S. relations, reported that these differences revolve around conflicting interpretations over the quality standards for the housing project.
Earlier, Japanese opposition officials already expressed concerns over the “expensive” cost of housing units on Guam given by U.S. authorities.
Bloomberg News had quoted opposition Democratic Party of Japan legislator Keiichiro Asao as saying that the projected $700,000 per housing unit for the Marines quoted by the U.S. is too much given that the land is already free.
Japan election
The Japanese election is just a week away and the opposition, which had been pushing for a review of the Guam buildup costs, is widely predicted to take over power from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
According to Kyodo, the housing project for the Marines is already more than six months behind schedule because of the conflict between the U.S. and Japanese sides.
Moreover, the impasse may delay bids by potential contractors since it normally takes about a year and half before the winning bidder is selected and three to four years before a project of that size can be completed.
This threatens to delay the Marines’ transfer, which was scheduled to be completed by the end of 2014 by both governments.
Friction
According to Kyodo, another cause of friction is the U.S. proposal to use part of the Japanese funding to help improve military facilities on Guam that are not directly linked to the transfer of the Okinawa-based Marines.
Public opinion in Japan is already very much against the financing plan for the relocation of the Marines, which many Japanese consider too high and unfair.
The decision to take on $6 billion of the total cost marks the first time a Japanese government has agreed to share the costs of building and improving facilities at a U.S. base overseas and this has enraged Japanese nationalists.
Kyodo said the deadlock in the talks to relocate the Marines to Guam may also affect the plan to transfer the heliport functions of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station from Ginowan to Nago, both in Okinawa, as the two elements are closely tied by the bilateral agreement.
Another Kyodo source, which the news agency did not name, said a delay beyond 2014 appears to have become the "tacit understanding" of officials from both sides.
Under the May 2006 agreement, Japan is to shoulder up to $6.09 billion of the $10.27 billion relocation cost mainly to build houses and improve infrastructure.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Likely New Japanese Prime Minister Could Stall Guam Buildup
Likely "Japan Prime Minister" Could Stall Guam Buildup
Guam News Factor
By Jeff Marchesseault
July 26, 2009
GUAM - On Thursday the Democratic Party of Japan announced a set of platform-basing policies that includes a potential stumbling block on the road to Guam's military buildup. It's a sticking point that could conceivably stall the scheduled transfer of the first of thousands of U.S. Marines and their families from bases in Okinawa to new, refurbished and expanded installations on Guam, beginning in the fall of next year.
Walking Softly With A Big Stick
A month before an election that's likely to topple Prime Minister Taro Aso and the five-and-a-half-decade reign of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) that backs him, the rising opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) has toned down its stance against U.S. policies. Led by likely Prime Minister-Elect Yukio Hatoyama, the DPJ has also cut back its criticisms of the ruling party's generous investment in American military security for the region.
This quieting of the DPJ's rhetoric may have as much to do with the opposition's desire to secure as many votes as possible going into August 30th elections -- as it does with a stark realization that the 50-year-old U.S-Japan economic and security alliance is worth preserving. Especially in a Pacific region seething with lingering security questions.
Harbinger Of Hope
Communist Chinese naval power is on the rise while communist North Korea continues to advance and test its nuclear capability and long-range missile effectiveness. What better friend for democratic Japan to keep in this war of the ideologies than the one with the world's most-advanced defense technology, the world's biggest economy, and arguably the world's most ardent tradition of equality and human rights?
Wallowing In The Mire
But recent outward signs of 'playing it safe' haven't stopped the DPJ from including in its just-released election platform the kind of policy points that are apt to set the U.S. defense community on alert.
In particular, the Guam buildup could trip over a controversial plan to move a U.S. defense facility within Okinawa -- a plan the DPJ has opposed and is still making an issue of within its recently-released 57-page "INDEX 2009" policy stance.
The plan to move 8,000 Marines from Okinawa to Guam between 2010 and 2014 is tied to a larger bilateral agreement to realign U.S. armed forces in the Pacific. The realignment includes moving Futenma Air Station from the crowded Okinawan municipality of Ginowan City to a remote peninsula on the Japanese island near Camp Schwab.
According to today's Asia Times...
INDEX 2009 also mentioned the party's plan to raise the issue of the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), a long-standing issue of jurisdiction over the 37,000-strong US military presence in Japan.
The party has proposed relocation of the US Marine Corps Futenma Air Station in Ginowan City, Okinawa Prefecture, to outside the prefecture, and has opposed the agreement between the US and Japanese governments on the planned relocation of that station within the prefecture.
Under the US-Japan accord, 8,000 Marines and their 9,000 dependents will be transferred from Okinawa to Guam by 2014, while the US Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in the city of Ginowan will be relocated to Henoko district in Nago, Okinawa. Okinawa is home to 70% of the US military facilities in Japan. The DPJ has advocated reducing Okinawa's burden of hosting US military bases as a principal policy imperative.
Guam News Factor
By Jeff Marchesseault
July 26, 2009
GUAM - On Thursday the Democratic Party of Japan announced a set of platform-basing policies that includes a potential stumbling block on the road to Guam's military buildup. It's a sticking point that could conceivably stall the scheduled transfer of the first of thousands of U.S. Marines and their families from bases in Okinawa to new, refurbished and expanded installations on Guam, beginning in the fall of next year.
Walking Softly With A Big Stick
A month before an election that's likely to topple Prime Minister Taro Aso and the five-and-a-half-decade reign of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) that backs him, the rising opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) has toned down its stance against U.S. policies. Led by likely Prime Minister-Elect Yukio Hatoyama, the DPJ has also cut back its criticisms of the ruling party's generous investment in American military security for the region.
This quieting of the DPJ's rhetoric may have as much to do with the opposition's desire to secure as many votes as possible going into August 30th elections -- as it does with a stark realization that the 50-year-old U.S-Japan economic and security alliance is worth preserving. Especially in a Pacific region seething with lingering security questions.
Harbinger Of Hope
Communist Chinese naval power is on the rise while communist North Korea continues to advance and test its nuclear capability and long-range missile effectiveness. What better friend for democratic Japan to keep in this war of the ideologies than the one with the world's most-advanced defense technology, the world's biggest economy, and arguably the world's most ardent tradition of equality and human rights?
Wallowing In The Mire
But recent outward signs of 'playing it safe' haven't stopped the DPJ from including in its just-released election platform the kind of policy points that are apt to set the U.S. defense community on alert.
In particular, the Guam buildup could trip over a controversial plan to move a U.S. defense facility within Okinawa -- a plan the DPJ has opposed and is still making an issue of within its recently-released 57-page "INDEX 2009" policy stance.
The plan to move 8,000 Marines from Okinawa to Guam between 2010 and 2014 is tied to a larger bilateral agreement to realign U.S. armed forces in the Pacific. The realignment includes moving Futenma Air Station from the crowded Okinawan municipality of Ginowan City to a remote peninsula on the Japanese island near Camp Schwab.
According to today's Asia Times...
INDEX 2009 also mentioned the party's plan to raise the issue of the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), a long-standing issue of jurisdiction over the 37,000-strong US military presence in Japan.
The party has proposed relocation of the US Marine Corps Futenma Air Station in Ginowan City, Okinawa Prefecture, to outside the prefecture, and has opposed the agreement between the US and Japanese governments on the planned relocation of that station within the prefecture.
Under the US-Japan accord, 8,000 Marines and their 9,000 dependents will be transferred from Okinawa to Guam by 2014, while the US Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in the city of Ginowan will be relocated to Henoko district in Nago, Okinawa. Okinawa is home to 70% of the US military facilities in Japan. The DPJ has advocated reducing Okinawa's burden of hosting US military bases as a principal policy imperative.
Saturday, November 08, 2008
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)