US military build-up on Mariana island of Tinian

SAIPAN (Pacnews) ---- Northern Marianas may see US military build-up on Tinian should political unrest in Asia persist, although Governor Pedro Tenorio said the Pentagon is yet to indicate plans to use portion of the island leased to the Department of Defence, under the treaty which established the Commonwealth in 1976.
A military build-up on Tinian could be fuelled by the increasing animosity between the US and China on espionage, as well as the alleged Chinese invasion of the disputed Spratly Islands, being claimed by the Philippines, a long-time ally of the United States.
Japan and South Korea have also expressed concerns on the alleged ongoing build-up of nuclear arsenal by North Korea, in addition to the animosity between Pakistan and India on their disputed border.
Air Force Commander Colonel Mark Gehri has noted the strategic importance of the Marianas to maintain peace and freedom in the region. He even mentioned the $US80 million investments by the US Military on Guam as part of efforts to maintain strong military presence in the Pacific.
Gehri pointed out that the Marianas is the farthest the US Military can go in the region, and its location is important because it allows America to strike anyone who would challenge the Pacific.
Tenorio said at least two-thirds of the island of Tinian had been leased to the US Military but has not been used the Covenant was reached between Washington and the Commonwealth in 1976.
Any move by the US to finally utilise its military bases on Tinian is a welcome development to the CNMI because it is seen to perk up the local tourism industry, which has been heavily impacted by the downfall of mighty economies in Asia.
CNMI officials are expecting to entice US military officials to move American servicemen who will be pulled out of Okinawa to Tinian. The island is seen as a resettlement post for the imminent uprooting of the American military bases in Japan.
But Tinian will have to compete with Guam, which is also a possible relocation site for American troops who may be uprooted from Okinawa. At least 75 percent of American bases in Japan are in Okinawa.
Rear Admiral Martin Janczak, who is former commander in chief of the Navy Pacific Command, previously mentioned the possibility of the US military pulling out of Okinawa in at least 10 years.
Governor Tenorio said the issue was never brought up in any of his meetings with US military officials, but admits CNMI is expected to reap economic gains should Washington start utilising their bases on Tinian....PNS

PACIFIC ISLANDS REPORT
Pacific Islands Development Program/East-West Center
Center for Pacific Islands Studies/University of Hawai'i at Manoa

MORE MILITARY DUMPSITES BEING DISCOVERED IN NORTHERN MARIANAS

By Jojo Dass

SAIPAN, Northern Mariana Islands (May 11, 2000 - Marianas Variety/ PINA Nius Online)---The number of sites discovered by residents of Saipan to be abandoned U.S. military dumping grounds has increased to four, resulting in a growing consciousness among islanders over the potential environmental threat these areas pose, according to a Republican legislator.
Rep. Dino M. Jones also announced that at least two representatives from the U.S. mainland-based law firm, Water & Krauss, finally arrived on the island late last week to start their evaluation of the extent of contamination the coastal village of Tanapag was exposed to from U.S. abandoned capacitors leaking cancer-causing poly-chlorinated biphenyl (PCB).
Steve McKenzie of Greenpeace said the lawyers are "aware that Greenpeace has declared Tanapag a global toxic hotspot."
McKenzie stressed that this designation many not necessarily have an impact on the lawsuit being planned by Jones against the federal government. However, Greenpeace's move, he said, "underscores the fact that there is contamination."
According to Jones, the sites where U.S. World War II material has been found dumped are Marbi, Capitol Hill, Upper San Roque and Upper Tanapag.
Officials believe there could be more such sites across the island and neighboring Tinian.
Jones said he had learned of these sites through calls made by concerned residents.
Except for Upper Tanapag, where tons of debris from military equipment can be found, the rest of the sites were just recently discovered.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said earlier that the Upper Tanapag site is not listed in the Department of Defense archives as a dumping ground.
Jones said the public outcry against the federal government's alleged negligence in cleaning up Tanapag could have caused some residents to start becoming more vigilant and look into their backyards for signs of possible sources of chemical contamination.
Jones said he plans to give the Water & Krauss lawyers a tour of the sites for possible inclusion in the planned lawsuit.
McKenzie said that no decision has been reached by the lawyers on whether to push through with the class action suit, explaining that this largely depends on the outcome of the evaluation and the petition-signing now being conducted among concerned Tanapag residents.
McKenzie indicated though that the law firm, which he said has expertise in cases involving contamination, appears interested in the case, having sent representatives at its own expense.
"What we hope is that by the end of this visit, we will have legal representation for the people of Tanapag. If they (lawyers) choose to assist the government, the government's issue is that this (PCB contamination) has cost the commonwealth government a lot of money.
"But one thing we know is that every nickel that the (CNMI) government has spent as a result of the PCB contamination, we are entitled to get back from the people responsible," said McKenzie.
Washington Representative Juan N. Babauta has been given assurance by the U.S. Department of the Interior that a comprehensive program is now in the works through inter-agency coordination to clean up Tanapag.
But Jones said the assurance does not cover compensation for the residents who may have gotten ill or died due to exposure to the contamination or does it cover the cost of livestock and other livelihood lost due to the matter.
Greenpeace's move has raised concerns among members of the local business community who said declaring Tanapag as a global hotspot could send the wrong signals to prospective investors and tourists.

Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) Website:http://www.pinanius.org

Mon, 8 Jan 2001 14:05:57 EST

SUIT TARGETS RANGE ON MARIANAS ISLANDS

...Group Wants To Protect Birds

By Donovan Brooks: brooksd@pstripes.osd.mil
Stars and Stripes Friday January 5, 2001

FINEGAYAN--- An environmental group has filed a lawsuit in federal court to stop the Defense Department from using a bombing range in the Northern Marianas Islands.
The lawsuit, which says use of the Farallon de Medinilla range violates the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, was filed on behalf of the Center for Biological Diversity, a nonprofit New Mexico corporation. The 200-acre island on which the range is located, is about 150 miles north of Guam.
The Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund, formerly the Sierra CLub, filed the complaint Dec. 21 in Washington, attorney Paul Achitoff said in a telephone interview Wednesday.
Secretary o fthe Navy Richard Danzig and Secretary of Defense William Cohen are named as defendants in the complaint.
At the heart of the matter is the migratory bird treaty, which was enacted by Congress in 1918. The treaty prohibits harm to migratory species without a permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Achitoff said.
The Navy asked the wildlife agency in 1996 for a permit to use the island as a range, but was refused. The Navy, however, continued to use the range, saying the treaty did not apply to federal agenices, Achitoff said. The range has been in use since 1976.
Fish and Wildlife surveys have shown that birds are being killed as a result of the bombing runs, Achitoff said. "Its clear they are vioating the law," he said.
The complaint says the island is used year-round by breeding colonies of great frigate birds, as well as masked, red-footed, and brown boobies, red and white tailed tropic birds, white and sooty terns, and brown and black noddies. The Marianas fruit bat, an endangered species, also inhabits the island.
Officials at the Navy Office of Information said Thursday that they could not coment on the matter because of the litigation.
The range is extremely important for military training, said Lt. Monica Richardson, a Commander Naval Forces Marianas spokeswoman.
Members of the Marine Corps aircraft squadron based on Okinawa have been using the range since mid-December. The Marines said the rang and the air corridors leading to it provide training opportunities unmatched in the region.
Mainland U.S.-based Air Force B-52s, B-1s and B-2s have used the range. Navy SEALS based on Guam also use the range.
The Center for Biological Diversity is asking the court to declare that the treaty does apply to the Defense Department, and to issue an injunction halting all live-fire excercies at the Farallon range, Achitoff said.
"Its a straightforward case. There's not much in dispute. The only question is whether they are violating the law," Achitoff said.