Guam hearing on Bill 135‑38 spotlights tradeoffs: CLTC funding and clean energy vs. aquifer, habitat and junior golf

The Guam Legislature’s Committee on Land, Environment, House, Agriculture, Parks and Infrastructure held a public hearing July 20 on Bill 135‑38, which would amend the Chamorro Land Trust Commission (CLTC) lease for Lot 10122‑12 — currently the Guam International Country Club (GICC) — to permit development of a large solar farm and extend the lease term.

Sponsor Senator Joe S. San Agustin said the measure aims to generate upfront cash for CLTC infrastructure and accelerate Guam’s renewable energy goals. “This bill will harness the sun for energy, provide the CLTC with much‑needed capital for improvement on trust lands, and lay the path to giving our families the safety and comfort of homeownership,” San Agustin said.

The central dispute at the hearing divided CLTC funding and island renewable targets from community and environmental concerns. Supporters emphasized an accelerated lease prepayment and projected fuel‑cost savings; opponents cited risks to Guam’s northern aquifer, endangered species, loss of a municipal golf facility and insufficient public outreach.

Why it matters: CLTC commissioners and bill sponsors say proceeds from a lease conversion could finance roads, water and electrical service on trust lots where thousands of lessees wait for infrastructure. Opponents say the GICC site is adjacent to dense residential areas in Dededo, overlies critical recharge for the island’s primary water lens, and currently provides the island one of its last community golf and junior‑golf venues.

Sponsor’s case and technical terms Senator Joe S. San Agustin, a co‑sponsor, told the committee the proposal would allow GICC to develop a solar facility on CLTC land, accelerate payment of arrears and provide a net present value (NPV) prepayment to the trust. San Agustin cited an estimated 65‑megawatt project in his remarks…