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Tinian officials press for local control of solid‑waste spending as landfill work continues with EPA and DOD engagement
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Summary
Mayor and representatives discussed the need to transfer spending authority over solid‑waste funds to the municipality, EPA engagement on a small municipal landfill permit and DOD involvement in land transfer and infrastructure planning.
Tinian leaders told the House Ways and Means committee they need local authority over solid‑waste spending as the island prepares for expanded DOD projects and associated waste management needs.
Mayor Edwin Piaudon asked the committee to support legislation (he cited Senate Bill 23‑08) that would transfer expenditure authority for the solid‑waste management fund from the Secretary of Public Works to the municipal mayor’s office. “If the people that are working here in the dump know better what they're doing…that authority needs to be divested and given to the people that are here, running a program,” Piaudon said.
The mayor described ongoing stakeholder coordination with DOD, EPA and other agencies about landfill development and permitting. He said land transfer paperwork to DOD/DPW is in legal review and he hoped the land issue would be resolved within the year, but he warned that construction of a new landfill would likely take years. Meanwhile, he said, the municipality is applying for a “small municipal permit” with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to allow tipping and revenue‑generating fees in the interim.
The mayor said EPA representatives recently visited and that EPA staff are assisting to “mitigate and fast track” use of available federal funds to address infrastructure needs. He told the committee that larger federal infrastructure pots (he referenced an “Assata” fund balance described orally) exist but that using those funds for construction is complex, and local officials are pushing for flexible local authority to respond quickly to operating needs such as fuel, repairs and tipping operations.
Committee members asked about costs, tipping fees and whether transferring spending authority would let the municipality establish local fees to sustain operations. The mayor said a properly accredited landfill meeting EPA standards could allow Tinian to charge tipping fees and build a revolving fund to support operations, but he also cautioned that the definitive construction timeline exceeds his current term and that immediate work will focus on interim EPA permitting and operations.
No formal action was taken; the committee said it would consider the mayor’s request alongside related budget and legislative proposals.
