Guam EPA board punts decision on DPW plan to hire contractors for island’s abandoned vehicles, schedules Dec. 4 continuation

Department of Public Works Director Vince Areola delivered a sweeping plan Nov. 13 calling for contractors to remove, process and ship abandoned vehicles off Guam, but the Guam Environmental Protection Agency board withheld formal approval and scheduled a continuation meeting for Dec. 4 to allow staff review of a corrected MOA and expenditure plan.

"We're basically gonna contract this entire operation out," DPW Director Vince Areola told the Guam EPA board, saying the department lacks equipment and human resources to run a removal program island‑wide. Areola described an operation that would stage, dismantle, cube and ship vehicle carcasses off island and said DPW will require contractors to detail handling of tires, batteries, fluids and other materials.

Why it matters: DPW told the board it estimates tens of thousands of abandoned vehicles across Guam and said the effort will include an accounting system so each recovered vehicle can be tracked from pickup through disposal. The plan relies on outside vendors that DPW said are prepared to process material and ship containers to markets such as Korea or the Philippines, or to local recyclers where practical.

Directors pressed DPW on costs and priorities after staff acknowledged the packet initially included an outdated expenditure plan. Guam EPA legal counsel and DPW officials said DPW’s formal request is for up to $2,000,000, but the draft expenditure plan showed roughly $2.4–$2.5 million for an in‑house scenario. The board requested corrected electronic copies and a recommendation memo from Guam EPA counsel before taking final action.

Board members also emphasized prioritizing public easements and burned‑out cars on roadways. "The program is meant for public easement, public properties first as a priority," a director said during questioning, and DPW confirmed it will work with Guam Police Department and Revenue and Tax officials to try to locate previous owners and prioritize removals.

Timing and next steps: DPW said it expects an RFP to be ready "probably before the end of the year," though several directors and Guam EPA staff noted DPW cannot advertise until funds are available. Guam EPA staff said the MOA will also be routed to BBMR and the governor’s legal counsel for review as part of standard procurement and grant‑funding checks. The board agreed to continue the item at a short meeting on Dec. 4 at 4 p.m. so members can review corrected documents and receive Guam EPA’s compliance recommendation.

What remains open: The board did not approve the MOA or the expenditure plan on Nov. 13. Key open questions include the final funding amount and whether contractor bids will materially lower projected costs, what portion of materials will be recycled locally versus shipped off island, and how the RFP will handle emerging issues such as EV battery disposal. Guam EPA and DPW said the RFP will require bidders to document end‑of‑life handling for batteries, fluids and other potentially hazardous components.

Board direction: Guam EPA staff were asked to circulate corrected electronic documents and a recommendation memo by the end of the next business day so directors can convene the Dec. 4 continuation and, if ready, act on the MOA.