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Guam EPA board authorizes hearing officer to hear driller‑license appeal and schedules follow up
Summary
The board agreed to let a hearing officer hear a driller‑license appeal and forward a recommendation; the motion passed by voice vote. The board also discussed pre‑hearing scheduling for Palisades appeal and regulatory public‑comment timing for filtration rules.
The Guam EPA Board of Directors voted on Feb. 19 to allow a hearing officer to hear a driller‑license appeal and forward a recommendation to the board. Board members also reviewed scheduling for a Palisades pre‑hearing conference and discussed reissuing an amended regulation for public comment on filtration system reimbursement standards.
Board staff reported that a driller‑license applicant was denied and that a hearing is scheduled for next week. Because a hearing officer change occurred at the Attorney General's office, board members discussed options: have the hearing officer hear the case alone and submit a memo or have the board convene to hear the matter. One member moved “to have the hearing officer hear the case alone and make the recommendation to the board.” The motion was seconded and approved by voice vote; the transcript records only the voice vote.
On the regulatory front, staff reviewed public comments on proposed filtration language that initially required NSF 53/401 certifications. After review, staff widened the acceptable third‑party accreditation bodies so more filters would qualify for reimbursement, and staff said they will reissue the revised regulation for a two‑week public comment period and hold a public hearing on March 6.
Why it matters: The board’s decision to let a hearing officer proceed streamlines adjudicatory processing and preserves the officer’s recommendation role; reissuing revised filtration rules affects which home filtration systems qualify for reimbursement under agency programs.
What’s next: The hearing officer will proceed with the driller‑license hearing and report back to the board with a recommendation. Staff will publish the revised regulatory language and notices and hold the public hearing on March 6.
Quotes from the meeting
“I’d like to make a motion at the hearing officer to hear the case alone and make the recommendation to the board.” — Speaker 2 (motion to permit hearing officer to hear driller‑license case).
“The first comment was from a community center asking for verification… We widened that and said, hey, these guys attest to the same level as NSF.” — Speaker 4, on changes to filtration reimbursement language.
Ending
The hearing officer was authorized to hear the driller‑license matter and will forward recommendations to the board; staff will post regulatory notices and hold a public hearing on March 6.
