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Guam EPA board approves GSWA first‑quarter reimbursement, discusses tire removal and HHW facility proposal
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Summary
The Guam Environmental Protection Agency board approved a GSWA first‑quarter FY26 reimbursement request and discussed large solid‑waste priorities, including an estimated $4 million tire removal, a proposed household hazardous‑waste facility, and tracking of a DPW RFP for abandoned‑vehicle removal.
The Guam Environmental Protection Agency Board of Directors voted on Feb. 19 to approve a first‑quarter fiscal‑year 2026 reimbursement request from GSWA and discussed several solid‑waste and cleanup priorities, including a multimillion‑dollar tire removal and a proposal for a permanent household hazardous‑waste (HHW) facility.
Board members moved and seconded to approve the GSWA reimbursement after a caller described the submission as “the quarterly request for reimbursement,” listing expenditures in categories such as electronics, white goods and household hazardous waste. Board members then approved the motion by voice vote. The transcript does not record a roll‑call tally.
Why it matters: Board staff said the overall cost of white‑goods and HHW collection exceeds $1,000,000, while the statute the agency cited authorizes a $400,000 reimbursement threshold; the board’s approval authorizes payment under the agency’s reimbursement process and allows GSWA to continue collection activities.
Agency staff reported several related solid‑waste matters. They said roughly 2,000,000 tires remain to be addressed, and an estimate received for removal and disposal is about $4,000,000. Staff said they will pursue an Invitation for Bid / RFP for contractor services in coordination with the Department of Public Works and will track the procurement timeline so removal work can begin.
On facility planning, the agency described a proposal for a permanent HHW post‑cleanup facility intended to provide containment and staging after storms and other events, and to be used in the off season for training and community programs. Staff described a project budget in the meeting as approximately $1.5 million and said the mayor had previously spent roughly $800,050 on a related facility component; the numbers were presented by staff during the administrative update and were not supported in‑meeting by attached budget spreadsheets in the record.
Board members also discussed enforcement overlaps between land‑use/zoning and environmental responsibilities, and stressed the need for interagency coordination on sites where vehicles or scrap accumulate and cause public‑safety or environmental concerns.
What’s next: Staff said they will continue to track the DPW RFP for vehicle removal and proceed with design and grant steps for the HHW facility. No additional roll‑call vote was recorded in the transcript; next agency updates are expected at subsequent board meetings.
Quotes from the meeting
“This is the quarterly request for reimbursement.” — Unidentified caller participating by phone (GSWA reimbursement briefing).
“We have, public information after, interviews completed… We still have the 2,000,000 tires. We did get an estimate of about $4,000,000 to get rid of those tires.” — Unidentified Speaker 1, administrative report.
Ending
The board approved the GSWA reimbursement and instructed staff to continue procurement and planning steps for tire removal and the proposed HHW facility; staff will report back on procurement milestones and grant status at future meetings.
