SAIPAN – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded more than $32 million to the CNMI Office of Planning and Development for solid waste and recycling infrastructure, the CNMI Inter-Island Solid Waste Management Taskforce announced Tuesday. The awards were made August 12.
The larger award, $31,595,325, comes through the Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act and will upgrade and expand solid waste facilities Commonwealth-wide: more staff and training, new equipment, improved compliance at Department of Public Works-operated facilities, and islandwide education and outreach. Expected outcomes include more waste collected, recycled or composted in compliance with CNMI regulations, materials shipped off island, increased processing capacity and new jobs.
The second award, $709,047, comes through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act via EPA’s Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling grant program. It funds equipment purchases and rehabilitation on Saipan and Tinian and the design and construction of a Community Reuse Drop-off Facility on Tinian, supporting long-term planning toward the National Recycling Goal and a circular economy for materials.
“Solid waste management is a shared responsibility, and this progress reflects the strength of collaboration across the CNMI government, federal partners, and the community,” said OPD Acting Director Elizabeth S. Balajadia, P.E., who thanked EPA, Governor David M. Apatang, Lieutenant Governor Dennis James C. Mendiola, the Planning and Development Advisory Council and the taskforce.
The taskforce, established in 2002 and revived in 2020, operates under the Office of the Governor with EPA guidance and includes OPD, Public Works, the Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality, the Department of Lands and Natural Resources and the mayors’ offices of all four municipalities. More information is at opd.gov.mp.
