Guam’s governor and military officials discussed foreign labor and other issues connected to the more than $5 billion in construction projects in Guam expected over the next three to five years.
Gov. Lourdes A. Leon Guerrero and Adm. Brett Meitus convened the Civil-Military Coordinating Council meeting at Joint Region Marianas, according to a July 9 press release.
The governor said the meetings are an important effort to ensure the investments into military facilities benefit all of the island and her people.
“We are already working in partnership with the DoD to manage these investments on and off base, focusing on projects such as road improvements, our bio-safety lab, and infrastructure critical to underground hardening, as well as addressing policy changes that benefit both our growth and security,” Leon Guerrero said. “We’re also working to merge our Defense of Guam plan to better align local and federal efforts, and we’re actively seeking to decrease the time it takes to certify H-2B workers. This may require legislation to ensure a permanent solution that allows H-2B workers to support both civilian and military projects on Guam.”
Attending the meeting were top military commanders, federal representatives, and Guam government leadership. See stories: SAME Industry Forum offers insight into the region's military development projects and Guam Defense System highlighted at 2024 SAME Guam Industry Forum.
The last meeting was held Feb. 5 at the Governor’s Complex at Adelup. The CMCC was established in 2010 to foster collaboration among the DoD, local government, and federal agencies to share information, discuss, and provide recommendations for construction activities for the U.S. Marine Corps relocation to Guam. These meetings, which are held every few months, have expanded to include all DoD items of interest and military construction on Guam.
Local officials stressed the importance of inclusive environmental and community planning, referencing the recent changes to the National Environmental Policy Act.
Lt. Gov. Joshua F. Tenorio said Guam stands proud with the United States in defense, but also is committed to “environmental stewardship and equitable development.”
During discussions on the newly released Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Marianas Island Training and Testing, local and federal leaders committed to pursue a science-based review process. mbj
