A Do Not Drink advisory is still in place after more than 1,100 households were told in September that their water supply from well Y-15 in Yigo contained the banned pesticide Dieldrin.
On Oct. 12, GWA completed installation of an interim treatment system for the well. The Do Not Drink order will not be lifted until after a series of test results. According to GWA, the decision to lift the order will be taken by GWA and Guam EPA, after testing. Nic Lee, PIO for GWA, told media on Oct. 13, that the first test results will likely be available in October. “We expect results back within seven to 10 business days.”
GWA's Y-15 water well in Yigo was outfitted with an interim water treatment system on Oct. 12. Photo by Skyler Obispo
Leewin T. Camacho, attorney with Camacho & Taitano LLP, said the practice issued a notice to sue “about two months ago,” he told the Journal on Oct. 14. He has been following progress, he said. “There’s been quite a lot of activity since then.”
He said his office has been investigating the timeline of which agencies knew what, and when.
U.S. EPA sent GWA and Guam EPA a “Finding of Significant Deficiencies” in GWA’s public water system in the 2012/2013 timeframe, Camacho said, and his office reached out to the two agencies about the letter. “They said they lost track of it,” he said.
Camacho’s office also served a Sunshine Act Freedom of Information request for documentation related to the dieldrin issue. “We received 1,150 documents on [Oct. 11],” he said.
As to whether Camacho’s practice would file a class action suit, Camacho said he could not confirm that at this point. However, he said, “We’re not ruling it out.” mbj
The U.S. government remains officially closed and reports from the nation’s capital are that furloughs remain and firings continue. Uncertainty exists as to whether furloughed government workers will be paid.
Following the resignation of Chita A. Blaise, CEO of the American Red Cross in Guam, the organization is now seeking an executive director for the Guam Chapter.
Joint Region Marianas issued a statement on social media on Oct. 8 by its commander Rear Adm. Brett Mietus, stating that lab results for all active military wells and surface water sources on Guam military installations were below Guam Environmental Protection Agency’s Interim Action Level for dieldrin of 0.2 µg/L (parts per billion/ppb).
