Guam residents file $500K claims against GEPA and GWA for dieldrin contamination
Several families in Yigo have filed formal government claims against the Guam Environmental Protection Agency and Guam Waterworks Authority.
The families allege long-term exposure to the pesticide dieldrin in their drinking water and failures by the agencies to act and provide timely public warning.
According to the claims, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency findings dating back to 2012 showed dieldrin contamination in at least 88 wells across the island, including in Yigo. The families allege that despite renewed warnings from U.S. EPA in 2023, residents were not formally notified until September 2025.
GWA installed an interim water treatment system at the Y-15 well in Yigo. Photo by Skyler Obispo
Attorney Shannon Taitano of Camacho & Taitano LLP who is assisting the families, said residents were exposed to harmful chemicals, of which, the health impacts of the prolonged exposure are not yet fully understood.
Dieldrin was banned in the U.S. in 1987 after being linked to cancer and the U.S. EPA classifies the pesticide as a probable human carcinogen.
The chemical does not break down naturally and accumulates in the body over time, which could mean it can take up to a year for just half of the chemical buildup to leave a person’s body, according to the law office.
Each claim seeks $500,000; the maximum allowed under Guam law. The families are seeking compensation for costs related to bottled water, filtration, health monitoring, and emotional distress.
Guam law states that filing a government claim is a mandatory prerequisite before any lawsuit can be brought against a government agency in the Superior Court of Guam. The government then has six months to respond, and if a claim is denied or no response is received, residents may then file a lawsuit.
GWA has since installed interim treatment systems, and recent testing has shown no current detection of dieldrin in some wells.
Partner at Camacho & Taitano LLP, Leevin T. Camacho said the claims are about transparency.
“Our families are not asking for anything unreasonable. We want to know what is happening. Come to Yigo. Go to Barrigada. Go to Dededo. Hold community meetings. Tell us what’s being done, what the timeline is, and how families can get the help they deserve,” he said in a statement.
Camacho and his family are among the affected residents in Yigo.
Taitano and Camacho said additional claims are expected. mbj
— Note: Some employees and management at Glimpses Media reside in Yigo.
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