Guam – Governor Lou Leon Guerrero has faith in the ability of the Guam Solid Waste Authority’s management and board to maintain the Layon Landfill and oversee the closure of the Ordot Dump, as it fully transitions out of receivership.
District Court Judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewood issued an order partially transferring day-to-day operations of the island’s solid waste services to the Government of Guam and the GSWA. The transfer took effect at 5:00 p.m. on April 30, 2019.
Leon Guerrero, in an interview with K57’s Patti Arroyo, said she has great confidence in the GSWA board and management.
“There’s really good people on the board. (And we’re not gonna) we’re going to make this work,” Leon Guerrero said.
She added, “Going through the whole receivership was a learning experience for our people and they did a really good job in setting up infrastructure. You know, the system, the programs, wage collections. And we are going to maintain and sustain and even strengthen and grow that.”
Ready for her administration to take on the responsibility of the island’s waste management, Leon Guerrero said the island is a lot closer to realizing full control over the landfill, after over a decade under receivership.
“We still have to come back I think, in 2 months. It’s a transition now and we have 75 percent. We’re still working out the details of the trust account and there is still some minor oversight that we’re gonna be doing for the next 3 months. That’s why we’re gonna come back just for a status report But for the most part, we are have full control of our operations,” Leon Guerrero said.
“The court is very proud of the work accomplished by the receiver over the last 11 years. The Ordot Dump has been closed, and the receiver has installed the necessary systems to protect Guam’s waters from this environmental hazard that had plagued the island for decades. The receiver has built a modern solid waste system for the island which includes a compliant solid waste landfill, a recycling program and a household hazardous waste disposal center,” the court said.
It is now up to the solid waste authority, who is led by general manager Larry Gast, to uphold the responsibilities of managing the island’s waste services.
