Senator James Moylan, one of two senators who did not sign Resolution No. 164-35, said it would be premature to pass a resolution seeking a temporary pause to the live firing range at Northwest Field until the Legislature has the opportunity to hear from the Department of Defense.
Instead, Moylan is proposing to have an open meeting with the Department of Defense to discuss their mitigation and preservation efforts at Northwest Field as they relate to the rare tree and the recently discovered historical sites that have sparked protest against the military clearing and construction activities.
“I have already initiated this conversation and have been assured their willingness to share this information with senators, the media, and the public alike. Our office is committed to taking the lead in this discussion if my colleagues agree with it,” Moylan said in a statement.
After this opportunity, Moylan said he would request that the senators meet to determine whether a resolution is necessary. At the same time, Moylan said nothing prevents the request that an investigative committee be allowed to visit the site to review firsthand the information provided by DOD.
In addition, Moylan said that as someone who strongly believes in transparency in the government process, he believes that the meeting conducted last Friday in the governor’s conference room, in which neither the media nor the public was invited, did not follow in the spirit of the open government law.
“With a discussion as critical as the military buildup, these meetings, where decisions affecting all residents of Guam are being made and resolutions are being agreed to, need to be conducted in a public setting. This reiterates my position in the need to have a meeting or a hearing with DOD, media and the public present,” Moylan said.
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