Rules and regulations for mining and quarrying practices to be strengthened should a newly introduced measure pass.
Bill 115-37, introduced on May 11 by Democrat Speaker Therese Terlaje, aims to close regulatory gaps for quarrying and aggregate extraction in order to mitigate environmental impacts associated with such practices.
If enacted, mining or quarrying, defined as the process of removing rock, sand, gravel or other minerals from the ground to use them to produce materials, would require a special permit.
These practices would also be regulated by the Department of Public Works and other local and federal agencies like the Guam Environmental Protection Agency, Guam Land Use Commission, among others.
The measure would limit the size of the area of land to be either cleared, graded, grubbed, filled, excavated, embanked or used for stockpiling to up to five acres.
Bill 115 seeks to protect the health and safety of those who surround these areas as well as protect Guam’s aquifer.
###
