Guam News - Guam News

Guam- The Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has approved an increase in solid waste fees that will take effect after October 1st.

PUC Legal Counsel Fred Horecky says the increase is mandated by Public Law 31-65 which requires a $300 thousand dollar annual payment to the villages of Ordot-Chalan-Pago and Inarajan as compensation for having solid waste facilities in their villages. Ordot Chalan Pago contains the now closed Ordot dump, while Dandan, Inarajan has the state of the art Layon landfill.

Dim lights Embed Embed this video on your site

The PUC breakdown of the extra fee was done with the help of the Solid Waste Federal Receiver Gershman, Brickner & Bratton (GBB) and public testimony. He explains the "Host Community Premium Surcharge" means commercial customers will pay $3.57 more per ton and residential customers will pay $0.38 more a month after October 1.

“So on bills issued after October 1 of this year, these amounts will be reflected” said Horecky. “Now, residential customers pay $30 a month. They will pay $30.38. And the commercial customers, based on the tonnage they use, the appropriate fee plus the $3.57.”

According to the existing law, the Guam Solid Waste Receiver has to forward the money generated by this surcharge to the Department of Administration (DOA), which will then distribute the money to the villages. However, DOA can take a 2% fee for administering these funds. This was all decided on before the Guam Solid Waste Authority was created. Horecky says at some point, the law needs to be amended so the money can directly go to the villages. But even before the money is released, a plan must be created for how these funds will be spent and accounted for.