By Haidee V. Eugenio
SAIPAN, CNMI (Marianas Variety, June 19) - A recently removed old military aboveground fuel storage tank in Tanapag, Guam, has contaminated groundwater there.
As of yesterday, fuel continued to surface in a pool of groundwater 4 feet deep.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Division of Environmental Quality first noted the presence of fuel in the groundwater on Tuesday of last week.
As of yesterday, the EPA had yet to determine the volume of fuel that is contaminating the groundwater.
The pool of groundwater, measuring about 12 feet by 35 feet, remains where fuel tank no. 6 used to stand. A visit to the site showed that the EPA and DEQ, with the help of private contractor Pacific Environmental Resources Inc., were still siphoning the fuel from the groundwater using a vacuum truck.
"We tried to suck the fuel out on Thursday but it didn’t work until last Saturday, when we used the vacuum truck. So this is...