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KOROR, Palau (Palau Horizon/Marianas Variety, Jan. 2) - Palau intends to sign the Biological Weapons Convention and the Chemicals Weapons Convention that aim to eliminate weapons of mass destruction.

Presidential Chief of Staff Billy Kuartei said the government is in the process of signing the agreements.

President Tommy Remengesau said the United States believes that increasing the number of signatories will strengthen the ban against biological and chemical weapons and increase international security against weapons of mass destruction.

The Biological Weapons Convention establishes a global ban on germ weapons, prohibiting the development, production and stockpiling of biological or microbial agents for hostile purposes.

The Biological Weapons Convention was created in 1975 and currently has 146 signatories.

The Chemicals Weapons Convention establishes a similar ban on the development, production and stockpiling of chemical weapons. It has 147...

SAIPAN, CNMI (Marianas Variety, Jan. 2) – The Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas administration will reduce government operations by 20 percent this year, a move designed to ease the cash-flow problems of the financially strapped government, Gov. Juan N. Babauta said.

"One of the ways to reduce the size of government is through (workforce) attrition," Babauta said.

The administration plan includes the privatization of the power services of the Commonwealth Utilities Corp., the Government Health and Life Insurance Plan, and the Department of Public Safety’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

The governor said they have drafted legislation that will be submitted to Senate President Paul A. Manglona, R-Rota, and House Speaker Heinz S. Hofschneider, R-Saipan.

Babauta said he will also push for the privatization of the solid waste management program as well as the operation and management of the new sanitary landfill in Marpi.

He said he will re-introduce...

SAIPAN, CNMI (Marianas Variety, Jan. 3) - Capitol Hill’s I-Denni area had been found and confirmed since last year by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to be contaminated with lead and polychlorinated biphenyls at levels that exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s cleanup standards, Variety learned yesterday.

This is the second area on Saipan known to have PCB contamination.

In Tanapag, over 30,300 tons of PCB-contaminated soil has so far been treated by the Army Corps and its contractor, Environmental Chemical Corp.

PCB Aroclor 1254 was detected in 25 soil samples collected from the I-Denni area, and Aroclor 1254 was detected in six soil samples.

The Army Corps, in an Aug. 2002 report, said that 21 of the soil samples tainted with PCB exceeded EPA’s preliminary remediation goal of 66 microgram per kilogram.

The Army Corps said 30 soil samples collected at the area contained lead concentration in excess of EPA’s preliminary remediation...

SAIPAN, CNMI (Marianas Variety, Jan. 2) - Utilities Corp. Chairman Francisco Q. Guerrero is asking the board to consider privatizing the power supply of at least two power plants on Saipan.

In his message to board members during their Tuesday meeting on Tinian, Guerrero said: "Privatization has shown that power purchase solicitation from independent producers and the subsequent selection has created significant competition among investors. This resulted in government receiving competitive proposals with relatively low prices compared to existing generation cost."

"Ultimately, the benefits from the reduced electricity prices will go to the public through smaller payments for their electricity bills," he added.

He said privatization needs "greater participation from the board and the management" to address legal and political issues, balancing private and public expectations, financing requirements, valuation difficulties, environmental issues and its effect on...