Senator Telo Taitague is calling on the people of Guam to oppose Amended Bill 7-38, warning that the measure threatens the island’s only aquifer and fails to adequately address housing needs. The bill, set for discussion during the Legislature’s September Regular Session beginning Monday, would allow the Chamorro Land Trust Commission (CLTC) to solicit bids for mass grading and mineral extraction at Lot 5412 in Mangilao.
Taitague said while supporters argue revenues would help fund CLTC’s Survey and Infrastructure Fund and prepare more homestead lots, the measure lacks critical safeguards. She cited the absence of a mandatory Environmental Impact Statement, binding requirements for homestead lot delivery, independent monitoring of extraction volumes, and guaranteed protections to prioritize local construction needs over military contracts. “This is not just about a quarry site. It is about the lifeblood of our island — Our Aquifer,” she said. “If we compromise it, there is no backup.”
The senator also raised concerns that aggregate shortages would hurt local families more than the military, which has resources to import materials from off-island. She said higher construction costs could stall projects like Simon Sanchez High School’s rebuild and worsen Guam’s affordable housing crisis. “Every day, more of our people leave because they can’t make it here,” Taitague said. “If we let contaminated water and rising construction costs add to that burden, we will be forcing even more of our sons and daughters to leave their homeland.”
To strengthen the bill, Taitague has prepared amendments requiring a full Environmental Impact Statement, reserving at least 50% of aggregate for local projects, establishing mandatory lifeline rates for families, and imposing binding deadlines for homestead lot development. She urged colleagues to support the changes, warning that without them, passing Amended Bill 7-38 would be “a betrayal of the trust our people place in us.”