Governor Lou Leon Guerrero said Guam was left out of a process afforded to the CNMI.
Leon Guerrero said Guam qualifies as an “adjacent State” under US federal regulations and should have been formally consulted on the proposed Pacific Mineral Lease Sale, or PACM-2.
In a 15 September letter to US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Marine Minerals Administration officials, Leon Guerrero said the proposed lease area is about 47 miles from Guam, compared with 57 miles from Saipan.
The governor said the federal environmental assessment anticipates potential impacts on ports and infrastructure in both Guam and the CNMI, as well as possible effects on fisheries, air quality and shared marine ecosystems.
“Federal regulations carry the force of law,” Leon Guerrero wrote.
“The leasing of seabed minerals is unprecedented, and that novelty makes careful, formal consultation all the more necessary to safeguard Guam’s environment, economy, and people.”
Leon Guerrero cited federal regulation, arguing it requires an adjacent state to receive the Proposed Leasing Notice and a 60-day period to review and comment before publication of a final leasing notice.
According to her letter, the proposed leasing notice was provided to the CNMI governor following its announcement on 17 August, but Guam was not given the same opportunity.
Leon Guerrero has asked the Interior Department to provide Guam with the notice and allow the full 60-day review period before taking further administrative steps toward a possible lease sale.
