NORTHERN Islands Mayor Valentin Taisakan wrote a lengthy letter that appeared in both papers last week. To those who are not familiar with the Pagan mining issue, the letter looks to be a fairly straightforward statement of support for the JG Sablan/Bridgecreek joint venture that seeks to mine Pagan under the terms of a decade-old permit that was terminated by the Department of Public Lands. But to those who have followed the years-old fight to rid Pagan of JG Sablan, the mayor’s letter is extraordinary — it is the complete opposite of what he said the last time: “The CNMI government must convince the Marianas Public Lands Authority to terminate the existing commercial mining permit with J.G. Sablan Rock Quarry Inc., for non-payment of permit fees and non-compliance with permit conditions. Article 3 of the said permit agreement, issued on Sept. 8, 1995, provided a termination clause whereby the permit is automatically terminated if the permitee is found to be in violation of the permit agreement for two consecutive years or if the permit is found not to be in the best interests of the people of the commonwealth. According to the Audit Report (AR-00-04) issued by the CNMI Office of the Public Auditor, the permitee is in serious breached (sic) of the terms and conditions of the permit agreement for many years now. The continued extension of the permit, in my opinion, is not in the best interests of the commonwealth.” (See http://www.northernislands.net/new/initiatives/mining/ltr_10oct03_1.html to read the full letter.)
The Oct. 10, 2003 letter to then-Gov. Juan N. Babauta, Senate President Pete P. Reyes, and Speaker Heinz S. Hofschneider goes on to ask that all mining on Pagan be suspended until the government can conduct an independent study: “The CNMI government needs to procure the services of qualified scientists/geologists to conduct the government’s own independent study. The study should examine, determine, and assess the quality, quantity, and potential worth of the pozzolan and basalt available on Pagan. We need to determine the current market value, demands, and specific countries in need of the products, recommended surface mining methodology (to protect the environment), economic impact, and related information to complete the study for a potential commercial mining operations on Pagan. The results of the study should provide us an independent assessment and evaluation of what we have, give us a better understanding of our assets, and provide us with the necessary blueprint or strategy on how to maximize the benefit from the Northern Islands natural resources.”
So what happened to cause the mayor to change his mind?
Twenty five cents a ton is what happened. John Sablan and Bridgecreek’s John Carlson are promising the Northern Islands municipality a “donation” of 25 cents per ton of pozzolan extracted from Pagan, provided that they get to use the old permit with its flat royalty of $2.50 per ton, of course. Sound familiar? The two made a similar offer of “donations” to the CNMI schools. Again, that offer is contingent upon their getting the pozzolan, worth somewhere between $30-70 per ton, for $2.50 per ton.
Who can blame the mayor for finding this offer very tempting? After all, it has been 25 years since the residents were evacuated from Pagan, 16 years since Agrigan was evacuated, three years since Anatahan was evacuated. Resettlement efforts by the government have been almost nonexistent. With a very few exceptions, the government has treated the Northern Islanders with indifference and even contempt. So when presented with a chance to bypass the Legislature and get money for the Northern Islands municipality without having to beg for it, it is understandable that the mayor would take the bait.
But with all due respect to Mayor Taisakan, whom I know is trying his best to ensure that the Northern Islands gets a fair share of the mining profits, placing the future of the Northern Islands in the hands of John Sablan is not a good idea.
The irony of Mayor Taisakan’s change of mind is that it has all happened before. Former Northern Islands Mayor Ogumorro also believed John Sablan when he promised to help the Northern Islanders if they would support his mining scheme. He believed Sablan when he promised to provide them with free transportation and charged them instead, according to a public auditor’s report. He believed Sablan when he said he would give them jobs and build infrastructure. And the Northern Island residents sat and waited on Saipan for 15 years after John Sablan got his permit, squandered his opportunity, squandered their opportunity, and gave them nothing.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I have nothing personal against John or Gloria Sablan. But history certainly does have a way of repeating itself. Once again, John Sablan is making big promises.
Promises of millions a year in mining royalties to the government, plus money on the side for the schools and royalties to the Northern Islands municipality. But the joint venture agreement between JG Sablan and Bridgecreek, and the old permit itself, tell a different story. The vast majority of the money will not go to the government, nor to the schools, nor to the Northern Islands, but into the pockets of John Sablan and Bridgecreek’s Frank Jao instead. All compliments of a foolish, politically motivated Legislature that has turned a blind eye to the unpaid millions owed by JG Sablan to the Department of Public Lands, including nearly $350,000 relating to Pagan alone. Debts that are a testament to the value of promises. And that doesn’t even include potential fines from all the documented environmental pollutions he caused to Pagan with his abandoned machinery and leaking oil and gas drum cans.
It is easy to manipulate people who are desperate. In their hearts, the Northern Islanders know that John Sablan probably does not care about them. But he’s got his hat in his hand again; he’s got money; and he’s got friends in high places. He’s talking about jobs and concrete houses for some Northern Islanders. He’s promising to help again. When you’re desperate, it’s hard sometimes to see when you’re being used. Offer a desperate desert straggler a glass of water and it’ll be gone, even if the water’s dirty. JG Sablan and Bridgecreek are playing on selfish motives and government mistrust to get the teachers, the parents of school-age children and the Northern Islands residents to back them at the expense of everyone else. But we’re not fooled.
I agree with Mayor Taisakan — the Northern Islands municipality should get a significant share of revenues from mining Pagan. Imagine for a moment if the pozzolan were located on either Rota or Tinian instead of Pagan. Would their respective mayors settle for 25 cents a ton? Would their respective elected officials sit still and allow elected officials from Saipan and the Northern Islands to dictate the course of business on their respective islands? I should think not!
What history has taught us is that a promise from John Sablan is absolutely worthless. It would be far better to have Bridgecreek go through the task force where the bidding process would bring the best possible deal and all agreements would be legally binding.
I understand why the mayor, the teachers, and so many others in the community are distrustful of the government, but this time is different. DPL is not like MPLA. This governor is not like the former governor. We finally have a community task force and it is doing all the right things to manage the opportunity on Pagan wisely and for the benefit of ALL the people of the CNMI. It took a lot of years and a lot of work to get to this point, and we’re close to accomplishing all that we set out to do. The resettlement of the Northern Islands is within reach if we can just stick together and stand up to the special interests that would deprive us of this once-in-a lifetime opportunity. Let’s work together and get behind the task force so that we all succeed — not only the Northern Islanders and the schools, but the entire CNMI community, now and for many years to come.

REP. CINTA M. KAIPAT
15th CNMI Legislature