OUR island agencies are now working faithfully at full capacity to preserve our environment at Guam’s current rate of sustainable development. The rapid-fire development of the U.S. military buildup is certain to overwhelm these efforts and cause a permanent reduction in the quality of our life and environment.
The greatest impact of the military buildup will be on Guam’s human habitat. The human population on Guam will have less free space for hunting, fishing, gathering and recreation on both land and water. The addition of 46,000 “direct†residents, 33,000 “indirect†residents and the development of 18 distinct resources areas will result in harmful compression and fracturing of the already limited human habitat available on Guam (DEIS Vol. 1, ES-7, ES-31).
Current drinking water production is 43 million gallons per day. Sustainable drinking water production is estimated to range between 60 to 80 mgd. The military buildup will result in an island wide production of 70 mgd causing impacts to our most essential resource (DEIS App. K, Guam Water Utility Study, pg. 6-4).
The clearing of vegetation, paving of roadways, parking areas and building footprints, will destroy terrestrial habitat. Habitat will be fractured by the installation of roads and fence-lines impacting the ecology of land-based organisms (DEIS Vol. 7, pg. 3-26).
Hazardous materials flow will increase. A portion of these hazardous materials, including military firing range and bombing operation munitions, will find their way into the terrestrial and marine environment (DEIS Vol. 7, pg. 3-67).
Dredging in Apra Harbor of more than a million cubic yards of potentially contaminated sediment will result in the dispersion of contamination throughout the marine environment. These contaminants may mobilize through the marine and terrestrial food chains. No comprehensive, multidepth testing has been conducted for radioactive and heavy-metal pollution suspected to exist in deeper harbor sediments. Furthermore, attractive dredged-material disposal options are not available. By far, the best course of action is to leave the contaminated sediments in place and undisturbed. Additionally, dredging will permanently remove invaluable substrate supporting coral reef habitat. (DEIS Vol. 4, Ch. 4).
Erosion, storm water runoff and municipal wastewater discharge will increase islandwide as a result of the military buildup. The synergistic effect will be an increase in marine pollution and a decrease in the quality of an already challenged marine habitat. Overall, the military buildup will result in the reduction of species diversity and abundance on already challenged coral reefs. This is contradictory to global initiatives established to protect endangered coral reefs.
Protected species, culturally valued species and habitat will be endangered as a result of the military buildup including innumerable coral reef species, hawksbill and green sea turtles, spinner dolphins, hammerhead sharks and invaluable spawning and nursery habitat (DEIS Vol. 4, pg. 4-34).
Extreme increases in aviation and maritime traffic resulting from the military buildup are likely to introduce invasive species to the marine and terrestrial environment, negatively impacting tourism, ecology and commerce.
Brian Schaible is married to the Delgado-Blaz family and lives in Mangilao. He is a marine biologist and works in the field of environmental science.
DEIS Perspective : Environmental destruction
