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Message from the Consent Decree Compliance Team Chairperson

The Solid Waste Division is under Department of Public Works – Operations. SWD is dedicated to provide a safe and healthy environment through the established environmental protection mandates for collection of all qualified wastes and their proper disposal at the approved sites. Currently, the Solid Waste Division is comprised with five sections: Solid Waste Customer Service, Residential Collection, Transfer Stations (Dededo, Agat and Malojloj), Ordot Dump Facility and the Consent Decree Section.

» Fact Sheet

Consent Decree for the Closure of Ordot Dump Overview

On February 11, 2004, U.S. EPA and the Government of Guam came to a legal settlement in the form of a Consent Decree (Civil Case No.02–000022); ordering GovGuam to close the Ordot Dump, cease all discharges into the Lonfit River and to open a new Municipal Solid Waste Landfill Facility. The Consent Decree came with specific deadlines that the Government of Guam must follow. Failure to meet such deadlines would result in penalties in the form of payments. With the Consent Decree deadlines, the Dump is set to be closed in October 2007, and the new landfill to be open in September 2007.

There are several GovGuam Agencies that are tasked to implement the order and meet the deadlines of the project. The GovGuam Agencies involved on the Consent Decree Projects are:

Executive Order 2004-002 was signed and promulgated by the Governor on February 21st 2004.  This Executive Order mandates the priority handling of all matters in regards to the Consent Decree, such as procurement, personnel hiring, reviewing of documents. It also orders that all GovGuam Agencies support the project if requested and must do so with priority.

Consent Decree Compliance Team

On May 12, 2006 the Governor signed Executive Order 06-12 stating the Consent Decree Project will be under the purview of the Governor’s Office and for the priority procurement and intra-agency cooperation for the Ordot Consent Decree Project. Under the Executive Order a compliance team was established and consists of the following agencies: DPW, GEPA, BBMR and DOA. It also states that the Governor shall request representation from GEDA and the AG’s Office. It will be chaired by the Governor’s designees and the representative from the AG’s Office. The current Chairperson for the Consent Decree Compliance Team is Lawrence P. Perez, DPW Director.