Blog

Jun 17, 2023

EPA regional administrator and staff recognize CUC’s wastewater operators

(CUC) — The Commonwealth Utilities Corporation had a welcoming visit by Regional Administrator Martha Guzman, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9, along with several senior EPA staff.

(CUC) — The Commonwealth Utilities Corporation had a welcoming visit by Regional Administrator Martha Guzman, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9, along with several senior EPA staff.

Guzman along with her staff toured the Sadog Tasi treatment plant with CUC Board Chair pro tem Janice A. Tenorio, acting CUC Executive Director Dr. Dallas M. Peavey, Jr., Deputy Executive Director Chretien Voerg, CUC management, Rep. Marissa Flores of the House Committee on Public Utilities, Transportation, and Communications, and CUC operators.

Guzman had requested a site visit of the treatment plant to recognize the extraordinary work and efforts of the operators, who have worked wonders to keep the wastewater treatment plant running considering difficult circumstances. EPA commends the new management in place and is happy with the great progress in all areas.

The Sadog Tasi treatment plant’s clarifier had been broken just before Typhoon Mangkhut back in 2018. In order to keep the plant running, operators invented and constructed a type of clarifier out of PVC piping that would help scrape, plow and pump system to remove sludge. For over four years, operators have physically dragged the scraper across the bottom of the clarifier twice per day, using ropes to move sludge along the bottom to the suction pipes. With the incredible efforts of the operators, the treatment plant has complied for solids and organic pollutants removal.

CUC Deputy Executive Director for Water and Wastewater Chretien Voerg opened the ceremony by elaborating on how CUC is proud of the improvements made in protecting public health and the environment through providing effective water and wastewater services in the CNMI.

“But no project funded, equipment built, or program developed would result in any public health or environmental benefit if it were not for the operators and their support staff who perform the miracle of turning waste into clean water here at Sadog Tasi and at our sister plant at Agingan,” said Voerg

Voerg said “without their dedication, effort, and sacrifice, our visions for clean water in the CNMI would not be a reality. And it is our operations staff whom we are here to appreciate today and in particular, I would like to recognize the employees who could not be here today because their skills and knowledge are required in the field to keep our systems operational.”

Martha Guzman was sworn in as EPA regional administrator for the nation’s Pacific Southwest Region (Region 9) on December 20, 2021 by the Biden-Harris administration.

In her role, she is leading EPA efforts to protect public health and the environment for the region spanning from Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, the U.S. Pacific Islands territories in the areas of climate change, environmental justice and scientific integrity.

(This is not a scientific poll.)

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