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DPW director’s explanation for Army Corps fiasco did not sit well with faipule

Director of Public Works Faleosina Voigt
“… it is embarrassing to receive a Notice of Violation by the Army Corps”
Joyetter@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The citations issued recently by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over un-permitted construction work in Tula and at the Amaile Stream in Nuuuli, and seawall projects were at the center of a House hearing held last week with Director of Public Works Faleosina Voigt.

Faipule Faimealelei Anthony Allen Fetu Fetui Jr was the first to question the director regarding the lack of permits as cited by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The director explained due to the “urgency”, the project went ahead without a permit.

“However at the moment we’re working together with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for a simply way to retain a permit as it’s a complex process.

“The earliest we can get a permit is four months up to two years.”

According to the director, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers process is similar to the local project review system before a the land use permit is issued by the Department of Commerce.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers process requires reviews of the application for a permit by several federal agencies that such as US Fisheries, NOAA, and the US-EPA.

“It takes a while as there are consultations that have to be met, and that’s why we’re looking at four months to two years.

“All the seawall projects that have been completed underwent this lengthy process, but the projects in question were conducted [without a permit] given the urgency in the aftermath of the king tides that occurred recently,” she said.

“We are now working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for an after-the-fact permit,” said the director.

As reported earlier, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers served the American Samoa Government with a “Notice of Violation” over unauthorized activities involving the discharge of fill material into waters of the United States and the unauthorized work in navigable waters along the shoreline in the village of Tula.

After serving ASG earlier with a “Notice of Violation” over unauthorized activities in the Tula shoreline area, now the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has launched an investigation into Paramount Builders, Inc. over alleged activities performed in Amaile Stream in Nu’uuli without a federal permit.

The director explained that waters near the shoreline are under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Sua Faipule Luaitaua Gene Pan urged the director to “do your job” as his constituency is suffering given the need for replacement of infrastructure yet nothing has been done.

He then asked Faleosina whether she’s waiting for someone to die as a result of failing infrastructure on the east side.

“It angers me that these has not been taken care,” he said. “Also these projects should be funded under ARPA as these are all infrastructure, roads, seawalls. Please Faleosina do your job,” said Luaitaua.

Tualatua Faipule Larry Sanitoa queried “how much” is the Project Notification and Review System Board involved in all of these projects as it is embarrassing to receive a Notice of Violation by the Army Corps.

“Most especially for the projects that are under the U.S Army Corps of Engineers jurisdiction. Is the PNRS involved? They [PNRS] should have captured that, before we get these kinds of letters from the U.S Army Corps of Engineers, basically telling us we should have known better than to move forward with these projects without getting the permits.

“Now it’s going to delay the process even more and that’s not very good,” said Sanitoa.

Officials from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are set to arrive in the territory this week.