Hagåtña, Guam – The Office of the Governor of Guam issues the following statement following the Guam Legislature’s roundtable hearing on Thursday relative to abandoned vehicles:
“From Fiscal Year 2018 to 2022, $6,796,128 was provided to the Mayors’ Council of Guam from the Guam Environmental Protection Agency’s Revolving Recycling Fund to execute the Island-wide Environmental Clean-up Program and address waste and abandoned vehicles. In this period, $4,247,085 was utilized by the mayors for abandoned vehicles.
Progress matters. And while we are always working to accomplish more, the Guam Environmental Protection Agency funded the removal of 5,459 abandoned vehicles in the last five years alone–that’s over 1,000 vehicles a year. This is a direct result of the tireless work of village mayors and the financial support provided to the Mayors’ Council of Guam.
As stated in several testimonies, removing abandoned vehicles is a challenge that poses unique obstacles, and successful efforts often go unnoticed when a car is removed and quickly replaced by another. Rather than continue this cycle, we are working with all stakeholders to identify ways to hold those who abandon their vehicles accountable.
The Guam Environmental Protection Agency and the Leon Guerrero-Tenorio Administration remind the public that if you own a vehicle, it is your responsibility to dispose of it properly.
While certain novice legislators like Senator Chris Barnett have focused on talking trash rather than solving problems, we are working towards solutions. If Senator Barnett is concerned about the Guam law requiring vehicle owner notification, he can amend that law. Additionally, he can create stiffer fines for abandoning vehicles or find other legislative remedies.”
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