CUC Site (Tract #44-14), Tinian
Tract #44-14 is approximately 0.23 acres and is located in Tinian, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands along 8th Avenue in the village of San Jose. Adjacent to the subject site, lies an old power plant that was in operation between 1960-1998. The Commonwealth Utilities Corporation ("CUC") owned and operated the power plant. The subject site was used to store fuel for the generators.
On site, there were four yellow 4,300 gallon ASTs, that were used as the primary source of fuel storage and were the first tanks to be installed circa 1960s'. These four tanks were reportedly used to store diesel fuel for an adjacent power plant during the naval occupation of the CNMI and CUC operation of the power plant.
Around the 1970s', two 20,000 tanks were installed. Each of these two tanks were approximately 24ft. high with a 12ft. diameter. Then three potable tanks, which were 17.5ft long with a 10ft. diameter, with a capacity of 6,000 gallons each, were installed between 1986 and 1987. These tanks were used to store diesel fuel.
Presently, the areas/uses adjoining the subject site consists of commercial, residential and industrial uses. The power plant is no longer in use.
Category: Brownfields
Coordinates: N-14.58120; E145.37299
Island: Tinian
Village: San Jose
Response Status: Phase I ESA Completed (September 2007 by Duenas & Associates Inc.)
Land Use Restrictions: Residential
Institutional Controls: Undetermined
Responsible Party: Commonwealth Utilities Corporation (CUC)
Enforcement Authority: Division of Environmental Quality (DEQ)
Project Lead: Department of Public Lands (DPL)
Property Status: Public Lands
Coordinates: N-14.58120; E145.37299
Island: Tinian
Village: San Jose
Response Status: Phase I ESA Completed (September 2007 by Duenas & Associates Inc.)
Land Use Restrictions: Residential
Institutional Controls: Undetermined
Responsible Party: Commonwealth Utilities Corporation (CUC)
Enforcement Authority: Division of Environmental Quality (DEQ)
Project Lead: Department of Public Lands (DPL)
Property Status: Public Lands
UPDATE (As of November 2022):
On November 15, 2023, BECQ's Site Assessment & Remediation branch visited the CUC site (Tract #44-14) in San Jose, Tinian for a Brownfields site inventory update. Since its Phase I ESA was conducted back in September 2007 by Duenas & Associates Inc., the fuel tanks which is the main area of concern at the site is almost fully covered with overgrown vegetation. Although the two largest fuel tanks (20,000 gal each) is still upright, there are visible damages suffered after Super Typhoon Yutu passed through the CNMI in 2018. The former CUC site (Tract #44-14) is still in progress of moving into a Phase II ESA.