Former USAF PACBAR 111 Radar Station
The former Radar Station site is located in the As Matuis Village, Saipan, CNMI. The site is situated on approximately 4.6 acres of public lands. Around 1987, the site was leased by the Air Force from then the Marianas Public Lands Corporation (a semi-autonomous government agency) and now is the Department of Public Lands under the executive branch. The lease was terminated in 1994 prior to the establishment of DPL. The construction of the radar station facility was completed around 1989 and was presumed to operate throughout the 90’s until it was then decommissioned. A FONSI report, dated June 25, 1987, for the site indicated two 15,000 gal. AST tanks for fuel storage and a 1,000 gal. concrete UST was to be constructed for the operation of generators for the radar station facility. On August 26, 2013, DEQ conducted an inspection of a reported illegal disposal of about 25 drums of used oil in one of the abandoned buildings. Confirming the illegal disposal, some of the drums appear old while others seem to be in adequate conditions, stack piled inside the building.
Executive Summary (Phase I ESA Report)
CNMI BECQ retained Allied Pacific Environmental Consulting (APEC) to conduct a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) of Tract 009 C 06 Public Land plot atop Mt. Petosukara, As Matuis, Saipan, CNMI. The site is the location of the former US Air Force (USAF) Pacific Barrier III (PACBAR III) radar tracking station. This investigation was conducted in general accordance with the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Standard Practice for Environmental Site Assessments, Standard E 1527-05. Work carried out during the ESA included reconnaissance of the subject and adjoining properties, interviews, and review of historical records and regulatory databases in an effort to identify evidence of environmental conditions that may impact the property.
The 4-acre site, Tract 009 C 06 Public Land plots atop Mt. Petosukara, As Matuis, Saipan, CNMI is arranged on a roughly square shaped property located atop relatively flat terrain atop Mt. Petosukara, overlooking the Tanapag Lagoon and Philippine Sea to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east. North of the site is Marpi, to the south is Achugao. The property is approximately 40% undeveloped and vegetated, with abandoned buildings and pavement occupying the other 40% of the site. Access to the property is by a paved road that leads to the top of the mountain from Chalan Pale Arnold road through the village of As Matuis, which was paved by the Air Force when the radar station was built.
There are nine (9) structures above-ground on the property including the operations building, generator building, the T-AGM-9 C band radar antenna and mount, guard house, concrete water tank, water pump building, flammable/ hazardous material storage building as well as a secondary containment berm formerly containing diesel Above-ground Storage Tanks (ASTs).
The adjacent lots to the east and north are mostly undeveloped public lands. At the southeast corner of the property is a property currently being used by Docomo Pacific Inc. which houses a cell phone tower with a generator and diesel AST. Approximately 0.23 miles to the southwest is a private residence, to the west beginning at approximately 0.3 miles west of the property are more private residence making up As Matuis Village. Roughly 0.45 miles to the northwest is the Marianas Resort and the JG Sablan Rock Quarry. To the east of the site is Kalabera Cave, located at the base of the cliff line on the eastern edge of the property. There are several small homesteads to the southeast of the site and the CNMI DPS range is located approximately 0.71 miles to the south.
Category: Brownfields
Coordinates:
Island: Saipan
Village: As Matuis
Response Status: EPA Eligibility Determination Checklist approved on April 15, 2014; Phase I ESA Completed in Dec. 29, 2014
Land Use Restrictions: Rural
Institutional control: None
Responsible Party: Unknown
Enforcement Authority: Non-Enforcement Project
Project Lead: DEQ
Property Status: Public Land
Date Entered into Public Record: April 15, 2014
Coordinates:
Island: Saipan
Village: As Matuis
Response Status: EPA Eligibility Determination Checklist approved on April 15, 2014; Phase I ESA Completed in Dec. 29, 2014
Land Use Restrictions: Rural
Institutional control: None
Responsible Party: Unknown
Enforcement Authority: Non-Enforcement Project
Project Lead: DEQ
Property Status: Public Land
Date Entered into Public Record: April 15, 2014
