Pacific Magazine > Daily News

Palau's President Cited By Environmental Quality Board

By David Miho in Koror
Thursday: August 21, 2008

Palau President Tommy Remengesau, who has been internationally recognized as a leading environmentalist, was recently cited by the nation’s Environmental Quality Protection Board for failing to obtain required permits to build a two-story beach house in Choll, Ngaraard State.

The permit violations involve unpermitted earthmoving activity, failure to notify the agency of such activity, installation of toilet facilities and wastewater disposal system and the use of an outdoor latrine by the foreign laborers working on the home. Remengesau was cited by the environmental board on August 12.

Remengesau’s office declined to return telephone calls from Pacific Magazine asking for comment on the citations.

Suzanne Lee, staff attorney for the environmental protection agency, told Pacific Magazine the president’s case is unusual in that violations were uncovered during the last stages of construction of the president’s beach home. She said it appears construction on the home began in March. The beach home is in the finishing stages, Lee said.

It is uncertain what fines Remengesau will have to pay for failing to obtain required permits.

Violations of Palau’s environmental statutes carry a maximum fine of $10,000 per day per violation and are assessed by the Environmental Quality Protection Board’s board of directors. The board’s next meeting has not been scheduled.