Board Member Conchita Taitano and General Manager Rory J. Respicio met with US Army Corps of Engineer Chief for Civil and Public Works, Rhiannon Kucharski.

While in Hawaii to attend the Association of Pacific Ports Winter Conference, General Manager Rory J. Respicio and Port Board member Conchita Taitano took the opportunity to meet with key federal partners to discuss vital matters relative to the implementation of core developments in the Port’s Modernization Program.

On February 14, 2022, the Port team met with Major General Joshua M. Rudd, Chief of Staff, United States Indo-Pacific Command at Camp Smith. The meeting was arranged to discuss the Port’s efforts in obtaining federal funding for three new gantry cranes and purchasing steel for the shovel ready project to rehabilitate Hotel Warf. Respicio explained that a major challenge faced by PAG is the Buy American Act, which requires that all iron, steel, and construction materials used in infrastructure projects are to be produced in the United States.

Currently there are no ship-to-shore (STS) manufacturers in the United States and the cost of purchasing steel in the US is significantly higher than purchasing steel made in Japan, South Korea or other Asian countries. Respicio explained that this has been a major obstacle in moving forward with these two critical projects – gantry crane replacement and Hotel Wharf rehabilitation.

“We are knocking on every door to seek assistance with the hurdles we are facing in executing our facility upgrades. I am very pleased that our federal partners recognize the urgency of our circumstances and are willing to assist in anyway possible and bringing our concerns to Congress,” said General Manager Respicio.

MG Rudd was very receptive to the Port’s plea for assistance in seeking a waiver to the Buy American requirement as he recognizes Guam’s defense is imperative as a key strategic hub and vital to America’s security and prosperity. MG Rudd understands that Guam’s only commercial sea port must be ready to move military assets at a moment’s notice, most especially now with aggression from China and North Korea. He was open to other options and means in obtaining the ship to shore cranes.

Also present at the meeting were MG Rudd’s uniform team leaders for Transportation, Logistics, Finance and their Legal Counsel.

General Manager Respicio and Director Conchita also met with officials from the United States Army Corps of Engineer (USACE) while in Hawaii. They met with Rhiannon Kucharski, Chief for Civil and Public Works, and her team who have been working with the Port’s Planning Division on several projects. They discussed the Guam/USACE Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) which outlines USACE support to the Port through engineering, professional, technical, and environmental assistance for upcoming projects.

The Agat Marina maintenance dredging project and the Agat Bay Regional Shoreline Assessment were also topics of discussion as well as opportunities for federal funding through USACE, civil work support, assistance with permitting process, and discussions on the Mangroves Watershed Strategic Plan for Guam.