The Guam Visitors Bureau continues its efforts to keep Tumon clean with their newly acquired beach cleaner, which began its operation yesterday.
For decades, GVB has been cleaning and raking the beaches of Tumon, sometimes by hand, to keep them clean and safe for residents and visitors.
In the wake of Typhoon Mawar, Tumon Bay was in dire need of debris removal, which was difficult to do without proper equipment. GVB put out an Invitation for Bid (IFB) in September of last year and made the purchase in late October. GVB Maintenance staff have now completed safety and equipment training prior to beginning operations.
The staff, who are a part of GVB’s Destination Development division, will be operating the machinery no more than twice a week as per the guidelines provided by the Guam Environmental Protection Agency to preserve and protect the marine ecology. Rocks, shells, and seaweed are an important part of a healthy beach ecosystem and GVB understands and supports this concept. The intention is to remove human-generated debris and trash as well as large plant debris and rocks. The natural debris that is collected from the raking will not be removed from the beach, but rather placed in areas with less foot traffic for safety and preservation.
“Our beaches and marine life are among the most important resources we have.”
“We are relieved to finally have our beach cleaner out there again so that we can continue keeping Tumon Bay beautiful,” stated Carl T.C. Gutierrez, GVB President and CEO.
Residents and visitors can expect to enjoy cleaner beaches and smoother sand in the coming days as the beach cleaner will be put to work. However, GVB reminds everyone to please respect our beaches and ocean by keeping them clean.
SOURCE: Guam Beach Clean Up Begins with New Machinery BY: eTurboNews | eTN