Guam witnesses tell Legislature military buildup strains housing, environment and civilian safety

Hagatña, Guam — Public witnesses, community organizers and former officials urged the Guam Legislature on June 26 to act to protect residents from the social and environmental impacts of an accelerating U.S. military buildup on the island.

Senator Doello Tidigree, chairwoman of the committee conducting the briefing, opened the hearing by citing press reports that the Pentagon has submitted a large budget request to Congress and that some congressional proposals would fund expanded missile and defense systems — and, she said, could leave Guam with only a small share of related community funding.

"Is this activity positive or negative for Guam?" Robert Underwood, a former U.S. congressman and chair of the Pacific Center for Island Security, asked the committee during his opening testimony, arguing that Guam should assess military initiatives by a Guam-centered standard. Underwood told lawmakers the territory retains legal and political tools to shape how military projects affect local life and urged a greater focus on civilian needs.

Leland Bettis, a board member of the Pacific Center for Island Security, said the buildup has exacerbated long-standing problems: housing shortages, labor-market distortions, gaps in health care and infrastructure, and environmental contamination. "Guam is not in the U.S. national security strategy," Bettis said, and that omission leaves local priorities unprotected when federal spending is routed primarily to military objectives.

Multiple witness speakers warned the committee about specific technical proposals. Chair Tidigree read from a news report that, the hearing was told, described a Pentagon budget request and references to potential deployments of offensive "strike" missiles to Guam. Witnesses also flagged congressional discussion about transportable ("micronuclear") reactors proposed as part of some defense planning; several told the committee that introducing reactors would carry unacceptable long-term risks for a small island without inland evacuation options.

Baltazar Bdalio Ugen, a community witness, described long-running environmental and health concerns tied to past U.S. military operations and criticized what he called a pattern of exclusion: "They think our voices and our consent mean nothing," he said, urging the Legislature to place a binding referendum on the ballot to decide whether to permit new nuclear technologies on Guam.

Community organizer Caesar Mossi presented slides and a short video on the Mariana Islands testing and training area (MIT). Mossi said the MIT draft environmental impact statement would authorize tenfold increases in the use of sonar, explosives and artillery in the region, and he warned of documented impacts on turtles, whales, dolphins and reef systems. Mossi also criticized federal and military "greenwashing" that emphasizes conservation studies while permitting large-scale training that he said damages ecosystems and traditional livelihoods.

Senator Chris Barnett, who led a long Q&A with witnesses, said he agreed with witnesses that the debate is not anti-military but pro-Guam. "It's a question, as the congressman framed it, of being pro-Guam," Barnett said, urging colleagues to pursue tactical, locally enforceable measures — for example, conditions tying additional military personnel to demonstrable housing capacity.

Witnesses and legislators also raised procedural concerns: several speakers criticized limited public consultation over a draft programmatic agreement (PA) governing cultural and historic resources and said the PA lacked the enforcement mechanisms that past historic-preservation officers used to stop work when harm occurred. They called for stronger statutory protections and better public access to negotiation minutes and federal planning documents.

Lawmakers asked about immediate civilian protections. Witnesses pressed for a locally driven sheltering plan, improved early-warning systems, and clearer, enforceable commitments from federal partners that would fund civilian resiliency alongside military construction. Leland Bettis and others urged small tactical steps — like housing conditions or temporary moratoria tied to adequate civilian sheltering — to signal serious local leverage.

Chair Tidigree closed the hearing by thanking presenters and saying her office will accept written testimony for five days. She also pledged to hold additional informational briefings and to invite congressional staff and the delegate’s office to provide further documents and answer technical questions.

No formal action or vote was taken at the hearing; committee members and witnesses said follow-up hearings and legislative options are likely as federal planning and congressional budget decisions proceed.