Sablan, Congress seek Navy report on Tinian Port

The United States House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations requested that the US Navy submit a report to Congress detailing aspects of the plan to improve Tinian Port in the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), acting on a request by Delegate Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (D) of CNMI. 

In his press release, Sablan said “Rebuilding the port is a long-standing goal of the people of Tinian, but justifying that expense is key to unlocking the millions of dollars needed.” 

The report will include “major and minor military construction projects” that the Navy would like to employ, also listing ideas to “help maximize the US Marine Corps and US Air Force training capabilities on the Island of Tinian.” The committee required that the report also detail how the Navy has collaborated with other parties such as the Commonwealth Ports Authority of CNMI and that the Navy provide its plans to contribute and speed up the construction and improvement of the Port. 

The Navy’s report is to include four components, as stated in a report connected to the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies funding bill for 2025. The funding bill has passed through the committee and awaits review by the full House.

The residents of Tinian have long desired to improve the deteriorating condition of Tinian Port, which was built in 1945 and is “the key supply gateway for the residents of Tinian and supports military operations in the region.” The port is currently in sub-par shape after years of being exposed to natural elements, with “significant coral growth on breakwater and also on finger piers and berths,” according to a presentation by the Tinian Port Working Group. After an assessment by the Army Corps of Engineers in 2018, the Navy began infrastructure improvements in 2020.

Acknowledging the four years since the work began, Sablan said “Appropriators now want to know more specifically the major and minor construction projects under consideration by the Navy to support port operations, the design options to maximize training capabilities, coordination efforts with the Commonwealth Ports Authority, and actions the Navy can take to accelerate the port projects.”