November 14, 2011 Vol. 11 Issue No. 25 The This bi-weekly publication is o n l y $ 1 . 0 0 ­­­KASELEHLIE PRESS PO Box 2222 Kolonia, Pohnpei, FM 96941 Phone 691-320-6547 [email protected] www.kpress.info Fossil fuel electricity going the way of the dinosaur in Kosrae FSM State will be the first in the world powered by renewable energies By Bill Jaynes all of Kosrae’s current electrical needs and then some. The Kaselehlie Press “KUA and Kosrae are very optimistic and looking forward to being entirely powered by renewable November 7, 2011 energies in the next two years,” wrote KUA representative, Fred Skilling in an email. Kosrae, FSM—In Kosrae, the FSM’s easternmost State, fossil fuel powered electrical generation is doomed; headed for extinction; gone the way of the “The new corporation (OEK) already secured the Foreign Investment Permit and had registered and dinosaurs. Kosrae will likely be the first island State in the world to be entirely chartered under the State of Kosrae,” Skilling wrote. “The site selection and data collection with the powered by renewable energy. plant design and layout are currently underway. Construction and installation of the system is expected to commence within the In This next seven to nine months,” Floating wave plant he wrote. Issue: platform off the coast of Galway, Ireland The planned wave powered system will generate 1.5 osrae’s megawatts of power 400 K A joint venture kilowatts more than Kosrae’s Okat Bridge between Kosrae current peak demand which Partial Collapse Utility Authority Skilling said currently is at (KUA) and Ocean 1.1 megawatts. Energy Industries, Inc., U.S. under the Kosrae already has a corporate name of renewable energy system Ocean Energy Kosrae connected to its power (OEK) will harness ocean wave power capable of delivering See “Renewable energy” See page 2 on page 5 Floating wave plant platform off the coast of Galway, Ireland N ational Department of Health issues dengue Police celebrate FSM and leptospirosis advisory Independence Department, the principal symptoms of dengue include high fever, severe headache, backache, joint pain, Yap Department of Youth and Civil Affairs nausea and vomiting, eye pain, and rash. The Health Department also said that there is no vaccine or specific medication for treatment of dengue virus infections. November 3, 2011 The increasing number of dengue and leptospirosis As for the Leptospirosis disease, the Health Department reported that the number of suspected cases has cases in the State of Yap of the Federated States of reached 87 and 7 of those cases have been tested positive as positive for the disease. Micronesia has prompted the Department of Health Services to issue another advisory. Leptospirosis is a rat borne disease. It is spread to people This will be the fourth advisory that the by rats. Symptoms of Leptospirosis include dry cough, Health Department has put out in less than fever, headache, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, three-weeks instructing the public to take and shaking chills. Symptoms of that disease can develop preventive measures in controlling the within 2 to 26 days. See page 6 diseases from spreading throughout the communities on Yap’s main island. To stop both diseases from infecting the population, the Department of Health has advised the public to clean up ap The advisory cautions Yap residents to help their yards by removing all empty cans, bottles, plastics, Y keep their homes and property clean of car tires and other items that could hold water and also to secondary potential mosquito breeding areas. Dengue remove possible homes for rats. An outbreak in the future is transmitted to humans by the bite of an will get worse and more severe if we do not take appropriate education infected Aedes mosquito. actions against the diseases today. 137 suspected cases of dengue have been Editors Note: The U.S. Embassy issued an emergency diagnosed in Yap since the third week message for U.S. Citizens on November 9, 2011. The of October. Out of that number, 25 have been tested message said that by November 8, 2011 Yap State Hospital had reported over 200 suspected cases of positive for the disease. It is expected that the number dengue fever, and that number is expected to rise. It said that so far there have been two deaths associated of cases will increase when the Department receives with the outbreak. It said that the Yap Department of Health Services is working with the FSM National confirmation from off-island laboratories to which Government and experts from the World Health Organization to monitor and combat the outbreak. specimens were sent for testing. See page 9 According to the Marianas Variety the Republic of the Marshall Islands has declared a state of emergency According to the statement issued by the Health due to an outbreak of dengue fever there. The November 14 - 27, 2011 2 Kaselehlie Press Emergency measures after partial collapse of Kosrae “lifeline” Okat bridge is the land link to the “outside world” By Bill Jaynes The Kaselehlie Press November 8, 2011 Tofol, Kosrae—On November 3, 2011 Kosrae’s Governor Lyndon H. Jackson issued an emergency declaration due to a partial collapse of the deck of the Okat bridge, the only land-based link to the Kosrae seaport, airport and fuel depot. Okat bridge after temporary repairs Hole in Governor Jackson’s, November 3 letter bridge into the Okat area unless absolutely At about 1:00 p.m. Wednesday, Okat bridge to all business owners and importers necessary. November 2, a portion of the Okat measuring 3 ½ feet informing them of the initial emergency bridge caved in resulting in a hole on wide by 4 ½ feet long measures went a step further. “A complete Today the Governor amended his initial the main bridge deck measuring 3 ½ Lipar George. “The rebar used for reinforcement collapse of the Okat bridge will have emergency decree to read as follows (changes feet wide by 4 ½ feet long. is rusting away and little by little the bridge disastrous effect on our livelihoods,” it said. are in bold italic): will eventually crack up and collapse into the Not only is the Okat bridge a lifeline for Kosrae water below.” Lipar said that those problems The Governor’s letter added that he had already “Under the power granted to this office in Article because all imports and exports, including “along with the recent crossing of dump trucks issued a stop work order to Black Micro V, Section 13 of the Kosrae State Constitution, I tourists must travel across the bridge, utility and other heavy equipment associated with the Corporation, the contractor that is handling the hereby issue these Amended decrees: services including power, communication and airport improvement project,” are the causes of on-going runway project at the airport. The stop water lines are all attached to the bridge which the recent deck failure on the bridge. order is “pending further structural assessment 1. All dump trucks and heavy equipments is in danger of collapsing. If it does it could of the bridge.” are ceased from crossing the Okat bridge mean economic disaster for the State. “Life without the bridge will be a social and immediately, except when able to avoid economic nightmare,” Lipar said. He told the business owners and importers that running over the damaged area crossing The bridge is over 28 years old “and it’s after the structural engineer’s assessment of the between the sidewalk curb and center deteriorating fast,” said Kosrae’s Chief of Staff, bridge the government might be able to revise girder with a weight of no more than 20 the restrictions. “This restriction includes tons; hauling of cargo van, crossing of dump trucks 2. Any other heavy loads of any kind shall not The and other heavy equipments. All cargo crossing cross the Okat bridge at any time during will have to be in smaller, lighter cargo trucks, the operation of these Decrees, except as Kaselehlie Press with total weight not to exceed two tons,” he stated in Decree 1, but with a weight of wrote. no more than 36 tons with a chassis or Your Newspaper for Today and Tomorrow container crossing between the sidewalk But Black Micro Corporation went to work on curb and center girder. the bridge and while the crisis is not at all over it 3. All vehicles that are too wide to pass P.O. Box 2222 Pohnpei, FM 96941 has been averted in the short term. between the sidewalk curb and center ph:(691) 320-6547 girder, or must cross with the use of the email: [email protected] “Temporary fixes by Black Micro Corporation sidewalk, shall weigh no more than 14 (BMC) taken after the portion of the deck tons. Bill Jaynes caved in include widening of the bridge’s main 4. Black Micro Construction Company Managing Editor deck by chipping one foot off of the sidewalk (BMC)shall indicate the location of to allow heavier and wider vehicles to cross the center girder by painting clear lines away from where the hole is,” Chief of Staff outlining the girder over the steel plates. KPress is looking for dedicated correspondents in George wrote in an email message today. The 5. The public is put on notice to exercise company has also marked the center supporting caution when crossing the Okat bridge at Pohnpei, Chuuk, Yap, and Kosrae. We will pay girder with paint so that drivers can run across any time. you for articles and collection of ads. Contact us the top of that girder.