Guam Coastal Management to Recommend Optimal Submerged Cable Landing Sites

Within twelve

(12)months of the enactment of this Article, the Guam Coastal Management Program

(GCMP)shall establish guidelines for initial and periodic review of optimal areas for the landing of submarine cables, and make recommendations to the CLTC which shall be compatible with and minimize adverse impacts to the surrounding coastal area’s environment, aesthetic quality, and beach accessibility for fishing and recreation. The areas shall include options for safety corridors, cable landing zones, and multiple access points to strengthen telecommunications connectivity through redundancy in the face of adverse events, including natural disasters and inadvertent breaks to cables caused by human error, as well as provide for the orderly sitings of future cable landings for Guam. The recommendations shall be consistent with the guidelines set forth by federal and local law, including, but not limited to, the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 and the Guam Territorial Seashore Protection Act of 1974, as well as be consistent with rules promulgated by the Guam Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Agriculture. CLTC may consult with GCMP, the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers prior to finalizing any future leases of submerged lands. GCMP and CLTC shall consider employing the International Cable Protection Committee’s Government Best Practices for Protecting and Promoting Resilience of Submarine Telecommunications Cables.