Two villages have received payments of $1 million each for use of lands they claim ownership of, for the wind farm project at Manunu.
The villages are Auma/Leone and Aoloau.
CEO of the American Samoa Power Authority Wallon Young has not responded to questions about the payments.
However a letter obtained by KHJ News signed by matai of Auma/Leone and Aoloau and addressed to the ASPA CEO provides some information on the payments.
The letter refers to lengthy discussions held on January 17, this year between matai of the two villages and ASPA’s liaison, Jerome Ierome, where the issue of drafting and preparing a potential 25 year lease between ASPA and the landowners was raised, along with “an upfront payment” separate from the monthly rental charge for the use of the land.
The one time upfront payment was to be issued to the landowners immediately upon commencement of the windmill project, according to the letter.
The matais wrote, “Regrettably, the windmill project began two years ago and the anticipated upfront payment has not been distributed to the landowners.” They described this as grossly unjust as the landowners have lost the privilege of receiving benefits for the leased land.
The matais proposed that ASPA pay $1 million each to Auma/Leone and Aoloau village as an upfront payment for the use of their lands.
They said the use of 76 acres of Manunu lands for ASPA’s energy needs will yield significant financial and economic returns over the 25 year lease period. “The financial returns to ASPA will grow exponentially over the years so the proposed compensation payment is insignificant when compared to the overall earnings to be generated by ASPA from the use of the land,” according to the letter.
Also “ASPA has permanently laid-wasted portions of the land which can no longer e available for productive use, by carving out a road to transport their machinery and equipment.”
According to the letter, discussions between Aoloau village and Auma/Leone village conducted on April 26 and May 1, concluded that a formal lease agreement be prepared to be signed by the chiefs of both villages which will outline and delineate all terms and conditions of the lease agreement permitting ASPA to utilize their lands for the windmill project. But this was contingent on the payment of the $2 million dollars.
The matai requested that the payments be issued by May 31. And they told the ASPA CEO, “if payment is not received by May 31st, and no written response is forthcoming from you or your legal advisory by May 24th, we will be compelled to proceed with necessary and appropriate action to ensure that fair compensation is received for the use of our land and property by ASPA for its windmill project. This failure could result in voiding the good faith agreement reached during meeting between the participating parties.”
The Auma/Leone chiefs who signed the letter were Olo Luao Letuli, Suapaia Edmund Pereira, and Suafoa Edwin Seui. The name of Poloa Harry Hopkinson appears but there is no signature.
For Aoloau village the signatures that appear on the letter are that of Afalava Eliki Afalava, who is chairman of the ASPA Board, Leatualevao Asifoa, and Moananu Va.
KHJ News understands that Auma distributed its $1 million last Thursday and Aoloau distributed their money this past Monday.
The windfarm project is being developed by two major Japanese companies Renova and Nippon Koei, which have established a local company Tutuila Wind Energy to build a 42-megawatt wind and battery storage farm at Manunu.
