A new multi million dollar lawsuit has been filed by residents of Alega and Alega Preservation Sanctuary and Reserve against the American Samoa Govt along with present and former ASG leaders and officials.
The 36 defendants include Gov. Lemanu Peleti Mauga and former Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga, as well as ASPA, its top officials, ASTCA and its current and former Ceos.
Other defendants are AST Telecom, doing business as Bluesky Communications along with current and former executives.
The suit claims that the defendants violated federal laws relating to population, environmental protection, endangered species, and marine sanctuary laws through littering and piling utility poles, cables and other materials used by the phone companies named as defendants, on land owned by the plaintiffs and the Alega Preservation Sanctuary.
The 200-plus page complaint, was filed by Steven Jay Pincus Hueter, Rosalia Tisa Faamuli, Chief Faamuli Pete Faamuli, and Michael S. Kirk.
The plaintiffs are seeking a permanent injunction enjoining the defendants from leaving unused utility poles, equipment, cables, debris, refuse, or any other hazardous material or pollution on their land, plantation, trees, water, or marine and wildlife sanctuary and on the Alega Marine Protected Area. They also want the injunction to cover pollution of the endangered and threatened species habitat in the Alega Marine Protected Area.
A preliminary injection is also being sought .
The Plaintiffs are also asking the court for $8 million in compensatory damages and $800 million in punitive damages .
