The Board and its executive director, Brenda Torres, urgently request a reconsideration of this decision in order to proceed with the dredging of the Martín Peña channel, in accordance with the plans of the Government of Puerto Rico.
San Juan, Puerto Rico – The San Juan Bay Estuary Conservation Corporation (“San Juan Bay Estuary”), represented by its Board of Directors, today issued its official statement regarding the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (“USACE”) rejection of the Martín Peña Channel dredging project. The Board and its Executive Director, Brenda Torres, urgently request a reconsideration of this decision so that the dredging of the Martín Peña Channel can proceed, in accordance with the plans of the Government of Puerto Rico. The San Juan Bay Estuary emphasizes the negative implications that the USACE’s decision not to invest in this project represents for all of Puerto Rico. Among the implications are the threat to the lives and health of residents of the communities surrounding the 3.7 miles of the Caño, the impact on the water quality of the estuary in the San Juan metropolitan area, the destruction of habitats of high ecological value, the hydraulic instability of the San Juan Bay and with this, negative effects on food security, recreation and the tourism industry.
“The allocation of funds by the USACE is crucial for the communities of the Caño Martín Peña and the economic, social, and environmental stability of the San Juan metropolitan area. The estuary system will be adversely affected by this decision. The San Juan Bay Estuary was created and incorporated into the national estuary network in 1992 with the purpose of promoting a comprehensive conservation and management plan for this estuarine system. Among the established actions is the entire Caño Martín Peña dredging project, which includes not only dredging but also the relocation of homes in flood-prone areas and the development of road, sanitation, and energy infrastructure. The action plan also considers community empowerment as a key element through which change can be achieved,” stated the Chairman of the Board of Directors and geologist Pedro A. Gelabert, who has also led agencies such as the Environmental Quality Board and the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, as well as the Caribbean Office of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) excluded the second phase of dredging the Caño Martín Peña, from the Martín Peña Bridge to the San José Lagoon, from the total allocation of $2,500 billion for flood control projects. The dredging and related projects were included in the recovery plan submitted by the Governor of Puerto Rico, Ricardo Rosselló, for the Hurricane Maria recovery efforts.
“Dredging would benefit Puerto Rico in countless ways. The project can be conceptualized as a multifaceted project encompassing flood control, ecological restoration, and social and economic development. The immense benefits this project will generate in all these areas should be the primary reason for justifying the allocation of federal funds, rather than being used as the technical basis for excluding them,” stated the Executive Director of the San Juan Bay Estuary. “The San Juan Bay Estuary supports the efforts of communities in the San Juan metropolitan area and entities like Proyecto Enlace to secure funding for projects that will truly build a self-reliant nation,” Torres added.
