All News Releases By Date

Final Plan to Clean Up and Preserve San Juan Bay Estuary is Signed

Release Date: 10/18/2000
Contact Information:

(#00190) San Juan, Puerto Rico -- Culminating federal, Puerto Rico, local government and grassroots efforts, a comprehensive plan designed to preserve and restore the San Juan Bay Estuary has been approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the government of Puerto Rico. Governor Pedro Rosselló and EPA Regional Administrator Jeanne M. Fox held a ceremony today at La Fortaleza to commemorate the signing of the final Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) for the San Juan Bay Estuary. The plan is designed to assess and address, through individual, local, state and federal actions, the many environmental challenges faced by the Estuary. The CCMP, which contains 49 actions, 21 of which are high priorities, will cost an estimated $300 million to fully implement. "This plan is the result of a lot of hard work on the part of government agencies and especially the public, to better understand and control potential environmental threats to the San Juan Bay Estuary," said Jeanne M. Fox, EPA Region 2 Administrator. "The San Juan Bay Estuary Program is a shining example of what we can do when we all pull together as partners in protecting the environment." "The implementation of the actions contained in the CCMP is of utmost importance to continue the improvement of the quality of life of the residents of the estuary’s surroundings, as well as to increase the economic, social and recreational opportunities for all. It is with great pleasure that I have endorsed the CCMP and announce that many of the high priority actions are already underway," said Puerto Rico Governor, Pedro Rosselló. "Having participated in the San Juan Bay Estuary Program since the Management Conference was established in 199, I am very proud of today’s accomplishment," said Héctor Russe, Chair of the Puerto Rico Environmental Quality Board. "This plan was truly developed through the participation of all sectors of the community, federal and state governments. I look forward to working together in its implementation." "It is unbelievable that such a valuable natural resource had for years been neglected the attention it deserved. The CCMP contains the necessary actions to restore the flow of water from the San Jose Lagoon to the San Juan Bay and the Torrecillas Lagoon, while enhancing and managing diverse habitats and species found in the San Juan Bay Estuary ecosystems. This action will  allow us to move toward a new environmental era," stated Daniel Pagán, Secretary of the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources. Mayra Vega, Chair of the SJBEP Citizen’s Advisory Committee, said I want to express my enthusiasm as we celebrate the culmination of this first phase and in the same way, encourage all sectors, especially the citizens, to support the implementation phase that we now begin by working on specific projects, by joining advocacy groups or by supporting the agencies and the San Juan Bay Estuary Program." "After the San Juan Bay Estuary System was accepted into the National Estuary Program, we accepted the challenge of preparing a comprehensive plan for its restoration and management. A group of people – individuals, academia, the private sector and local, Puerto Rico and federal governments accepted this challenge and accomplished the goal of preparing the CCMP for our Bay and Estuary," said Mike Szendry, chair of the SJBEP Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee. "The CCMP is a vital prioritized guide for the restoration of this natural resource that will improve the environment and the quality of life for all off the people around the estuary, as well as provide sustainable economic benefits. This can serve as a model for our neighboring Caribbean neighbor nations." Among the most important challenges faced by the San Juan Bay Estuary, is the current degraded state of the Martín Peña Channel, which connects the San Juan Bay with the San Jose Lagoon. For decades, the waters and wetlands of the Martín Peña Channel have been filled with debris and other types of refuse. This practice significantly reduced the flow of water through the Estuary and reduced its capacity to store floodwaters. Communities were built along the channel without sanitary services such as sewage and solid waste collection. As a result, most of the households discharge untreated sewage directly into the Martín Peña Channel or into it through the storm sewer system. These activities have severely impacted water quality and the natural flow of water through the Estuary. Restoration of the Martín Peña Channel will also involve relocating residents now living in homes along channel’s bank and the construction of a sewage collection system for the area. The cost of restoring the Martín Peña Channel is estimated at approximately $200 million. Efforts are already underway to improve the conditions of the Martín Peña Channel. Based on hydrodynamic and water quality model results, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, under an Interagency Agreement with the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, has designed a channel alignment that will help restore the channel’s functions. Other critical environmental problems faced by the San Juan Bay Estuary are, nutrient and toxic contamination, the presence of aquatic debris, and habitat loss and degradation. The need for comprehensive, coordinated planning and management is urgent, since most of the watershed surrounding the Estuary has been developed and the remaining portion is under great development pressure. The plan contains other policies and actions to improve and preserve the San Juan Bay Estuary. Key actions call for: filling deep holes found in the Los Corozos, San Jose, Torrecillas and Condado Lagoons, improving water flow between La Esperanza Peninsula Cove and the San Juan Bay, designating a section of the Martín Peña Channel and the Puerto Nuevo River complex as a natural reserve, designating Las Cucharillas marsh as a natural reserve, establishing protected areas for land crabs, developing and implementing community-based solid waste management programs, and developing an eco-tourism program to promote sustainable, low-impact use of the San Juan Bay Estuary’s natural resources. Projects already implemented are also highlighted in the plan. Among these projects are a solid waste management project conducted at El Redondel in the Piñones community; a native trees planting project at Quebrada Margarita in Guaynabo, and a community education project in communities adjacent to Las Cucharillas Marsh in Cataño. A Public-private partnership San Juan Bay Estuary Partnership, will be established to oversee the implementation of the CCMP. The Partnership will be governed by a ten-member Board of Directors consisting of five ex-officio members and five community representatives. The community representative will be drawn from the banking/finance, academia/technical, non-governmental organization, and resident sectors. The San Juan Bay Estuary was accepted to the National Estuary Program as an estuary of national significance in October 1992. The San Juan Bay is one of 28 estuaries nationwide to obtain this designation, but is the only tropical estuary in the program. Participants in the San Juan Bay Estuary Program include a wide variety of stakeholders, representing citizens and environmental groups, businesses and industries, academic institutions, and municipal, Puerto Rico and federal governments. Members of the public can obtain full copies of the final plan by writing to Edna Villanueva, Technical Director, San Juan Bay Estuary Program, 400 Fernández Juncos Avenue, San Juan, PR 00901-3299 or faxing requests to (787) 725-8164.