Para ordenar al Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales de Puerto Rico (DRNA) a que paralice el proyecto de canalización del Río Piedras (llamado por USACE “Puerto Nuevo Flood Risk Management Project”) y que retire el auspicio otorgado a este proyecto, hasta que se analicen rigurosamente los argumentos presentados por las comunidades residentes en la zona ribereña de dicho cuerpo de agua, por las organizaciones que representan a dichas comunidades, y por personas expertas en hidrología, ecología, planificación, ingeniería y otras ciencias aplicadas, cuyos análisis y estudios han cuestionado aspectos fundamentales relacionados con los múltiples impactos que la obra pública propuesta tendría sobre dichas comunidades, sobre el medioambiente y sobre la zona metropolitana de San Juan.

2025-2028 Session

Pause and withdraw DRNA sponsorship of the Puerto Nuevo Flood Risk Project to allow a rigorous review of community input and expert analyses before any progress.

Referido a Comisión(es)

Summary of Bill RCC 352 (Session 2025-2028, Puerto Rico)

Purpose and intent

The bill seeks to order the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental (DRNA) of Puerto Rico to suspend the Puerto Nuevo Flood Risk Management Project, also known by USACE as the Canalización del Río Piedras.

It directs DRNA to withdraw the sponsorship currently granted to this project.

The suspension and withdrawal would remain in effect until a rigorous review is conducted of arguments raised by local riverine communities, community organizations representing those communities, and expert analyses in hydrology, ecology, planning, engineering, and other applied sciences.

The core aim is to ensure that analyses consider potential impacts on nearby communities, the environment, and the San Juan metropolitan area before proceeding.

Key provisions and changes proposed

Mandate DRNA to paralize (pause) all actions related to the Puerto Nuevo Flood Risk Management Project.

Require DRNA to rescind or terminate its sponsorship/support for the project.

Require a comprehensive, rigorous review process of:

Community concerns raised by residents along the Río Piedras and associated riparian zones.
Analyses and studies from organizations representing those communities.
Expert assessments in relevant fields (hydrology, ecology, planning, engineering, and other applied sciences).

The review must address fundamental questions and potential impacts of the project on:

Local communities (displacement, property, public health, safety).
Environmental integrity (habitat, water quality, biodiversity, ecological balance).
Urban and regional implications for the San Juan metropolitan area.

Implicitly, any advancement of the project would depend on findings from this rigorous analysis, potentially altering or halting project progress.

Who would be affected

Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources and Environmental (DRNA): direct administrative action to pause project activities and withdraw sponsorship.

Local communities along the Río Piedras and river-adjacent areas: their concerns and potential impacts would drive the required analyses and influence project status.

Organizations representing those communities: their analyses, reports, and arguments would be considered as part of the required review.

Technical experts and scholars in hydrology, ecology, planning, engineering, and other applied sciences: their assessments would inform the rigorous review and decision-making.

The broader San Juan metropolitan region: outcomes of the review could affect flood management, environmental health, land use, and infrastructure planning.

Procedural and timeline considerations

The bill enacts an immediate pause on project activities and sponsor obligations once law is in effect (exact effective date would be specified in the enacted text).

A formal, comprehensive review process would be triggered, with deadlines and procedural steps to solicit, compile, and weigh community inputs and expert analyses.

The bill likely contemplates conditions under which the project could be reconsidered, modified, or terminated based on review findings.

If enacted, DRNA would need to provide status updates and final determinations tied to the conclusions of the rigorous assessment.

Notes

The summary focuses on the substantive intent to pause and reassess the project in light of community and scientific input.

Specific procedural details (e.g., exact timelines, reporting formats, and criteria for decision-making) would appear in the bill’s text; this overview reflects the described provisions and their practical implications.