DNER renews permit for Carolina landfill despite opposition
- The San Juan Daily Star
- 7 hours ago
- 2 min read
By THE STAR STAFF
Carolina Mayor José Carlos Aponte Dalmau announced over the weekend that the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER) has agreed to renew the operating permit for the Carolina Landfill System.
The renewal ensures the continuation of a service that is vital for public health in the city, the mayor said.
Aponte Dalmau emphasized that the decision reflects the legitimacy and strength of the municipal defense for a system that has been fundamental in protecting the well-being of all families in Carolina.
“Today, we can say with pride and satisfaction that residents of Carolina can feel assured,” he said. “The approval of the operating permit for our Landfill System validates the efforts of our administration and the collective voice of a city that firmly defended this essential service for public health, environmental safety, and the quality of life of all who call Carolina home. In Carolina, we will always stand at the forefront of just causes, proudly defending what has benefited our people for years.”
During a public hearing on June 30 at the DNER, citizens, community leaders and representatives from the religious sector expressed their support for the sanitary landfill system.
The municipality, meanwhile, reaffirmed its commitment to the landfill system despite past attempts to halt its operation. The municipal administration remained resolute in defending Carolinians’ right to a system that responsibly manages solid waste and safeguards public health.
“This triumph belongs to all Carolinians,” Aponte Dalmau said. “Our people spoke with a clear and powerful voice, and today we celebrate a result that ensures peace of mind and continuity of services. The Carolina Landfill System is not just an infrastructure project; it symbolizes safety, cleanliness and well-being for our community.”
The renewal came despite allegations that the Municipality of Carolina did not disclose the existence of environmentally sensitive areas during its permit renewal application to expand the city’s landfill.
The Caribbean Golf Academy, which is located adjacent to the landfill, alleges that the city misrepresented and omitted important information regarding the San José mogotes mountain range, an aquifer, a system of caves and caverns, and other valuable natural resources native to the karst zone during the permit renewal and landfill expansion process, which received approval from the DNER.
The Caribbean Golf Academy is part of Hacienda Campo Rico, and both entities are neighboring businesses that claim they are negatively impacted by the landfill’s planned expansion into the designated “Buffer Zone” -- an area that the municipality itself asked the Puerto Rico Planning Board to designate for resource conservation due to its high ecological value.