Environmental groups raise alarm over unseen permit reform rewrite as House reportedly weighs swift approval
By THE STAR STAFF
With less than a week remaining in Puerto Rico’s current legislative session, environmental organizations are raising concerns about what they describe as a lack of transparency surrounding the latest version of the administration’s sweeping permit reform bill, warning that lawmakers could move to approve a measure that has yet to be made public.
The Puerto Rico chapter of the Sierra Club said Gov. Jenniffer González Colón has submitted to the House of Representatives a new version of the legislation, known as the “Substitute of the Substitute,” containing additional amendments to a proposal that would overhaul Puerto Rico’s permitting, land-use and planning framework. According to the organization, neither the public nor stakeholder groups have had the opportunity to review the latest draft, despite reports that the House was preparing to consider the measure before the end of the legislative session.
“This is legislation that would transform the rules governing land use, planning, natural resource protection and community participation in decisions that affect their territories,” the Sierra Club said in a statement issued Thursday.
The organization argued that the measure would amend more than 30 existing laws and concentrate much of its authority within the Department of Economic Development and Commerce.
The legislation has not been published in SUTRA, the legislative services bill platform. Officials in the House Secretariat Office said they do not have record of a new permit reform.
The controversy centers not only on the substance of the proposal but also on the legislative process that has accompanied it.
Environmental groups note that the Senate approved a substitute version of the bill in October after introducing substantial changes to the original proposal, but without holding additional public hearings on the revised text. They now contend that the governor’s newly submitted version contains further amendments that likewise have not been subjected to public scrutiny.
The Sierra Club, the Puerto Rico No Se Vende Coalition and other advocacy organizations are calling on the House to hold public hearings before taking any action on the latest measure.
“Our concern is that a bill of this magnitude could advance without an adequate process of public review,” the groups said, arguing that residents, environmental organizations, planning specialists and affected communities deserve an opportunity to examine and comment on the new language before lawmakers vote on it.
The organizations contrasted their role in the process with that of private-sector interests, alleging that construction and business groups had opportunities to participate in discussions surrounding the reform, while environmental advocates and community groups did not have comparable access during the drafting of the substitute measure.
The permit reform proposal has been one of the most closely watched pieces of legislation under consideration this year because of its potentially far-reaching implications for economic development projects, environmental oversight and land-use regulation.
Supporters have argued that Puerto Rico’s permitting system requires modernization to reduce delays, improve efficiency and accelerate investment. Critics, however, have warned that efforts to streamline permits could weaken environmental safeguards, diminish public participation and reduce oversight of development projects.
The latest dispute highlights a recurring tension in Puerto Rico’s permitting debate: how to balance economic development goals with environmental protection and community input.
Environmental organizations are urging House leadership and the chamber’s special committee reviewing the legislation to release the latest draft and open the proposal to public examination before any floor vote takes place.
“Puerto Rico needs an efficient permitting system,” the Sierra Club said. “But it must also be one that protects our natural resources, our communities and our right to participate in decisions about their future.”
