PR Senate VP holds meetings in DC to address coastal erosion

“That was the message we took to the nation’s capital: the need to identify resources to address situations [involving coastal erosion] like those in Loíza, Arecibo, and parts of San Juan, among others,” said Puerto Rico Senate Vice President Marissa Jiménez Santoni, right foreground.

By THE STAR STAFF

Puerto Rico Senate Vice President Marissa “Marissita” Jiménez Santoni met this week in Washington with the director of intergovernmental affairs at the U.S. War Department, Bethany Hudson, to promote projects to mitigate the effects of coastal erosion, as well as other changes related to climate patterns.

She also spoke with the team of Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.), chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and senior counsel Heather Eilers, where she expressed the need for congressional support to address the effects of the waves on the island’s coasts, damage to infrastructure, and the need for coordination with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

“One of the greatest challenges facing Puerto Rico today and in the next 20 years is the impact of coastal erosion on our development as a society,” Jiménez said. “There is no doubt that hurricanes Irma and Maria in September 2017 accelerated changes to our coastlines, which is why it is crucial to evaluate realistic and feasible alternatives aimed at mitigating these effects while we adapt to the new climatic realities. That was the message we took to the nation’s capital: the need to identify resources to address situations like those in Loíza, Arecibo, and parts of San Juan, among others.”

Another meeting that included former Senate President José Luis Dalmau Santiago and Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration Executive Director Gabriela Boffelli “was focused on presenting an overview of the current impact of coastal erosion on our island with the goal of establishing communication that will allow us to evaluate proposals for the problems associated with these changes,” Jiménez added.

According to statistics, coastal erosion has affected 58.9% of the coast in Puerto Rico since the 1990s.