By The Star Staff
Sen. Marissa “Marissita” Jiménez Santoni urged the island Senate to pass Resolution 904, which she authored and which directs the Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources to begin an investigation into the operations of the landfill system managed by the Municipality of Carolina, particularly in light of allegations of serious violations of environmental laws.
The measure, filed on Feb. 6, also includes an inquiry into the permitting process to expand the facility and the potential harmful health effects of such an expansion.
“During the past few years, the landfill managed by the Municipality of Carolina has been the object of serious criticism and accusations from citizens, archaeologists and environmental organizations in the face of an alleged illegal expansion of the facility,” the New Progressive Party senator said. “That is why in February we filed Senate Resolution 904, yet the Popular Democratic Party majority has ignored it. At the moment, the resolution is still in the Committee on Internal Affairs, sleeping the sleep of the righteous. This has to change. We urge the Senate to act on the environmental crisis in Carolina.”
The legislation springs from the legal action taken by the Caribbean Golf Academy, which in 2021 sued the municipality due to the landfill illegally expanding onto its land, as well as an archaeological study that found more than 30 environmental violations at the facility.
On Jan. 29, Superior Court Judge Diana Conde Rodríguez refused to dismiss a lawsuit against the Municipality of Carolina and the landfill operators over allegations that they are using the land illegally and have trespassed on adjacent land managed by the golf academy.