USACE issues permit to Loíza for coastal erosion project.

Loíza Mayor Julia Nazario Fuentes emphasized that funding for the rock revetment project has been available since November of last year, but state-level permitting remains a critical pending step in addressing coastal erosion in Parcelas Suárez.

By THE STAR STAFF

Loíza Mayor Julia Nazario Fuentes announced Wednesday that the municipality has received official authorization from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to carry out rock revetment projects -- commonly referred to as riprap -- to address severe coastal erosion afflicting the Parcelas Suárez community in Medianía.

The mayor said the permit is valid through 2031 and applies specifically to a coastal erosion hotspot located at the intersection of Streets 3 and 10 in Parcelas Suárez. The authorization outlines strict technical parameters for the project, including revetment dimensions of 10 feet by 500 linear feet along the shoreline. The total material allowed may not exceed 500 cubic yards, with a maximum of one cubic yard per linear foot.

The document also permits the excavation of a 7- to 8-foot trench to serve as a structural footing and authorizes the use of geotextile fabric to help stabilize the area and control erosion.

The approval letter, signed earlier this month by Taylor Parks, a biologist and project manager with USACE, states that the municipality’s proposal falls under Nationwide Permit No. 13 (Bank Stabilization), allowing the project to move forward at the federal level.

“This notification confirms that we have been doing things correctly,” Mayor Nazario Fuentes said. “However, to carry out this coastal erosion control effort, we still need the allocation of funds and authorization from the state entity, which in this case is the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources [DRNA by its initials in Spanish]. Our goal remains clear: to protect lives and property.”

Nazario Fuentes emphasized that funding for the project has been available since November of last year, but state-level permitting remains a critical pending step.

“I reiterate that Governor Jenniffer González must intervene in this situation,” the mayor said. “The DRNA needs to work on the shoreline demarcation, while our administration is responsible for repairing the infrastructure we have lost. As we have stated before, both projects can proceed in parallel. The municipality is responsible for roads, sidewalks, and drainage systems. The Army Corps has issued its permit -- now we are waiting for DRNA. Meanwhile, the damage in the area is already severe.”

Loíza Municipal Legislature President Joel Osorio Chiclana acknowledged that rock revetment is not the only possible solution but said it is currently the most feasible option for addressing worsening coastal erosion in Parcelas Suárez.

“Riprap is not the only way to manage the situation, but it is what we can afford,” Osorio Chiclana said. “There are other alternatives that could work in the very long term, but the reality is that this issue has been discussed for far too many years with very little action. Time continues to pass, and the situation keeps getting worse.”