Puerto rico local news: The San Juan Daily Star | Puerto Rico – Conoce las especies de Puerto Rico

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March 11, 2023
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Puerto rico local news: The San Juan Daily Star | Puerto Rico

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These are the top local news stories from News is my Business for Friday, January 13, 2023.

NY Fed, Puerto Rico Public Health Trust hold event on ‘Investing in Health’

Published 13 January 2023, 5:01 am

Experts touched on addressing chronic diseases and social determinants.
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Puerto Rico think tank invited to NY Fed event on equitable growth

Published 13 January 2023, 5:00 am

Head of Center for a New Economy among speakers in natural disasters and resiliency panel.
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Puerto Rico’s Isla Grande airport to get new hangars

Published 12 January 2023, 1:51 pm

Modern Aviation invests $17 million to add aircraft storage space.
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Fazoli’s to open 1st Puerto Rico location this year

Published 12 January 2023, 12:31 pm

Quick service Italian chain expects to add 4 more restaurants over next 6 years.
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$540M allocated to expand PR-10 from Utuado to Adjuntas

Published 12 January 2023, 5:04 am

The project should take about five years to build.
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FEMA assigns $114M+ to repair water treatment plant for La Plata

Published 12 January 2023, 5:03 am

The plant services about 475,000 residents in the Toa Alta region, which comprises six municipalities.
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Puerto Rico Blockchain Trade Assoc. looks to grow in ’23

Published 12 January 2023, 5:02 am

Looking ahead, PRBTA is building alliances with associations, government agencies, and education institutes to further web3 adoption.
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DACO warns of text message fraud scheme to cancel ATM cards

Published 12 January 2023, 5:01 am

Consumers who receive this text message are urged to abstain from answering it and reporting it to the Puerto Rico Police Department and their bank.
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1st Honor Flight with Puerto Rican vets headed to Wash., D.C.

Published 12 January 2023, 5:00 am

The Honor Flight, sponsored by PenFed Credit Union and The Honor Flight Network, offers a “trip of a lifetime,” free of charge to veterans.
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Pierluisi signs law to boost film industry incentives to $100M

Published 11 January 2023, 5:05 am

The law amends the Incentives Code by increasing tax credit limits for film projects.
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Puerto Rico’s back-to-school tax-free holiday is this weekend

Published 11 January 2023, 5:04 am

Exempt items include folders, book bags, calculators, among others.
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SBA Hurricane Fiona recovery loans still available for small businesses

Published 11 January 2023, 5:03 am

The SBA offers disaster loans with no interests and no required payments for the first year.
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Gov’t officials: Puerto Rico could be added to SNAP this year

Published 11 January 2023, 5:02 am

The inclusion in SNAP would bring more benefits to the island.
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Foundation for Puerto Rico opens final call for Pulso program

Published 11 January 2023, 5:01 am

The Pulso program comprises five stages to help develop businesses from beginning to end.
Read More →

Skootel: 130K+ people in Puerto Rico used skooters, bikes in ’22

Published 11 January 2023, 5:00 am

Skootel published its first micromobility impact report for Puerto Rico documenting usage and environmental benefits.
Read More →

These news headlines and excerpts are presented through an agreement with, and the permission of, News is my Business. This news content is the sole property of News is my Business and PuertoRicoDayTrips.com makes no claim to ownership of this content.

Puerto Ricans Fear Contaminants In Their Tap Water : Shots

People who lost access to water in the wake of Hurricane Maria gather at pipes carrying water from a mountain creek, on the side of the road in Utuado, Puerto Rico, in October 2017.

Ramon Espinosa/AP

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Ramon Espinosa/AP

People who lost access to water in the wake of Hurricane Maria gather at pipes carrying water from a mountain creek, on the side of the road in Utuado, Puerto Rico, in October 2017.

Ramon Espinosa/AP

Carmen Lugo has lived in Puerto Rico her whole life, and her whole life she has feared the water that comes out of her tap.

“When I was a child, we used filters,” she says, leaning on the doorjamb with her 11-year-old in front of her and two teenage sons sleepy-eyed behind her on a morning in July.

“The water here,” she says, pausing as she purses her lips in a tight smile. She chooses her words carefully. “We want to be in good health,” she finally says. “My husband, he buys water from the Supermax,” referring to a local grocery store.

Lugo is concerned about contamination. And she’s not alone. For decades, the island’s water authority has racked up fines and violations for failing to adequately test the tap water for bacteria, chemicals, and other contaminants, breeding distrust and potentially contributing to waterborne disease.

“Unfortunately Puerto Rico has the worst record in the U. S. for drinking water safety,” says Erik Olson, a senior health policy advocate at the Natural Resources Defense Council.

And it’s not just bacteria and viruses. The most recent federal data shows widespread failures to monitor and report another contaminant: lead.

According to data reported by the island’s water systems between January 2015 and March 2018, 97 percent of Puerto Rico’s population is served by a local drinking water system with at least one recent violation of the Safe Drinking Water Act’s lead and copper testing requirements. That is far higher than any U.S. state.

“Virtually everyone on the island is getting water from systems that violate testing or reporting requirements,” says Olson, a former lawyer at the Environmental Protection Agency who specialized in drinking water regulation. “It’s sort of a see-no-evil, speak-no-evil kind of situation where, if you don’t test the water as the law requires, you’re not going to know if you have a big problem. “

Testing the water

When Hurricane Maria slammed Puerto Rico last year, the storm damaged reservoirs and knocked out power to water pumps, leaving many people dependent on bottled water for months, and more skeptical than ever about the island’s tap water.

A new push to start testing more of Puerto Rico’s water is one small silver lining to come from the hurricane. The National Science Foundation has funded a small set of studies of the water.

Fernando Rosario-Ortiz, a chemistry professor from the University of Colorado, Boulder, specializing in wastewater chemistry, has led two rounds of initial testing showing possible lead contamination significant enough to warrant further study. He’s applying for a grant to fund a larger study.

As part of the testing, Rosario-Ortiz and his team went door to door in Puerto Rico gathering bottles of water from people’s bathroom sinks. Rosario-Ortiz grew up in Puerto Rico and, after Maria, he set out to help by testing drinking water.

Graduate student Melanie Warren and laboratory technician Taina Rodriguez Curet work with Fernando Rosario-Ortiz to test tap water samples in Puerto Rico for lead. Initial results suggest potentially dangerous levels of lead in some drinking water that Rosario-Ortiz hopes to investigate further in larger studies.

Rebecca Hersher/NPR

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Rebecca Hersher/NPR

“I grew up here. I drank water out of the tap every single day of my life,” he says. “There were some reports of bacterial contamination, so we started by testing for that.”

But Rosario-Ortiz found something else. “When we got the data back we noticed that some of the levels of lead were elevated,” he explains. It was concerning, but the number of samples was small; they would need more information to know whether what they were seeing was an isolated issue, or the tip of an iceberg.

Under the 1974 Safe Drinking Water Act, water utilities are required to test for lead and other metals in the water, and to report the results to both consumers and to the federal government, which publishes the data. If Puerto Rico’s major water utility, known as PRASA, had been testing as required, it would be easy to see where Rosario-Ortiz’s lead data fit in the larger picture.

But much of the data was missing. “There’s a fair number of lead and copper rule violations that seem to be mostly lack of sampling,” says Rosario-Ortiz. “A lot of people in Puerto Rico have been living for a long time without information, about whether there may be elevated levels of lead.”

That makes it difficult for residents to trust what comes out of their taps, even if it is, indeed, safe to drink. The lack of information can be particularly worrisome for parents of small children, whose development can be affected by lead exposure.

A 2017 study of blood lead levels in Puerto Rican children under 6 years old found a prevalence of elevated lead levels similar to that in New York City. But the authors noted that, while lead paint accounts for much of the problem in New York, the source of lead for Puerto Rican kids is unknown, and requires further study.

“We don’t know what effect high levels of lead are having in people, or in kids in the community, because it’s not tested,” explains Graciela Ramirez-Toro, the director of the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico’s Center for Education, Conservation and Environmental Studies. “One of the things that might have resulted positive from the hurricane is people are testing [the water].”

There isn’t always water to test

Although the Safe Drinking Water Act is a federal law, responsibility for enforcing it largely falls to state and territorial governments. That places a lot of responsibility on utility executives, like the executive president of Puerto Rico’s public water utility, Eli Díaz-Atienza.

“Do I think it’s a problem that we’re not doing testing ? Yeah, I think it’s a problem,” says Díaz-Atienza. But, he says, the federal data make the problem seem worse than it is, because federal law requires that the utility test the drinking water at specific times.

But in Puerto Rico, there isn’t always water to test. Compared with other parts of the U.S., water service is unreliable on the island. Filters clog, pipes leak. Some estimates suggest more than half of the water that leaves treatment plants never makes it to customers.

When the utility is making repairs, they turn off the water. And when the water is off, they don’t test it. Díaz-Atienza says he thinks the data should be adjusted for that.

Drinking water samples from homes in southwestern Puerto Rico are tested at Interamerican University of Puerto Rico in San German.

Rebecca Hersher/NPR

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Rebecca Hersher/NPR

Drinking water samples from homes in southwestern Puerto Rico are tested at Interamerican University of Puerto Rico in San German.

Rebecca Hersher/NPR

In fact, he goes a step further. Asked how he would describe the current state of Puerto Rico’s drinking water system, he says, “I would grade it one of the best functioning systems in the U. S.” He notes that after Maria, his employees restored service to many communities within days, trucking fuel to start generators that would run pumps all over the island.

And, of all the potential contaminants that the utility is supposed to test for, lead is not Díaz-Atienza’s top concern. “We haven’t seen situations of lead contamination in our system,” he says. Unlike cities with water systems built at the turn of the last century, when lead was commonly used in some water pipes, in Puerto Rico “we don’t have that much old [piping],” he says.

But lead contamination doesn’t have to come from public pipes. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “lead found in tap water usually comes from the corrosion of older fixtures or from the solder that connects pipes.” And lead solder is common in some Puerto Rican communities, as it is all over the country.

While it’s not the utility’s responsibility to test the water in every home, in the wake of the 2014 water crisis in Flint, Mich. , states and utilities are supposed to be testing some tap water in order to identify lead service lines leading to houses, and make sure the water they distribute is being treated in a way that minimizes the risk of corrosion. Based on the public data, that doesn’t appear to be happening in Puerto Rico.

What comes of testing

It is unclear whether the hurricane, and the attention it’s drawn to Puerto Rico’s water infrastructure, will ultimately result in better compliance from the major water utility.

Officials are “very worried that this data will increase the belief that they are not doing their job, or that the water is not safe,” says Ramirez-Toro of Interamerican University of Puerto Rico. But, she says, public distrust is already so high that transparency about drinking water testing is a good thing, even if the data suggest that drinking water might not be entirely safe.

“This helps people make decisions about their health,” she says. “For most people, they are not used to thinking about the water, except that they don’t trust it. “

And, while Puerto Rico is singular in the proportion of its population served by water that hasn’t been adequately tested, states such as Texas also have large numbers of violations that affect millions of people. There is nationwide pressure on states and utilities, as well as on the EPA, to do better.

A July report by the inspector general for the EPA found the government had failed to make sure the water in Flint, Mich., was being treated and tested effectively. It also faulted the EPA for communicating poorly with the state, and being too slow to step in when it was clear the state was not enforcing the law. Another federal report released in July found widespread failures to test for lead in the drinking water of schools across the country.

A bill currently moving through Congress would requires states to improve the accuracy of their reporting when it comes to the results of drinking water tests. It would also push states to consolidate systems that are struggling to comply with safe drinking water laws.

Such a change could affect Puerto Rico more than any other state or territory, as the island has the most fragmented drinking water infrastructure in the country, with more than 200 systems serving a population similar to the Minneapolis metro area.

“People are shocked at how complicated it is,” says Ramirez-Toro, who has served on numerous national working groups about water safety.

And then there’s the issue of money. Scientists, public health experts, government officials and advocates all agree that Puerto Rico needs serious investment in its drinking water infrastructure. The head of the utility, Díaz-Atienza, says he is requesting $2 billion in infrastructure spending over the next five years. That money might actually materialize, since federal government approved more than $20 billion in community block grants for the island to rebuild and improve housing and infrastructure.

“The infrastructure funding is absolutely necessary,” says Brent Fewell, a drinking water lawyer in Washington, D. C., and a former senior official at the EPA’s Office of Drinking Water. But, he says, money isn’t the whole answer, because a lot of drinking water testing is done by hand, by actual people.

“What I would say is, money is not going to fix the culture,” he says. “If you’ve got a broken culture, [employees] that don’t understand the law or simply do things their own way, extra funding is not going to fix that. What will fix that is leadership.”

Fewell is hopeful on that front. “I do know the leadership in Puerto Rico, and they are doing the best they can,” he says, referring to Díaz-Atienza and the territorial government. “They are trying to change the culture there.”

Díaz-Atienza says he hopes to devote some money in the coming years to training for people who operate local water treatment plants. This week, the EPA announced it is funneling $10 million in technical support and financial assistance to small, independent, rural systems that have also struggled to treat and test drinking water.

But such investments will play out over years. In the short term, it’s hard to imagine restoring public trust in the water that comes out of the tap in Puerto Rico.

Asked what the utility could do to regain her trust, resident Carmen Lugo shakes her head.

“I don’t know,” she says. “Rebuild the whole system? Or?”

She waves her hand like she’s holding a wand, and laughs. Maybe magic would do the trick.

Puerto Rico shortage of canned meat

News

In Puerto Rico there is a shortage of canned meat

22 Feb 2011, 15:55

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Puerto Rico, San Juan: The reduction in the supply of canned meat in Puerto Rico is very acutely perceived by the local population, since canned meat is the basis of many dishes of the national cuisine. The situation is taken so seriously that local newspapers refer to it as nothing more than “a real Horror!” nine0007

The decrease in shipments was caused by a government ban on the import of the product and the recall of several batches of goods produced in Brazil six months ago, when they were found to have an increased content of drugs. And although more than six months have passed, the previous volume of canned meat supplies has not resumed. That is why the situation causes such a serious resonance among the local population, because canned meat is even included in the national consumer basket. nine0007

On the other hand, many government officials claim that the reduced supply has led to the disappearance of an unhealthy product from the diet of the local population, because one small portion of such meat contains up to 13% cholesterol, 15% saturated fat and up to 20% soda. Starting next year, canned meat will be excluded by government decree from the list of foods used for school meals, due to the high concentration of fat and low protein value of the product. nine0007

In 2009, Puerto Rico’s canned meat imports were 6.6 million pounds worth over $13 million. Most of the imported product comes from the United States, the main supplier is the Chicago company Sampco Inc. The import of canned meat from Brazil has been allowed again since December last year, and according to officials, the volume of imports of this product will recover by April this year.

A source:

meatinfo.ru

nine0007

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Adventists Seek to Help Puerto Rico After Hurricane Fiona – News

September 29, 2022 | Libna Stevens | Adventist World

Puerto Rico Seventh-day Adventist Church leaders assess the needs of their members and the wider community following Hurricane Fiona, which brought devastating winds and floods on September 18, 2022. The Category 1 hurricane caused power outages, triggered landslides, uprooted trees, and damaged roads and bridges. nine0007

“The wind strength was much less than during Hurricane Maria in 2017, but it was still disturbing to hear the roar of strong winds and electricity around,” said Luis Rivera, president of the church in Puerto Rico. “There was more rain than I’ve ever seen in such a short amount of time.”

Logistical problems

A few days later, most of the island is still without electricity and the communications infrastructure is in a weakened state. According to Rivera, in a third of the country’s territory, in settlements located closest to rivers and streams in the south, west and north of the island, there is no water supply. Hundreds of houses were damaged or destroyed. nine0007

District pastors and church elders try to contact church members to assess their needs and offer spiritual support. Schools and churches remain closed while traffic lights are repaired and debris is cleared, he said.

Rivera, who was able to drive around part of the island this week and was briefed by area church leaders on the storm’s impact on schools, churches, staff and congregation homes, said the homes of about 10 church staff were severely damaged. nine0007

Most schools remain closed

“Most churches have withstood the gusts of wind,” Rivera said. “A detailed assessment of damage to other church sites has not yet been completed.” Adventist schools remained closed this week, with the exception of schools on the eastern side of the island, which began classes on September 21, he added. School leaders are planning to complete the cleanup this week so classes can resume next week.

The Antilles Adventist University of Mayaguez Church, which is located in the western part of the island, suffered from a power outage. Roads have been damaged, making it difficult to access some of the houses where university faculty, staff and village students live. Classes were due to resume on September 26 for more than 800 students enrolled at the university, university officials said. nine0007

Bella Vista Hospital, a church-run medical facility, remained open during and after the storm thanks to generators and water supplies, Rivera said. “A group of staff and doctors remained at the hospital along with the ambulance team to oversee the care and safety of the 46 patients who were in the hospital,” he said. Outpatient services and elective surgeries have resumed.”

ADRA assesses needs and provides food

The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) in Puerto Rico is assessing the needs of a number of communities in the southern part of the island that have been hardest hit by Fiona. Church and ADRA leaders have yet to conduct further assessments in the north and some low-lying areas in the west, where hundreds of residences have been flooded by rivers.

A group of regional ADRA leaders and volunteers began clearing rubble and distributing food and other urgently needed items. Soon they will start handing out mattresses. nine0007

“We are looking forward to pooling local funds with what ADRA International and other partners can provide so that we can quickly respond to emerging needs as a result of this disaster,” Rivera said.

An Appeal to the Word of God

Two church radio stations provide information on the aftermath of the hurricane and encourage listeners to take refuge in the Word of God every day.

“Many of our parishioners are encouraging and helping each other, and we hope to be able to resume church services and activities soon,” Rivera said. nine0007

His message was clear as he spoke to leaders, church members, and radio listeners. “We can find confidence in the promises of a loving God who cares for those who suffer,” Rivera said. “The suffering will not last forever, because there is a plan for the salvation of mankind, and this is the moment when we must trust God, because He is with us in the midst of this difficult situation.”

The Puerto Rico emergency is an opportunity to serve the community, Rivera said. “This is the time to help restore or help them regain what they have lost by showing them evidence of God’s love through acts of kindness.”

Hurricane Fiona seemed all too familiar to River, as it was the fourth natural disaster to hit Puerto Rico in the past five years.