Letter to Hon. Michael Connor, Assistant Secretary of the Army; Hon. Lieutenant General Scott Spellmon, Commanding General and Chief of Engineers - Schumer, Velázquez Urge Federal Agencies to Fund Restoration of Caño Martín Peña in Puerto Rico

Letter

Dear Assistant Secretary Connor and Lieutenant General Spellmon:

As you finalize projects for funding under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (P.L. 117-58), we write to express our utmost support for the Caño Martín Peña Ecosystem Restoration Project (CMP-ERP) and strongly urge its selection as a construction project for full funding.

The CMP-ERP is critical to alleviating the ongoing public health risks and environmental problems caused by the blocked Martín Peña Channel, affecting the lives of approximately 26,000 residents. The once 200 -- 400 ft. wide navigable channel connecting San Juan Bay to the San Jose Lagoon is severely polluted from years of accumulated debris, mismanaged residential and commercial development, and continued discharge of raw human waste directly into the water.

Aside from having a direct impact on the health of nearby residents, the current state of the Caño impacts critical infrastructure, like the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, which typically receives close to 9 million visits per year. The resulting blockage of natural water flow has degraded habitat in the San Jose Lagoon, and poses a public health threat exacerbated by the channel's frequent flooding of the surrounding communities.

We secured $11.6 billion for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) construction funding in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, including $1.9 billion for Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration, for which this project is eligible. Since 2007, the non-federal sponsor, Corporación del Proyecto ENLACE del Caño Martín Peña (ENLACE), has worked alongside USACE to develop the project and is prepared to move forward. Again, we urge you to select Caño Martín Peña for a New Start for construction and funding through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, to restore the ecosystem and simultaneously provide flood protection for the surrounding community.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. Should you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact us or our staff.

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