Army Corps of Engineers to Begin Burning Hurricane Debris in Puerto Rico

San Juan, Puerto Rico, -- On February 8th, the Puerto Rico Environmental Quality Board (Junta de Calidad Ambiental de Puerto Rico) approved a request from the Army Corps of Engineers to incinerate organic debris created by Hurricane Maria. Environmental advocates on the island are speaking out in opposition to the polluting plan from the Army Corps of Engineers to incinerate hurricane debris.

Decades of research on air pollution have established that the type of air pollution generated by incineration of organic materials like wood is associated with health effects including shortened life expectancy, asthma attacks, heart attacks, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and neurological impairments, according to this letter from public health experts about the similar plan to burn hurricane debris on the U.S. Virgin Islands.

In response, the Director of Sierra Club de Puerto Rico, José Menendez, issued the following statement:

“Just one week after Governor Roselló dropped his support for the proposed incinerator at Arecibo and made it clear that incineration is not the right solution to waste management on our island, the Army Corps of Engineers revealed that they intend to burn organic hurricane debris and release toxic pollution into our air. The type of air pollution this burning will create is proven to contribute to asthma attacks, heart attacks, strokes and even shortened overall life expectancy. It makes no sense to deal with a short-term waste management problem by creating health problems that Puerto Rico will be living with (and paying for) for decades to come.

“This hurricane debris should be composted and mulched in local facilities to benefit local farmers. We are working to build a recovery from Hurricanes Maria and Irma that will improve the lives of the people of Puerto Rico, not sacrifice our health and environment to disaster capitalists. Puerto Rico deserves better than this.”