Senate commission hears community, agencies clash over Pollito Pío work near Humacao reserve

The Senate Comisión de Derechos Humanos y Asuntos Laborales heard competing accounts on Feb. 28, 2024 about activities at a 19.6‑cuerda property abutting the Reserva Natural Efraín Archilla Díez in Humacao.

Community witnesses and agency officials told senators they had seen land‑clearing and other works that risked mangroves, coastal lagoons and fisheries. Lesbia L. Montero, a marine biologist who testified for residents, said the reserve—designated June 4, 1986 and covering 3,186 cuerdas—contains extensive wetlands and species vital to local fisheries and climate resilience. “Se han documentado movimientos de tierra en los predios colindantes que ponen en riesgo la integridad de la reserva,” Montero said, and communities have filed multiple querellas to force agency action.

Testimony and documentation provided to the committee included a May 24, 2023 evaluation from the Department of Agriculture that the project’s proposed operations would cause “impacto significativo” to topography and increase sedimentation and nutrient loads to nearby lagoons. José Tato Rivera Santana, an environmental planner, summarized the administrative timeline: a UPTEC/permits process began in March 2022; DRNA issued adverse comments (June 9, 2022); the municipality inspected and reported removal of material (April 2023); and the office that processes consultas de ubicación archived that consultation on Aug. 31, 2023 for noncompliance with the joint regulation.

Officials for the project and allied agricultural groups disputed some characterizations. Vanessa Piñeiro Solano, executive director of the Asociación de Agricultores de Puerto Rico, said the plan for Pollito Pío is an agroecological project that integrates soil‑conservation practices and that the farm holds a permit from the Secretary of Agriculture for certain agricultural practices under Ley 140. “Este permiso del secretario de agricultura autoriza prácticas agrícolas conforme a la ley,” Piñeiro said, and she urged the commission to weigh food‑security considerations alongside environmental concerns.

Representatives from the Oficina de Gerencia de Permisos (OGP/OSPE) and the Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales (DRNA) described different parts of the record. Ednese, director legal at OGP, said a Recomendación Ambiental (REA) was approved June 14, 2022 but that the environmental discussion phase (DEA) and any subsequent permits have not been completed; OGP archived the consulta de ubicación for regulatory noncompliance in 2023. Samuel Acosta of DRNA said vigilantes inspected the site, issued a paralización and referred technical studies and the case to legal counsel for follow‑up.

Senators pressed for documentary evidence and ordered the parties and agencies to submit full querella numbers, copies of agency letters (including the May 24, 2023 agriculture evaluation), photographs and the administrative expediente within five days. The committee indicated it will hold an executive review of permits and may follow up with further hearings.

Next step: The commission requested all supporting documents and the status of investigations from OGP, DRNA and the municipality in writing within five days; no formal legislative action or vote occurred at the hearing.