First Lady visits Fort Buchanan

First Lady Jill Biden visited with military families at Fort Buchanan, the only U.S. Army installation in the Caribbean, on Sunday. The trip was part of Dr. Biden’s “Joining Forces” initiative to support military families. In her remarks, the First Lady praised the sacrifices of military families. She was accompanied by Puerto Rico’s governor, as well as by San Juan Mayor Miguel Romero, among others. The installation generates an annual investment of more than $500 million for the local economy, and serves approximately 15,000 active duty, Reserve, National Guard, Marine Corps Reserve, and Navy Reserve Center members. The First Lady’s visit is one of two high-profile visits to Puerto Rico by administration officials in March. Later this week, Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to the Island.

Nearly all of Puerto Rico’s Municipalities See Population Losses

According to the Institute of Statistics of Puerto Rico, 96 percent of municipalities in Puerto Rico experienced a decrease in population between April 1, 2020, and July 1, 2023. That was among the findings of the Annual Population Estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau on Monday. Only three municipalities– Rincón, Naranjito, and Barranquitas—saw increases in population, with slight gains that ranged from 0.1 to 1.6 percent. The municipality that experienced the largest decrease in population was Guánica, which had been hard hit by the earthquakes of 2020. The municipality lost about 10 percent of its population. Overall, the Island’s population dropped by 2.4 percent during the period, which translates into approximately 80,000 fewer residents.  Over the same period, the median age increased, rising from 43.7 to 46.7 years of age.

Environmentalists Urge Scrutiny of Methane-Burning Generators 

A coalition of environmental activists is urging the Department of Justice and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to launch a probe into the use of 17 temporary generators that burn methane gas, according to the San Juan Daily Star. The generators were installed by FEMA and the U.S Army Corps of Engineers following Hurricane Fiona. Last week, the Financial Oversight and Management Board (FOMB) authorized a contract with New Fortress Energy, the parent company of Genera PR, to maintain 14 generators. The coalition, Queremos Sol (We Want Sun), claimed that use of the generators runs contrary to the Clean Air Act. The use of the temporary generators “has exposed residents of a dense and already contaminated urban area to illegal levels of air pollution,” said a member of the coalition. The generators produce about 350 megawatts (MW) of power, representing 10 percent of the installed energy on the Island.