Updated classifications describe urban and rural Puerto Rico — a NAPREC perspective
The Census Bureau released urban and rural classifications based on 2020 data and updated criteria. Its corrected release identified 91.9% of Puerto Rico’s population as urban and 8.1% as rural. Original NAPREC analysis in English and Spanish.
Census estimates continued population losses in 2022 — a NAPREC perspective
The Census Bureau estimated Puerto Rico’s 2022 population at 3,221,789, down 1.3% from the previous year. The release attributed the decline to net migration losses and more deaths than births. Original NAPREC analysis in English and Spanish.
House passes H.R. 8393 by 233–191 — a NAPREC perspective
The House approved the Puerto Rico Status Act by 233 votes to 191. The roll call records a major milestone for a federal status process. A House vote alone does not make a bill law or admit a new state. Original NAPREC analysis in English and Spanish.
EPA responds to Puerto Rico environmental-justice concerns — a NAPREC perspective
EPA announced initial actions following community visits, addressing pollution concerns and assistance for community-run drinking-water systems. Original NAPREC analysis in English and Spanish.
Federal grid-recovery team outlines coordination goals — a NAPREC perspective
In remarks in San Juan, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm described the federal grid-modernization and recovery team’s coordination role after Hurricane Fiona. The remarks addressed delays in using previously authorized recovery funds. Original NAPREC analysis in English and Spanish.
Clean-school-bus rebates reach Puerto Rico — a NAPREC perspective
EPA announced nearly $10 million in rebates for Puerto Rico’s Department of Education to purchase more than 25 cleaner school buses. Original NAPREC analysis in English and Spanish.
USDA outlines recovery help for farms after Fiona — a NAPREC perspective
USDA publicized financial and technical assistance for Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands producers affected by Hurricane Fiona. The announcement covered recovery options for crop, livestock, land, and infrastructure losses. Original NAPREC analysis in English and Spanish.
President visits Puerto Rico after Hurricane Fiona — a NAPREC perspective
PBS’s October 3 broadcast covered President Biden surveying Hurricane Fiona’s damage in Puerto Rico. The visit brought federal attention to the island’s immediate recovery needs after flooding and widespread outages. Original NAPREC analysis in English and Spanish.
Guaynabo petroleum facility settlement announced — a NAPREC perspective
EPA announced a settlement requiring approximately $1.3 million in compliance measures at a Guaynabo petroleum-storage facility, plus a civil penalty. Original NAPREC analysis in English and Spanish.
Watershed assistance announced after Hurricane Fiona — a NAPREC perspective
NRCS announced emergency watershed assistance for Puerto Rico agencies and municipalities after Fiona. Eligible work included reducing immediate threats from damaged waterways and related erosion and flood hazards. Original NAPREC analysis in English and Spanish.
Hurricane Fiona makes landfall amid a widespread blackout — a NAPREC perspective
Hurricane Fiona struck Puerto Rico’s southwest coast, bringing flooding and landslides as power failed across the island. The disaster interrupted an already unfinished recovery from earlier storms. Original NAPREC analysis in English and Spanish.
Congress receives a five-year hurricane-recovery update — a NAPREC perspective
GAO testified that long-term reconstruction remained incomplete in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The review distinguished large federal awards from the smaller amounts spent on permanent infrastructure work. Original NAPREC analysis in English and Spanish.
Ochoa Fertilizer added to Superfund priorities — a NAPREC perspective
EPA announced the Guánica site’s addition to the National Priorities List, following its 2021 proposal and advancing federal cleanup oversight. Original NAPREC analysis in English and Spanish.
Post-census survey identifies a Puerto Rico overcount — a NAPREC perspective
A Census Bureau quality-assessment survey estimated that the 2020 Census overcounted Puerto Rico’s population by 5.7%. The release explained coverage errors and the role of the independent survey in improving future census operations. Original NAPREC analysis in English and Spanish.
Agencies report on a black-start preparedness exercise — a NAPREC perspective
DOE reported on a June tabletop exercise with Puerto Rico and federal partners to plan for a major outage. Participants examined restoration coordination, infrastructure vulnerabilities, and consistent public information during an energy emergency. Original NAPREC analysis in English and Spanish.
BEA measures the pandemic-era economic decline — a NAPREC perspective
BEA released estimates showing a 6.0% decline in Puerto Rico’s real GDP in 2020, with lower exports and spending. This historical release captures the initial estimate available in July 2022, before later revisions. Original NAPREC analysis in English and Spanish.
Committee advances the status bill — a NAPREC perspective
The House Natural Resources Committee voted 25–20 to report H.R. 8393 favorably, as amended. Committee approval moved the measure toward the full House; it was one stage of the legislative process, not final enactment. Original NAPREC analysis in English and Spanish.
Puerto Rico Status Act is introduced — a NAPREC perspective
H.R. 8393 brought a new proposal before the House to select and implement a permanent, nonterritorial political status. The bill’s introduction was a concrete legislative step, followed by committee review and a later House floor vote. Original NAPREC analysis in English and Spanish.
Aguadilla commercial project faces stormwater order — a NAPREC perspective
EPA ordered pollution controls and permit compliance at a 19-acre commercial construction site in Aguadilla to address stormwater discharges. Original NAPREC analysis in English and Spanish.
Coastal construction runoff draws federal order — a NAPREC perspective
EPA ordered developers to stop stormwater discharges from an Aguadilla hotel construction project into the Atlantic Ocean. Original NAPREC analysis in English and Spanish.