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Wikipedia

Vía Verde project

April 11, 2024

The Vía Verde project (English: Green Way project), also known as Gasoducto del Norte[2] (English: Northern Gas Pipeline), was a pipeline project proposed by the administration of Governor Luis Fortuño intended to supply natural gas to northern Puerto Rico from Puerto Rico's southern region. The pipeline would have run from Peñuelas, on Puerto Rico's southern coast,[3] to electricity-generating plants in Arecibo, Cataño and San Juan, crossing the island's Cordillera Central.[4] The project aimed to supply 71% of Puerto Rico's electrical energy needs,[5] while lowering the cost of electricity in the island. A project of Governor Luis Fortuño,[6][7][8][9][10] it was called the "crown jewel" project of his administration.[11] The project was also supported by former governor of Puerto Rico Rafael Hernández Colón.[12] The pipeline was called "the centerpiece of [Governor Fortuño]'s efforts to kick-start Puerto Rico's dormant economy."[13]

Vía Verde pipeline
Location
CountryPuerto Rico
General directionsouth–north
FromPeñuelas (removed)
Passes throughGuayanilla,(removed)
Adjuntas,(removed)
Utuado,(removed)
Arecibo,
Barceloneta,
Manati,
Vega Baja,
Vega Alta,
Dorado,
Toa Baja,
Bayamon,
Cataño,
Guaynabo[1]
ToSan Juan
General information
TypeNatural gas
OwnerGovernment of Puerto Rico
OperatorAutoridad de Energía Eléctrica (AEE)
ContractorsSkanska
Construction startedProject halted due to popular environmental opposition
Expected2011
Technical information
Length100 mi (160 km)
Diameter24 in (610 mm)

The Gasoducto del Norte project faced stiff opposition from the public, environmentalists – including Casa Pueblo and Bill McKibben – and members of the United States Congress, including Congressman Luis Gutierrez. A Puerto Rico newspaper poll taken in March 2011 showed that 70% of the residents opposed the gas pipeline.[14]

As of 21 March 2012, the government of Puerto Rico was still awaiting permission from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers before commencing construction of the projected pipeline.[4][15][16] If construction was started, the government estimated the project would take 12 months to complete,[17] but the time estimate was called "fiction" even by members if his own political party.[18]

On 15 June 2012, the government of Puerto Rico removed from the project the section of the pipeline that would have traversed from Peñuelas to Arecibo. The decision was based on data that indicated there would not be enough gas at Peñuelas to feed into the pipeline.[19] This pipeline section would have cut through the Cordillera Central and was the primary focus of environmentalists' objections.

After much opposition, on 11 October 2012, the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (AEE) withdrew the entire Vía Verde permit application from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers evaluation process, thereby stalling approval of the proposed pipeline indefinitely.[20]

History edit

1993–2009 edit

In 1993, the chairman of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (AEE), Miguel Cordero, proposed a natural gas pipeline as part of the Government of Puerto Rico's plan to diversify Puerto Rico's energy sources. However, the proposal was not proceeded during the administration of the Partido Nuevo Progresista (PNP) governor Pedro Rosselló (1993–2000).[21] In 2001, the Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico (PPD) won the gubernatorial elections, put Sila Calderon in La Fortaleza from 2001 to 2004, and appointed Héctor Rosario as executive director of the AEE. The pipeline plan proposed by Cordero was shelved. In 2005, a natural gas pipeline project named Gasoducto del Sur (English: Southern Gas Pipeline) started construction under the PPD administration of Aníbal Acevedo Vilá.[21] The Gasoducto del Sur pipeline would have transported natural gas from the EcoEléctrica facilities in Peñuelas to the power plant at Aguirre in Salinas.[22][23] Acevedo Vilá managed to complete about 25% of the Gasoducto del Sur project before being defeated by the opposing party, the PNP, in the 2008 elections. When the PNP took back La Fortaleza in 2009 via Luis Fortuño as governor, Miguel Cordero was reappointed executive director of the AEE, and the Gasoducto del Sur project, though a quarter of its way completed, was abruptly cancelled.[24] The cancellation left the Government of Puerto Rico with a US$59 million debt to the contractor, Skanska, and opened the way for the PNP's alternative project, Gasoducto del Norte.[21][25]

2010 edit

On 19 September 2010, Casa Pueblo held a peaceful march against the Gasoducto project.[26] Another march took place on 1 May 2011, where the governor's opposition party, the PPD, showed their opposition to the project.[27] More than 30,000 people marched the 1 May March.[14]

In December, 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recommended the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers not to issue a permit for the construction of the Via Verde project.[28][29]

2011 edit

On 11 June 2011, a group of environmentalists from Casa Pueblo, National Puerto Rican Coalition, Sierra Club, Earth Justice and Greenpeace presented their opposition to the project in Washington, DC.[30]

On 29 September 2011, Illinois Congressman Luis Gutierrez formally requested that President Barack Obama investigate the project citing "serious concerns over the existence of a 'close relationship' between the [Request for Comments|RFC] solicitor and its agents and the consultants who review and present formal comments about the Via Verde permit applications" to the Government, as well as an over concerns that Governor Luis Fortuño was using his influence to intervene in favor of the project when he asked to speak to the U.S. Secretary of the Department of the Interior, Ken Salazar, about Via Verde "in a process that its already following its course and which did not correspond him to intervene."[31]

On 5 October 2011, AEE started the process of land expropriation, "even though the Puerto Rico government does not yet possess the necessary permits [from the Federal authorities] for the construction of the Gasoducto."[32]

2012 edit

On 19 February 2012, a crowd numbering about 6,000 persons held a march in the capital city of San Juan, Puerto Rico, to protest the construction of Gasoducto del Norte, a.k.a. Via Verde.[33][34] Simultaneous with the demonstration in San Juan, another demonstration was held in New York City with the same purposes.[35]

On 11 March 2012, a block of concerned citizens set up a permanent encampment in front of the northern electric generating plant at Palo Seco, one of those that would receive gas from the planned Gasoducto, to protest the planned gas pipeline.[36]

On 30 May 2012, the Puerto Rico Senate started hearings on the Gasoducto del Norte and claims that it is not "the only alternative" to reduce the cost of electricity in Puerto Rico.[11]

On 11 October 2012 AEE officially withdrew the entire Vía Verde permit application from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers evaluation process, thereby stalling approval of the proposed pipeline indefinitely.[20]

Route edit

The proposed pipeline would distribute natural gas from the Costa Sur Sugar Plantation (Peñuelas/Guayanilla area) north to the Arecibo Cambalache plant, and on to the Palo Seco and San Juan areas.[37] The proposed route would cut through Puerto Rico's Cordillera Central and the northern Karst region. It would cross 13 municipalities.[1]

Technical features edit

The pipeline was to be operated by AEE.[38] The gas to be transported by the pipeline will be supplied by a single supplier, EcoElectrica.[39]

The pipeline will have a diameter of 24 inches (610 mm).[40] Its original length was planned to be 92 miles (148 km), but an October 2011 plan revision shows it may be changed to run closer to 100 miles.[41][42] The Autoridad de Energía Eléctrica plans to convert several oil-fired plants to natural gas, starting with Costa Sur's units 5 and 6, which should be up and running December 2011. Subsequently, AEE plants at Cambalache, Palo Seco (units 3 and 4), and San Juan (units 5 through 10), will convert to natural gas, in phases that, as of August 2010, were scheduled to be completed by the end of 2011.[43] According to documents from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the proposed route for the Gasoducto del Norte crosses 235 rivers and brooks, in addition to 1.4 million square meters of wetlands.[18] Dr. Arturo Massol González,[42] professor at the University of Puerto Rico,[13] winner of the 2003 Goldman Environmental Prize,[44][45] and director of Casa Pueblo,[46] a community-based environmental watchdog organization in Puerto Rico, estimated that construction of the project would require the alteration of 8.2 million cubic meters of land.[39]

Controversies edit

A number of controversies surround this project. The administration of governor Luis G. Fortuño maintains that the Vía Verde Pipeline will supply the island with a cleaner energy source while at the same time reducing the cost of generating electricity by up to 30%. It has also estimated that Via Verde will reduce gas emissions by 60% while creating 5,000 direct and indirect jobs.[43][47] Puerto Rico uses 36,000 GWh of electricity annually. Current cost for 1 million British thermal units (1.1 GJ) with petroleum burning is $12.25. With Vía Verde, the cost would be reduced to $5.15, according to government figures.[48] But some have argued that politicians baptized the project as "Via Verde" (Green Way) to give the appearance that it is a good thing.[40] Others, like Casa Pueblo founder Alexis Massol, have made reacted to the Via Verde (Green Way) name as a misnomer: "Vía Verde ... was rumored to be a gas pipeline, nothing green and nothing ecological"[49] And some add that "everything about the project is wrong, beginning with Gov. Fortuño's Orwellian name for the pipeline – the 'Green Way' [Via Verde]."[50] A 5 October 2011 report in La Perla del Sur, a Ponce, Puerto Rico, weekly, stated that high-ranking member of the political party that governor Luis Fortuno presides have broken ranks with the governor in favor of energy alternatives that are more efficient, less costly, and less intrusive on the environment.[51]

Environmental impact edit

Some argue that "Via Verde" will negatively impact forest areas, hydrographic basins, lands fit for agriculture, and the all-important and endangered karstic region of northern Puerto Rico.[52][53] It will also represent further dependence on another form of fossil fuel that, while less polluting than the current oil-based system of electricity generation, will still contribute to global warming.[54][55] In January 2012, environmentalist Bill McKibben presented his support against the Via Verde project and compared it to the halted Keystone XL pipeline project. He stated, "Around the world, the fossil-fuel industry is carrying out its last desperate attempt to avoid the arrival of renewable energy and to ensure the existence of its dirty fuels. They seem to be using their standard strategy in Puerto Rico as well: to act quickly and with a minimum amount of review before the opposition has time to organize and bring out the truth."[56]

The Government, on the other hand, contends that the only forest affected will be the Bosque de Vega Baja (English: Vega Baja Forest) where a 3.9-mile long trench will be carved.[57] It also stated that the project will require the removal of 1.1 million cubic meters of land.[58] The ex-head of the Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources, Daniel Pagan Rosa, added that only one endangered species, the guabairo, will be affect by the construction of the pipeline.[57] Pagan Rosa also added that the use of a Horizontal Directional Drilling will allow the construction of the pipeline "60 feet below the bottom of rivers."[57] However, during an official interview in Ponce on 22 March 2011, the Government admitted it did not have an erosion and landslide control plan.[57]

Cost of electricity edit

The government's projections of cost reduction for consumers are also under fire. AEE claims that there will be a 30% reduction in costs for electricity consumption. However, independent analysts estimate that this figure has been grossly exaggerated and that the real reduction in cost will be close to 18%, much, if not all of which, will be cancelled out by market fluctuations in the price of gas and by the government's need to cover the cost of construction of the project.[53]

Some opponents, such as Puerto Rican PNP Senator Larry Seilhamer Rodríguez, argue that the project will not meet its primary objective of reducing electric rates to the Puerto Rican consumer: "One of the arguments of the Autoridad [de Energia Electrica] is that the cost of a kWh in Puerto Rico is 22 cents compared to the 22 coents cost in the United States. But if we consider what they plan to offer in the electric bill, we will see a reduction of 15 percent, which means that – instead of paying 22 cents per kWh – we will be paying 18 or 19 cents and that is totally ineffective, it is not competitive."[18] The government's own data, from reports to the Puerto Rico electric company's to its stockholders, have confirmed that the pipeline will not reduce consumers electric bills.[59]

Still, the government defends the project stating that "with today's technology, the cost to produce a kWh using renewable energy sources [such as solar or wind] is considerably more expensive than using traditional energy sources".[57] However, on 21 December 2011, Autoridad de Energía Eléctrica, the government's Via Verde customer, admitted that Via Verde will not lower consumers' energy costs.[60]

Cost of the project edit

The financing for the project is also under fire. Those opposing the project ask, "If the project will be so good financially, why is it that the Republican capitalistic administration of Governor Fortuño has not found a private investor to finance it?" And add that "the so-called capitalistic republicans now want to socialize the costs and privatize the profits."[3] Pedro Jiménez, retired engineering professor at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez, argued that "in the long run, the project will cost from two and a half to three times the currently project cost of the AEE of $445 millions."[61] In January 2012, Casa Pueblo estimated that the cost of the project, considering payments to contractors of $800 million plus amortization over 30 years, will be $3 billion USD.[62]

Proper infrastructure edit

According to officials at EcoEléctrica, gas output at their facilities will not provide enough natural gas to power generators beyond Costa Sur,[63][64] the first gas-to-electric conversion unit in the path of the pipeline and located in the municipality of Penuelas.

Opponents argue that "building a pipeline when there is no gas, makes no sense" and are demanding that the government abandon the project altogether: the admission by a high-ranking officer of EcoEléctrica to La Perla del Sur is a decisive and unequivocal confirmation that what we have been stating for months.[65]

Social effect edit

It has been estimated that construction of the pipeline will affect 51 communities, the campus of the University of Puerto Rico at Utuado, and church and gas station entrances potentially affecting some 22,000 families. The Government, however, states that the pipeline will be built at a prudent distance from communities. Yet community leaders at Casa Pueblo explain that the pipeline will be run alongside roads, including alongside the road in front of Levittown, a community of 30,000 residents, and the pipeline will run above ground in sections of PR-10, a road used by over 13,000 vehicles daily.[66]

Safety concerns edit

In defense of the project, its senior environmental advisor, Daniel Pagan Rosa, stated that the pipeline's safety system will be more sophisticated than those traditionally built in the United States. He added that there will be two monitoring centers, one in Ponce, and one in San Juan's Monancillo area. He also maintained that the system will be built to permit switching back to petroleum should a major disaster affect the pipeline.[57]

University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez engineering professor Pedro Jiménez, expressed concerns over the safety of the project and its cost: "The pipeline will not be built to withstand a large earthquake, let alone [a tsunami] like Japan's."[61] Commenting in the aftermath of the effects of Hurricane Irene in Puerto Rico, Jiménez said that "the project represents a time bomb."[67] The Puerto Rico College of Surgeons, a professional organization covering all physicians licensed to practice in Puerto Rico, approved a motion of support for a report by its Committee on Environmental Resources which pointed at the Gasoducto del Norte as "a grave danger to public health."[68] Also, the Puerto Rico director of the Caribbean Tsunami Alert Program, Crista Von Hillebrant, confirmed to a local news weekly that EcoElectrica – the only point of entry for the natural gas to be injected into the Gasoducto – was located in a tsunami risk zone.[57]

Reportedly, the Governor was quoted as saying that in case of an earthquake in Puerto Rico, he would flee Old San Juan with his family and head to fort El Morro, to stay clear of potential explosions in the gas pipelines of Old San Juan.[69]

Ethical issues edit

The Government's motivations with the project have been questioned by several prominent individuals and organizations. These revolve around accusations of governmental secrecy, maneuvering, manipulation, and conflict of interests. There have been accusations that Governor Luis Fortuño approved the projects to take place via a "fast-track" and that government agencies are charging forward with the project without the proper involvement of non-governmental parties. Nevertheless, the executive director of Puerto Rico's Office of Energy Affairs argues that "AEE has been very open with the people in discussing the project and that within the available alternatives the gas pipeline is the one that makes most sense.[4]

In April 2012, Congressman Luis Gutiérrez Olmedo qualified the actions of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE) as corruption and asked that any evaluation related to the Gasoducto project be immediately halted: "[The USACOE] does not have the moral capacity to supervise any permit for the Gasoducto...they contaminated the process when the Government of Puerto Rico hired as an advisor BC Peabody, a firm whose director is the former director of the Jacksonville Office of the Corps of Engineers". He charged the Jacksonville Office with unethical practices and challenged the Office to react to the accusations.[70]

Secrecy and lack of popular involvement edit

Despite the government's statements that the Gasoducto planning process is being done in a transparent manner, there are those who feel the Government of Puerto Rico is not being totally open when it comes to revealing exactly what it is doing to inform the public about the Gasoducto. Alexis Massol, director of Casa Pueblo, stated that "Mr. [Alfred A.] Pantano [head of the Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. Corps of Engineers office in change of reviewing the permit application from the Government of Puerto Rico,] ordered the transfer of the [U.S. Corps of Engineers] reviewing office from Puerto Rico to Florida [USA], provoking mistrust. When Mr. Pantano told the press that [constructing a] building has a greater impact than building a gas pipeline, such comment provoked suspicion. When Mr. Pantano hides information from other federal agencies regarding the [planned] existence of 20 other hidden valves for [the addition of] other branch pipelines, then he raises more suspicion, greater mistrust, and gives the appearance of a total fabrication."[71] On 6 November 2011, Congressman Luis Gutierrez expressed having knowledge of contradictory statements coming out of Mr. Pantano's office which "raised great concern."[72] On 11 November 2011, an investigation by the Ponce, Puerto Rico-based La Perla del Sur newsweekly found that allegations made to Noticentro by Governor Fortuño on 27 October (2011) which stated that it was necessary for his government to appropriate lands before qualifying for the permit by the U.S. Corps of Engineers (USCE) were denied by Barry Vorse, the spokesperson for the USCE. The director of Casa Pueblo complained that project consultants such as its head consultant Daniel Pagan Rosa, "continue lying about the permit process to save their [$30] million dollar contracts."[73]

Governmental maneuvering edit

In May 2011, the regional Jacksonville, Florida, office of the U.S. Corps of Engineers took over from the local San Juan Corps of Engineers office the permits application for construction of the gas pipeline. The action was received with suspicion and criticized as having set a precedent in the way how the USACOE works, where local permits are always managed by the office closest to where the application for permit if to be granted.[74]

Possible political manipulation edit

With the completion of the project initially set to occur just two months prior to Governor Fortuño's re-election bid in November 2012, National Public Radio has also wondered if the project may be politically motivated.[13]

Alternatives edit

There have also been accusations that the government has not been forthcoming in its evaluations of alternatives to the gas pipeline. In February 2012, a marine engineer from Excelerate Energy stated that "there isn't a single impediment of significance, be it structural or economic, that would make it impossible for the electrical units on the north [shore of Puerto Rico] to connect to barges to receive natural gas...and anyone stating the opposite doesn't know what he is talking about."[75] This is contrary to what government spokesmen Miguel Cordero López, ex-executive director of Autoridad de Energía Eléctrica, and Daniel Pagán Rosa, the government's lead advisor of the Vía Verde project, had been reporting "for the last 17 months."[75] The fact that Excelerate Energy signed a contract to supply liquid-to-gas natural gas conversion barges to the Autoridad de Energía Eléctrica's southern unit at Aguirre, says Casa Pueblo founder Alexis Massol González, defeats the government's efforts to sell this "absurd" Gasoducto idea to the people.[76] The government had claimed that off-shore barges were not a viable alternative. In an article titled Barcazas pueden sustituir Gasoducto del Norte (Barges can substitute Gasoducto del Norte) it was reported that barges are a viable alternative to the Gasoducto.[77]

On 30 May 2012, the Puerto Rico Senate held hearings on the project and found that "the temporary transition to propane gas and the future delivery of natural gas via offshore vessels and submarine gas pipelines are viable alternatives, both from the technical as well as the financial perspectives", to the Gasoducto del Norte.[78]

Conflict of interests edit

Congressman Luis Gutierrez has stated that the main contract for designing the pipeline has gone to a company which has admitted having no experience in designing gas pipelines and which is owned by "the skiing partner of the [sitting] governor of Puerto Rico, Luis Fortuño."[79]

See also edit

  • Timeline of Gasoducto del Norte project. Jason Rodríguez Grafal. "Crónica de un proyecto manipulado." La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Year 30. Issue 1490. Pages 6–7. 20 June 2012. Retrieved 20 June 2012.)
  • Video of Congressman Luis Gutierrez address before the U.S. Congress

References edit

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  2. ^ Nueva trama ensombrece la Vía Verde. Omar Alfonso. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 11 July 2012. Retrieved 17 July 2012.
  3. ^ a b Cepeda, José Raúl (2 May 2011). "Si en Puerto Rico existiera la democracia..." [If democracy existed in Puerto Rico]. El Sur a la Vista (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 September 2011.
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  52. ^ Proposed Puerto Rican pipeline a threat to mountains and rainforests. Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 59 (Wednesday, 4 May 2011)] U. S. House of Representatives. pp. H3003-H3008. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
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  54. ^ Bosques en la ruta del gasoducto. Gerardo E. Alvarado León. El Nuevo Dia. San Juan, Puerto Rico. Published 18 August 2010. Retrieved 30 November 2011.
  55. ^ Manati. Manati. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  56. ^ Más presión de Keystone a Vía Verde. (English: Greater pressure from Keystone on Vía Verde.) La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Published 19 January 2012. Retrieved 20 January 2012.
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  58. ^ Daniel Pagán Rosa: Defiende a capa y espada el proyecto. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 23 March 2011. Retrieved 7 November 2011.
  59. ^ Admite AEE: Vía Verde no bajará costos. Ely Acevedo Denis / Noticel. La Perla del Sur. 21 December 2011. Year 30, Issue 1464. Page 12. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
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  61. ^ a b Cierran filas en contra del gasoducto. Jason Rodríguez Grafal. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 3 August 2011. Page 4. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
  62. ^ Vía Verde: un negocio de $3 mil millones. Omar Alfonso. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, PuertO Rico. Retrieved 20 January 2012.
  63. ^ El Gasoducto / Via Verde: The governor of Puerto Rico has proposed a natural gas pipeline project worth $450 million that would cut through the territory's most sensitive habitats. The Hispanic Coalition NY, Inc. Retrieved 6 September 2011. (Includes a news video strip from WAPA-TV.)
  64. ^ EcoEléctrica expansion to meet Vía Verde gas needs. John Marino. Caribbean Business. 2 June 2011. (Vol. 39, No. 21) Retrieved 6 September 2011.
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  77. ^ Barcazas pueden sustituir a Vía Verde. Omar Alfonso. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 7 February 2012. Year 30, Issue 1471. Page 6. Retrieved 8 February 2012.
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  79. ^ “They Are Violating All the Rules”: Rep. Luis Gutierrez Calls for Public Hearings, Impact Studies into Massive Gas Pipeline for Puerto Rico. DemocracyNow.org. 12 May 2011. Retrieved 23 January 2012.

External links edit

  • Official Site

April 11, 2024
vía, verde, project, english, green, project, also, known, gasoducto, norte, english, northern, pipeline, pipeline, project, proposed, administration, governor, luis, fortuño, intended, supply, natural, northern, puerto, rico, from, puerto, rico, southern, reg. The Via Verde project English Green Way project also known as Gasoducto del Norte 2 English Northern Gas Pipeline was a pipeline project proposed by the administration of Governor Luis Fortuno intended to supply natural gas to northern Puerto Rico from Puerto Rico s southern region The pipeline would have run from Penuelas on Puerto Rico s southern coast 3 to electricity generating plants in Arecibo Catano and San Juan crossing the island s Cordillera Central 4 The project aimed to supply 71 of Puerto Rico s electrical energy needs 5 while lowering the cost of electricity in the island A project of Governor Luis Fortuno 6 7 8 9 10 it was called the crown jewel project of his administration 11 The project was also supported by former governor of Puerto Rico Rafael Hernandez Colon 12 The pipeline was called the centerpiece of Governor Fortuno s efforts to kick start Puerto Rico s dormant economy 13 Via Verde pipelineLocationCountryPuerto RicoGeneral directionsouth northFromPenuelas removed Passes throughGuayanilla removed Adjuntas removed Utuado removed Arecibo Barceloneta Manati Vega Baja Vega Alta Dorado Toa Baja Bayamon Catano Guaynabo 1 ToSan JuanGeneral informationTypeNatural gasOwnerGovernment of Puerto RicoOperatorAutoridad de Energia Electrica AEE ContractorsSkanskaConstruction startedProject halted due to popular environmental oppositionExpected2011Technical informationLength100 mi 160 km Diameter24 in 610 mm The Gasoducto del Norte project faced stiff opposition from the public environmentalists including Casa Pueblo and Bill McKibben and members of the United States Congress including Congressman Luis Gutierrez A Puerto Rico newspaper poll taken in March 2011 showed that 70 of the residents opposed the gas pipeline 14 As of 21 March 2012 the government of Puerto Rico was still awaiting permission from the U S Army Corps of Engineers before commencing construction of the projected pipeline 4 15 16 If construction was started the government estimated the project would take 12 months to complete 17 but the time estimate was called fiction even by members if his own political party 18 On 15 June 2012 the government of Puerto Rico removed from the project the section of the pipeline that would have traversed from Penuelas to Arecibo The decision was based on data that indicated there would not be enough gas at Penuelas to feed into the pipeline 19 This pipeline section would have cut through the Cordillera Central and was the primary focus of environmentalists objections After much opposition on 11 October 2012 the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority AEE withdrew the entire Via Verde permit application from the U S Army Corps of Engineers evaluation process thereby stalling approval of the proposed pipeline indefinitely 20 Contents 1 History 1 1 1993 2009 1 2 2010 1 3 2011 1 4 2012 2 Route 3 Technical features 4 Controversies 4 1 Environmental impact 4 2 Cost of electricity 4 3 Cost of the project 4 4 Proper infrastructure 4 5 Social effect 4 6 Safety concerns 4 7 Ethical issues 4 7 1 Secrecy and lack of popular involvement 4 7 2 Governmental maneuvering 4 7 3 Possible political manipulation 4 7 4 Alternatives 4 7 5 Conflict of interests 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksHistory edit1993 2009 edit In 1993 the chairman of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority AEE Miguel Cordero proposed a natural gas pipeline as part of the Government of Puerto Rico s plan to diversify Puerto Rico s energy sources However the proposal was not proceeded during the administration of the Partido Nuevo Progresista PNP governor Pedro Rossello 1993 2000 21 In 2001 the Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico PPD won the gubernatorial elections put Sila Calderon in La Fortaleza from 2001 to 2004 and appointed Hector Rosario as executive director of the AEE The pipeline plan proposed by Cordero was shelved In 2005 a natural gas pipeline project named Gasoducto del Sur English Southern Gas Pipeline started construction under the PPD administration of Anibal Acevedo Vila 21 The Gasoducto del Sur pipeline would have transported natural gas from the EcoElectrica facilities in Penuelas to the power plant at Aguirre in Salinas 22 23 Acevedo Vila managed to complete about 25 of the Gasoducto del Sur project before being defeated by the opposing party the PNP in the 2008 elections When the PNP took back La Fortaleza in 2009 via Luis Fortuno as governor Miguel Cordero was reappointed executive director of the AEE and the Gasoducto del Sur project though a quarter of its way completed was abruptly cancelled 24 The cancellation left the Government of Puerto Rico with a US 59 million debt to the contractor Skanska and opened the way for the PNP s alternative project Gasoducto del Norte 21 25 2010 edit On 19 September 2010 Casa Pueblo held a peaceful march against the Gasoducto project 26 Another march took place on 1 May 2011 where the governor s opposition party the PPD showed their opposition to the project 27 More than 30 000 people marched the 1 May March 14 In December 2010 the U S Environmental Protection Agency and the U S Fish and Wildlife Service recommended the U S Army Corps of Engineers not to issue a permit for the construction of the Via Verde project 28 29 2011 edit On 11 June 2011 a group of environmentalists from Casa Pueblo National Puerto Rican Coalition Sierra Club Earth Justice and Greenpeace presented their opposition to the project in Washington DC 30 On 29 September 2011 Illinois Congressman Luis Gutierrez formally requested that President Barack Obama investigate the project citing serious concerns over the existence of a close relationship between the Request for Comments RFC solicitor and its agents and the consultants who review and present formal comments about the Via Verde permit applications to the Government as well as an over concerns that Governor Luis Fortuno was using his influence to intervene in favor of the project when he asked to speak to the U S Secretary of the Department of the Interior Ken Salazar about Via Verde in a process that its already following its course and which did not correspond him to intervene 31 On 5 October 2011 AEE started the process of land expropriation even though the Puerto Rico government does not yet possess the necessary permits from the Federal authorities for the construction of the Gasoducto 32 2012 edit On 19 February 2012 a crowd numbering about 6 000 persons held a march in the capital city of San Juan Puerto Rico to protest the construction of Gasoducto del Norte a k a Via Verde 33 34 Simultaneous with the demonstration in San Juan another demonstration was held in New York City with the same purposes 35 On 11 March 2012 a block of concerned citizens set up a permanent encampment in front of the northern electric generating plant at Palo Seco one of those that would receive gas from the planned Gasoducto to protest the planned gas pipeline 36 On 30 May 2012 the Puerto Rico Senate started hearings on the Gasoducto del Norte and claims that it is not the only alternative to reduce the cost of electricity in Puerto Rico 11 On 11 October 2012 AEE officially withdrew the entire Via Verde permit application from the U S Army Corps of Engineers evaluation process thereby stalling approval of the proposed pipeline indefinitely 20 Route editThe proposed pipeline would distribute natural gas from the Costa Sur Sugar Plantation Penuelas Guayanilla area north to the Arecibo Cambalache plant and on to the Palo Seco and San Juan areas 37 The proposed route would cut through Puerto Rico s Cordillera Central and the northern Karst region It would cross 13 municipalities 1 Technical features editThe pipeline was to be operated by AEE 38 The gas to be transported by the pipeline will be supplied by a single supplier EcoElectrica 39 The pipeline will have a diameter of 24 inches 610 mm 40 Its original length was planned to be 92 miles 148 km but an October 2011 plan revision shows it may be changed to run closer to 100 miles 41 42 The Autoridad de Energia Electrica plans to convert several oil fired plants to natural gas starting with Costa Sur s units 5 and 6 which should be up and running December 2011 Subsequently AEE plants at Cambalache Palo Seco units 3 and 4 and San Juan units 5 through 10 will convert to natural gas in phases that as of August 2010 were scheduled to be completed by the end of 2011 43 According to documents from the U S Fish and Wildlife Service the proposed route for the Gasoducto del Norte crosses 235 rivers and brooks in addition to 1 4 million square meters of wetlands 18 Dr Arturo Massol Gonzalez 42 professor at the University of Puerto Rico 13 winner of the 2003 Goldman Environmental Prize 44 45 and director of Casa Pueblo 46 a community based environmental watchdog organization in Puerto Rico estimated that construction of the project would require the alteration of 8 2 million cubic meters of land 39 Controversies editA number of controversies surround this project The administration of governor Luis G Fortuno maintains that the Via Verde Pipeline will supply the island with a cleaner energy source while at the same time reducing the cost of generating electricity by up to 30 It has also estimated that Via Verde will reduce gas emissions by 60 while creating 5 000 direct and indirect jobs 43 47 Puerto Rico uses 36 000 GWh of electricity annually Current cost for 1 million British thermal units 1 1 GJ with petroleum burning is 12 25 With Via Verde the cost would be reduced to 5 15 according to government figures 48 But some have argued that politicians baptized the project as Via Verde Green Way to give the appearance that it is a good thing 40 Others like Casa Pueblo founder Alexis Massol have made reacted to the Via Verde Green Way name as a misnomer Via Verde was rumored to be a gas pipeline nothing green and nothing ecological 49 And some add that everything about the project is wrong beginning with Gov Fortuno s Orwellian name for the pipeline the Green Way Via Verde 50 A 5 October 2011 report in La Perla del Sur a Ponce Puerto Rico weekly stated that high ranking member of the political party that governor Luis Fortuno presides have broken ranks with the governor in favor of energy alternatives that are more efficient less costly and less intrusive on the environment 51 Environmental impact edit Some argue that Via Verde will negatively impact forest areas hydrographic basins lands fit for agriculture and the all important and endangered karstic region of northern Puerto Rico 52 53 It will also represent further dependence on another form of fossil fuel that while less polluting than the current oil based system of electricity generation will still contribute to global warming 54 55 In January 2012 environmentalist Bill McKibben presented his support against the Via Verde project and compared it to the halted Keystone XL pipeline project He stated Around the world the fossil fuel industry is carrying out its last desperate attempt to avoid the arrival of renewable energy and to ensure the existence of its dirty fuels They seem to be using their standard strategy in Puerto Rico as well to act quickly and with a minimum amount of review before the opposition has time to organize and bring out the truth 56 The Government on the other hand contends that the only forest affected will be the Bosque de Vega Baja English Vega Baja Forest where a 3 9 mile long trench will be carved 57 It also stated that the project will require the removal of 1 1 million cubic meters of land 58 The ex head of the Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources Daniel Pagan Rosa added that only one endangered species the guabairo will be affect by the construction of the pipeline 57 Pagan Rosa also added that the use of a Horizontal Directional Drilling will allow the construction of the pipeline 60 feet below the bottom of rivers 57 However during an official interview in Ponce on 22 March 2011 the Government admitted it did not have an erosion and landslide control plan 57 Cost of electricity edit The government s projections of cost reduction for consumers are also under fire AEE claims that there will be a 30 reduction in costs for electricity consumption However independent analysts estimate that this figure has been grossly exaggerated and that the real reduction in cost will be close to 18 much if not all of which will be cancelled out by market fluctuations in the price of gas and by the government s need to cover the cost of construction of the project 53 Some opponents such as Puerto Rican PNP Senator Larry Seilhamer Rodriguez argue that the project will not meet its primary objective of reducing electric rates to the Puerto Rican consumer One of the arguments of the Autoridad de Energia Electrica is that the cost of a kWh in Puerto Rico is 22 cents compared to the 22 coents cost in the United States But if we consider what they plan to offer in the electric bill we will see a reduction of 15 percent which means that instead of paying 22 cents per kWh we will be paying 18 or 19 cents and that is totally ineffective it is not competitive 18 The government s own data from reports to the Puerto Rico electric company s to its stockholders have confirmed that the pipeline will not reduce consumers electric bills 59 Still the government defends the project stating that with today s technology the cost to produce a kWh using renewable energy sources such as solar or wind is considerably more expensive than using traditional energy sources 57 However on 21 December 2011 Autoridad de Energia Electrica the government s Via Verde customer admitted that Via Verde will not lower consumers energy costs 60 Cost of the project edit The financing for the project is also under fire Those opposing the project ask If the project will be so good financially why is it that the Republican capitalistic administration of Governor Fortuno has not found a private investor to finance it And add that the so called capitalistic republicans now want to socialize the costs and privatize the profits 3 Pedro Jimenez retired engineering professor at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez argued that in the long run the project will cost from two and a half to three times the currently project cost of the AEE of 445 millions 61 In January 2012 Casa Pueblo estimated that the cost of the project considering payments to contractors of 800 million plus amortization over 30 years will be 3 billion USD 62 Proper infrastructure edit According to officials at EcoElectrica gas output at their facilities will not provide enough natural gas to power generators beyond Costa Sur 63 64 the first gas to electric conversion unit in the path of the pipeline and located in the municipality of Penuelas Opponents argue that building a pipeline when there is no gas makes no sense and are demanding that the government abandon the project altogether the admission by a high ranking officer of EcoElectrica to La Perla del Sur is a decisive and unequivocal confirmation that what we have been stating for months 65 Social effect edit It has been estimated that construction of the pipeline will affect 51 communities the campus of the University of Puerto Rico at Utuado and church and gas station entrances potentially affecting some 22 000 families The Government however states that the pipeline will be built at a prudent distance from communities Yet community leaders at Casa Pueblo explain that the pipeline will be run alongside roads including alongside the road in front of Levittown a community of 30 000 residents and the pipeline will run above ground in sections of PR 10 a road used by over 13 000 vehicles daily 66 Safety concerns edit In defense of the project its senior environmental advisor Daniel Pagan Rosa stated that the pipeline s safety system will be more sophisticated than those traditionally built in the United States He added that there will be two monitoring centers one in Ponce and one in San Juan s Monancillo area He also maintained that the system will be built to permit switching back to petroleum should a major disaster affect the pipeline 57 University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez engineering professor Pedro Jimenez expressed concerns over the safety of the project and its cost The pipeline will not be built to withstand a large earthquake let alone a tsunami like Japan s 61 Commenting in the aftermath of the effects of Hurricane Irene in Puerto Rico Jimenez said that the project represents a time bomb 67 The Puerto Rico College of Surgeons a professional organization covering all physicians licensed to practice in Puerto Rico approved a motion of support for a report by its Committee on Environmental Resources which pointed at the Gasoducto del Norte as a grave danger to public health 68 Also the Puerto Rico director of the Caribbean Tsunami Alert Program Crista Von Hillebrant confirmed to a local news weekly that EcoElectrica the only point of entry for the natural gas to be injected into the Gasoducto was located in a tsunami risk zone 57 Reportedly the Governor was quoted as saying that in case of an earthquake in Puerto Rico he would flee Old San Juan with his family and head to fort El Morro to stay clear of potential explosions in the gas pipelines of Old San Juan 69 Ethical issues edit The Government s motivations with the project have been questioned by several prominent individuals and organizations These revolve around accusations of governmental secrecy maneuvering manipulation and conflict of interests There have been accusations that Governor Luis Fortuno approved the projects to take place via a fast track and that government agencies are charging forward with the project without the proper involvement of non governmental parties Nevertheless the executive director of Puerto Rico s Office of Energy Affairs argues that AEE has been very open with the people in discussing the project and that within the available alternatives the gas pipeline is the one that makes most sense 4 In April 2012 Congressman Luis Gutierrez Olmedo qualified the actions of the U S Army Corps of Engineers USACOE as corruption and asked that any evaluation related to the Gasoducto project be immediately halted The USACOE does not have the moral capacity to supervise any permit for the Gasoducto they contaminated the process when the Government of Puerto Rico hired as an advisor BC Peabody a firm whose director is the former director of the Jacksonville Office of the Corps of Engineers He charged the Jacksonville Office with unethical practices and challenged the Office to react to the accusations 70 Secrecy and lack of popular involvement edit Despite the government s statements that the Gasoducto planning process is being done in a transparent manner there are those who feel the Government of Puerto Rico is not being totally open when it comes to revealing exactly what it is doing to inform the public about the Gasoducto Alexis Massol director of Casa Pueblo stated that Mr Alfred A Pantano head of the Jacksonville Florida U S Corps of Engineers office in change of reviewing the permit application from the Government of Puerto Rico ordered the transfer of the U S Corps of Engineers reviewing office from Puerto Rico to Florida USA provoking mistrust When Mr Pantano told the press that constructing a building has a greater impact than building a gas pipeline such comment provoked suspicion When Mr Pantano hides information from other federal agencies regarding the planned existence of 20 other hidden valves for the addition of other branch pipelines then he raises more suspicion greater mistrust and gives the appearance of a total fabrication 71 On 6 November 2011 Congressman Luis Gutierrez expressed having knowledge of contradictory statements coming out of Mr Pantano s office which raised great concern 72 On 11 November 2011 an investigation by the Ponce Puerto Rico based La Perla del Sur newsweekly found that allegations made to Noticentro by Governor Fortuno on 27 October 2011 which stated that it was necessary for his government to appropriate lands before qualifying for the permit by the U S Corps of Engineers USCE were denied by Barry Vorse the spokesperson for the USCE The director of Casa Pueblo complained that project consultants such as its head consultant Daniel Pagan Rosa continue lying about the permit process to save their 30 million dollar contracts 73 Governmental maneuvering edit In May 2011 the regional Jacksonville Florida office of the U S Corps of Engineers took over from the local San Juan Corps of Engineers office the permits application for construction of the gas pipeline The action was received with suspicion and criticized as having set a precedent in the way how the USACOE works where local permits are always managed by the office closest to where the application for permit if to be granted 74 Possible political manipulation edit With the completion of the project initially set to occur just two months prior to Governor Fortuno s re election bid in November 2012 National Public Radio has also wondered if the project may be politically motivated 13 Alternatives edit There have also been accusations that the government has not been forthcoming in its evaluations of alternatives to the gas pipeline In February 2012 a marine engineer from Excelerate Energy stated that there isn t a single impediment of significance be it structural or economic that would make it impossible for the electrical units on the north shore of Puerto Rico to connect to barges to receive natural gas and anyone stating the opposite doesn t know what he is talking about 75 This is contrary to what government spokesmen Miguel Cordero Lopez ex executive director of Autoridad de Energia Electrica and Daniel Pagan Rosa the government s lead advisor of the Via Verde project had been reporting for the last 17 months 75 The fact that Excelerate Energy signed a contract to supply liquid to gas natural gas conversion barges to the Autoridad de Energia Electrica s southern unit at Aguirre says Casa Pueblo founder Alexis Massol Gonzalez defeats the government s efforts to sell this absurd Gasoducto idea to the people 76 The government had claimed that off shore barges were not a viable alternative In an article titled Barcazas pueden sustituir Gasoducto del Norte Barges can substitute Gasoducto del Norte it was reported that barges are a viable alternative to the Gasoducto 77 On 30 May 2012 the Puerto Rico Senate held hearings on the project and found that the temporary transition to propane gas and the future delivery of natural gas via offshore vessels and submarine gas pipelines are viable alternatives both from the technical as well as the financial perspectives to the Gasoducto del Norte 78 Conflict of interests edit Congressman Luis Gutierrez has stated that the main contract for designing the pipeline has gone to a company which has admitted having no experience in designing gas pipelines and which is owned by the skiing partner of the sitting governor of Puerto Rico Luis Fortuno 79 See also editTimeline of Gasoducto del Norte project Jason Rodriguez Grafal Cronica de un proyecto manipulado La Perla del Sur Ponce Puerto Rico Year 30 Issue 1490 Pages 6 7 20 June 2012 Retrieved 20 June 2012 Video of Congressman Luis Gutierrez address before the U S CongressReferences edit a b Al relieve tras explosion Bajo fuego regulador de la Via Verde Reinaldo Millan La Perla del Sur Ponce Puerto Rico 22 September 2010 Page 17 Vol 28 No 1399 Retrieved 15 November 2011 Nueva trama ensombrece la Via Verde Omar Alfonso La Perla del Sur Ponce Puerto Rico 11 July 2012 Retrieved 17 July 2012 a b Cepeda Jose Raul 2 May 2011 Si en Puerto Rico existiera la democracia If democracy existed in Puerto Rico El Sur a la Vista in Spanish Retrieved 5 September 2011 a b c Se reafirma a favor del Gasoducto Jason Rodriguez Grafal La Perla del Sur Ponce Puerto Rico Retrieved 2 November 2011 Casa Pueblo Prueba inconsistencias de la Via Verde Reinaldo Millan La Perla del Sur Ponce Puerto Rico 15 September 2010 Year 28 No 1398 Page 18 Retrieved 15 November 2011 Entierra Barack Obama el oleoducto Omar Alfonso La Perla del Sur Ponce Puerto Rico 19 January 2012 Retrieved 20 January 2012 Via Verde no en el futuro cercano Omar Alfonso La Perla del Sur Ponce Puerto Rico 30 November 2011 Retrieved 30 November 2011 Se disuelve el apoyo PNP al gasoducto Reinaldo Millan and Omar Alfonso La Perla del Sur Ponce Puerto Rico 5 October 2011 Page 6 Retrieved 5 October 2011 A Casa Blanca polemica por el gasoducto La Perla del Sur Ponce Puerto Rico 5 October 2011 Page 4 Retrieved 5 October 2011 Reves de Via Verde Se funde plan para gasificar a Costa Sur Jason Rodriguez and Omar Alfonso La Perla del Sur Ponce Puerto Rico 25 May 2011 Retrieved 1 November 2011 a b Cae el miercoles otro pilar de Via Verde Omar Alfonso La Perla del Sur Ponce Puerto Rico Year 30 Issue 1487 Page 11 29 May 2012 Retrieved 4 June 2012 Energy Transition Rafael Hernandez Colon Caribbean Business 19 August 2010 Retrieved 6 September 2011 a b c Puerto Rican Governor Faces Opposition To Pipeline Greg Allen and Marisa Penaloza National Public Radio NPR News 25 August 2011 Retrieved 23 January 2012 a b El Gasoducto Via Verde The governor of Puerto Rico has proposed a natural gas pipeline project worth USD 450 million that would cut through the territory s most sensitive habitats The Hispanic Coalition NY Inc Retrieved 23 January 2012 Sin fecha para dictamen de Via Verde Jason Rodriguez Grafal La Perla del Sur Ponce Puerto Rico Year 30 Issue 1477 Page 8 21 March 2012 Retrieved 21 March 2012 AAA paga 14 200 mensuales por almacenar tubos no usados de Gasoducto del Sur Perla Franco Claridad San Juan Puerto Rico 18 October 2011 Retrieved 20 October 2011 Admite ejecutivo de la AEE Inicia la cuenta regresiva del gasoducto Jason Rodriguez and Omar Alfonso La Perla del Sur Ponce Puerto Rico 23 March 2011 Retrieved 1 November 2011 a b c Advierte Seilhamer Ficcion hacer el gasoducto en 12 meses Omar Alfonso La Perla del Sur Ponce Puerto Rico Retrieved 2 November 2011 Fortuno y Comite descartan la ViaVerde Omar Alfonso La Perla del Sur Ponce Puerto Rico Year 30 Issue 1490 Page 4 Retrieved 20 June 2012 a b Items of Interest Via Verde Natural Gas Pipeline U S Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville Florida Website Retrieved 14 November 2012 a b c Los hombres del gasoducto Gerardo E Alvarado Leon El Nuevo Dia San Juan Puerto Rico 7 April 2011 Retrieved 20 October 2011 A todo Vapor el Cambio a Gas Natural Yanira Hernandez Cabiya El Nuevo Dia San Juan Puerto Rico Retrieved 20 October 2011 No ayuda el gasoducto a una politica energetica saludable para Puerto Rico Perla Franco Claridad San Juan Puerto Rico 16 July 2008 Retrieved 20 October 2011 Lo llaman Via Verde De Penuelas a Catano el nuevo gasoducto La Perla del Sur Ponce Puerto Rico Retrieved 20 October 2011 Includes the 27 page presentation by Gov Luis Fortuno titled Via Verde Una nueva era energetica and 7 images of visuals that include two charts by Daniel Pagan Rosa principal project consultant from a presentation made to the Penuelas Municipal Assembly AAA paga 14 200 mensuales por almacenar tubos no usados de Gasoducto del Sur Perla Franco Claridad San Juan Puerto Rico 18 October 2011 Retrieved 20 October 2011 Convocan a marcha contra la Via Verde Gasoducto del Norte Primera Hora San Juan Puerto Rico 8 September 2010 Retrieved 23 January 2012 Populares unidos para la marcha contra Via Verde El Sur a la Vista Ponce Puerto Rico 28 April 2011 Retrieved 23 January 2012 Agencias federales Objetan al proyecto Via Verde Jason Rodriguez Grafal La Perla del Sur Ponce Puerto Rico 27 December 2010 Retrieved 1 November 2011 Recomienda EPA que no se apruebe el permiso al Gasoducto del Norte Jason Rodriguez and Omar Alfonso La Perla del Sur Ponce Puerto Rico 2 November 2011 Page 6 Retrieved 30 November 2011 Ven peligroso e innecesario el gasoducto desde Washington DC Omar Alfonso El Sur a la Vista Ponce Puerto Rico 7 June 2011 Retrieved 12 October 2011 A Casa Blanca polemica por el gasoducto Omar Alfonso El Sur a la Vista Ponce Puerto Rico 5 October 2011 Page 4 Retrieved 12 October 2011 En 14 dias expropiaciones del gasoducto Omar Alfonso and Jason Rodriguez El Sur a la Vista Ponce Puerto Rico 11 October 2011 Retrieved 12 October 2011 Masiva marcha contra el gasoducto en San Juan Leysa Caro Gonzalez Primera Hora San Juan Puerto Rico 19 February 2012 Retrieved 12 March 2012 Culmina la marcha en contra del gasoducto Daniel Rivera Vargas El Nuevo Dia San Juan Puerto Rico 19 February 2012 Retrieved 12 March 2012 Contagia a NY protesta contra Via Verde Omar Alfonso La Perla del Sur Ponce Puerto Rico 15 February 2012 Retrieved 12 March 2012 Redobla el norte lucha contra Via Verde Omar Alfonso La Perla del Sur Ponce Puerto Rico 9 March 2012 Retrieved 12 March 2012 Two towns support Via Verde project Puerto Rico Daily Sun Archived from the original on 23 July 2011 Retrieved 15 August 2010 Se reafirma a favor del Gasoducto Jason Rodriguez Grafal La Perla del Sur Ponce Puerto Rico Retrieved 6 September 2011 a b Bosques en la ruta del gasoducto Casa Pueblo realiza un analisis tecnico del proyecto Gerardo E Alvarado Leon El Nuevo Dia San Juan Puerto Rico 18 August 2010 Retrieved 2 November 2011 a b Oculta el gasoducto su avance en Utuado Omar Alfonso La Perla del Sur Ponce Puerto Rico 26 October 2011 Retrieved 26 October 2011 Mas largo y caro el Gasoducto del Norte Omar Alfonso La Perla del Sur Ponce Puerto Rico 16 October 2011 Retrieved 27 October 2011 a b Crece en tamano y factura el Gasoducto Omar Alfonso La Perla del Sur Ponce Puerto Rico 19 October 2011 Retrieved 2 November 2011 Page 6 a b PR Gov Fortuno Green Lights Natural Gas Pipeline Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration 10 August 2010 Retrieved 6 September 2011 Massol El pais necesita este sacrificio Omar Alfonso La Perla del Sur Ponce Puerto Rico 7 September 2011 Retrieved 2 November 2011 Ilegales los emplazamientos de Via Verde Omar Alfonso La Perla del Sur Ponce Puerto Rico 2 November 2011 Retrieved 2 November 2011 Conmueven amigos a Alexis Massol Sandra Torres Guzman La Perla del Sur Ponce Puerto Rico Volume 30 Issue 1482 Page 28 25 April 2012 Retrieved 25 April 2012 Energy Transition Rafael Hernandez Colon Caribbean Business Retrieved 6 September 2011 Colon Raul Natural gas proposal has pros and cons Puerto Rico Daily Sun Archived from the original on 23 July 2011 Retrieved 15 August 2010 La muerte de la serpiente Vivien Mattei Colon La Perla del Sur Ponce Puerto Rico 15 February 2012 Retrieved 5 March 2012 Green Party supports protesters opposing massive Via Verde gas pipeline through Puerto Rico Scott McLarty and Starlene Rankin The Green Party 25 May 2011 Retrieved 23 January 2012 Se disuelve el apoyo PNP al gasoducto Reinaldo Millan and Omar Alfonso La Perla del Sur Ponce Puerto Rico 5 October 2011 Page 6 Retrieved 2 November 2011 Proposed Puerto Rican pipeline a threat to mountains and rainforests Congressional Record Volume 157 Number 59 Wednesday 4 May 2011 U S House of Representatives pp H3003 H3008 Retrieved 6 September 2011 a b Casa Pueblo Documento cientifico sobre el gasoducto Casa Pueblo Informacion sobre Puerto Rico y sus Luchas Retrieved 6 September 2011 Bosques en la ruta del gasoducto Gerardo E Alvarado Leon El Nuevo Dia San Juan Puerto Rico Published 18 August 2010 Retrieved 30 November 2011 Manati Manati Retrieved 6 September 2011 Mas presion de Keystone a Via Verde English Greater pressure from Keystone on Via Verde La Perla del Sur Ponce Puerto Rico Published 19 January 2012 Retrieved 20 January 2012 a b c d e f g Daniel Pagan Rosa Defiende a capa y espada el proyecto La Perla del Sur Ponce Puerto Rico 23 March 2011 Page 6 Retrieved 7 November 2011 Daniel Pagan Rosa Defiende a capa y espada el proyecto La Perla del Sur Ponce Puerto Rico 23 March 2011 Retrieved 7 November 2011 Admite AEE Via Verde no bajara costos Ely Acevedo Denis Noticel La Perla del Sur 21 December 2011 Year 30 Issue 1464 Page 12 Retrieved 6 February 2012 Admite AEE Via Verde no bajara costos Ely Acevedo Denis Noticel La Perla del Sur Ponce Puerto Rico 21 December 2011 Retrieved 5 March 2012 a b Cierran filas en contra del gasoducto Jason Rodriguez Grafal La Perla del Sur Ponce Puerto Rico 3 August 2011 Page 4 Retrieved 2 November 2011 Via Verde un negocio de 3 mil millones Omar Alfonso La Perla del Sur Ponce PuertO Rico Retrieved 20 January 2012 El Gasoducto Via Verde The governor of Puerto Rico has proposed a natural gas pipeline project worth 450 million that would cut through the territory s most sensitive habitats The Hispanic Coalition NY Inc Retrieved 6 September 2011 Includes a news video strip from WAPA TV EcoElectrica expansion to meet Via Verde gas needs John Marino Caribbean Business 2 June 2011 Vol 39 No 21 Retrieved 6 September 2011 Ratifican las denuncias de Casa Pueblo Omar Alfonso y Jason Rodriguez La Perla del Sur Ponce Puerto Rico Retrieved 14 November 2011 Casa Pueblo Documento cientifico sobre el gasoducto Casa Pueblo Adjuntas Puerto Rico Reprinted by Red Betances Informacion sobre Puerto Rico y sus luchas Retrieved 2 November 2011 Irene expone los riesgos del gasoducto La Perla del Sur Ponce Puerto Rico 24 August 2011 Retrieved 4 November 2011 Colegio de Medicos rechaza el gasoducto Jason Rodriguez Grafal La Perla del Sur Ponce Puerto Rico Retrieved 4 November 2011 Derrumbe predice el futuro de ViaVerde Omar Alfonso La Perla del Sur Ponce Puerto Rico 29 March 2012 Retrieved 30 March 2012 A todo vapor tramites de Via Verde Omar Alfonso La Perla del Sur Ponce Puerto Rico Year 30 Issue 1482 Page 10 25 April 2012 Nueva alianza nacional contra el gasoducto El Sur a la Vista Ponce Puerto Rico 7 November 2011 Retrieved 9 November 2011 Sospecha aceleran permiso a Via Verde Omar Alfonso La Perla del Sur Ponce Puerto Rico Page 10 9 November 2011 Retrieved 9 November 2011 Cuerpo de Ingenieros refuta a Fortuno Jason Rodriguez and Omar Alfonso La Perla del Sur Ponce Puerto Rico 11 November 2011 Retrieved 14 November 2011 Golpe de Estado al proceso de permiso para la aprobacion del Gasoducto del Norte IndyMediaPR Org Centro de Medios Independientes de Puerto Rico 9 May 2011 Retrieved 23 December 2012 a b Al descubierto otra mentira de Via Verde Omar Alfonso La Perla del Sur Ponce Puerto Rico Retrieved 6 February 2012 AEE contrata barcazas para suplir gas Omar Alfonso La Perla del Sur Ponce Puerto Rico 28 December 2011 Year 30 Issue 1465 Page 10 Retrieved 6 February 2012 Barcazas pueden sustituir a Via Verde Omar Alfonso La Perla del Sur Ponce Puerto Rico 7 February 2012 Year 30 Issue 1471 Page 6 Retrieved 8 February 2012 Sentenciado a muerte el Gasoducto Omar Alfonso La Perla del Sur Ponce Puerto Rico 6 June 2012 Year 30 Number 1488 Page 4 Retrieved 6 June 2012 They Are Violating All the Rules Rep Luis Gutierrez Calls for Public Hearings Impact Studies into Massive Gas Pipeline for Puerto Rico DemocracyNow org 12 May 2011 Retrieved 23 January 2012 External links editOfficial Site Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Via Verde project amp oldid 1146445474, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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