[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 127 (Wednesday, August 2, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1593]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                   VIEQUES LANDS TRANSFER ACT OF 1995

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                     HON. CARLOS A. ROMERO-BARCELO

                             of puerto rico

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, August 2, 1995
  Mr. ROMERO-BARCELO. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing the Vieques 
Lands Transfer Act of 1995. The purpose of this legislation is to 
authorize and direct the transfer of certain lands on the Island of 
Vieques, Puerto Rico, to the Municipality of Vieques for public 
purposes which benefit the people of the island.
  The Island of Vieques is located in the Caribbean Sea, approximately 
6 miles east from the eastern coast of Puerto Rico and 22 miles 
southwest of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Vieques is a long narrow 
island nearly 22 miles long and 4.5 miles wide at its widest point. It 
has an area of about 33,000 acres or 51 square miles of land and, 
according to the 1990 census, a population of 8,602. The island's two 
towns, Isabel Segunda and Esperanza, have populations of 1,702 and 
1,656, respectively. The other residents are classified as rural 
inhabitants. Vieques is a civilian municipality of the Commonwealth of 
Puerto Rico and is divided into seven wards--barrios.
  The Navy and Marine Corps conduct Atlantic Fleet training and 
readiness exercises at the Puerto Rico-Virgin Island complex known as 
the Atlantic Fleet Weapons Training Range [AFWTR]. Headquartered at 
Roosevelt Roads Naval Station in Ceiba, PR, the complex consists of 
four ranges: the inner range on the east end of Vieques; the outer 
range which is an easterly ocean range extending both north and south 
of Puerto Rico; the underwater tracking range at St. Croix, VI; and an 
electronic warfare range which overlaps all of the ranges.
  On Vieques, but outside the inner range, is the Naval Ammunition 
Facility [NAF] which occupies the entire range of the civilian zone--
approximately 8,000 acres. The Navy uses this facility for deep storage 
of conventional ammunition. Ships delivering the ordnance dock at 
Mosquito Pier, located on the northern coast of the NAF. From there, it 
is transported by truck to bunkers distributed throughout the NAF. Most 
of the ammunition is destined for off-island use by the Navy, the 
Marines and the Puerto Rican National Guard. Occasionally, ammunition 
is transferred overland from the NAF to the ground maneuver area 
located east of the civilian zone. At present, training exercises are 
not carried out at the NAF.
  Since the 1940's, when the U.S. Navy acquired 78 percent--
approximately 26,000 of 33,000 acres--of Vieques' territory, the island 
has suffered a prolonged and ever-increasing economic crisis and a 
massive out-migration. From a population of around 15,000 in the 
1940's, Vieques currently has 8,602 inhabitants. An unemployment rate 
higher than 50 percent, lack of adequate housing, health, educational 
facilities, and a growing crime rate are among the clearest 
manifestations of the critical economic situation on Vieques. According 
to the 1990 census, the per-capita income in the island was $2,997, and 
the Viequense families with an income below the established poverty 
level reached 70 percent in 1989.
  Women must be flown by emergency plane to the main island of Puerto 
Rico to give birth
 due to the poor conditions of Vieques' hospital. The island also 
suffers from the highest rate of broken families among Puerto Rico's 78 
municipalities.

  In the late 1970's, Viequense fishermen spearheaded a drive to stop 
the bombing on the island and end restrictions on fishing. Many of them 
were arrested.
  In 1980, our colleague from California and now ranking minority 
member of the House National Security Committee, Congressman Ron 
Dellums, directed a House Armed Services Committee panel review of the 
naval training activities on the island of Vieques. This panel 
concluded in its final report to the committee that the Navy ``should 
locate an alternative site'' and that ``[i]n the interim, the Navy 
should make every effort to work closely with the Commonwealth of 
Puerto Rico in implementing programs to alleviate the impact of its 
activities and in particular explore turning over additional land to 
the island for civilian use.''
  In 1983, while Governor of Puerto Rico, I signed an agreement with 
the Department of the Navy whereby the Puerto Rican Government agreed 
to drop all litigations in court against the military for ecological 
and economic damage on Vieques in exchange of a Navy commitment to 
mitigate the ecological impact of their activities and help with local 
economic development. All of the economic projects set up in Vieques 
with assistance from the Navy closed down within 1 or 2 years after 
initiating operations.
  Lack of control of over two-thirds of the island by the municipal 
government is widely recognized as the principal cause of Vieques' 
economic and social woes. Trying to find a solution to the current 
problems, the local planning board and the municipal government, in 
close coordination with the government of Puerto Rico and the State 
legislature have designed and commenced the implementation of a tourism 
industry strategy. But the truth of the fact is that this gloomy 
economic picture can only be improved if and when the municipal 
government of Vieques acquires sufficient lands to develop the required 
infrastructure for the implementation of the tourism industry strategy.
  My bill would transfer the 8,000 acres of land that currently 
comprise the NAF to the municipal government of Vieques. The transfer 
would take place only after the municipality submits to the Secretary 
of Defense a detailed plan of the public purposes for which the 
conveyed property will be used--such as housing, schools, hospitals, 
libraries, parks and recreation, agriculture, conservation and economic 
development--and such plan is approved by the committees with 
jurisdiction in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate.
  The eastern part of Vieques, which comprises approximately 15,000 
acres, would still remain U.S. Navy property. This means that, even 
with the adoption of this bill, the Navy would still control nearly 
half of the island.
  Puerto Rico has a long and proud tradition of supporting national 
defense. This has been shown time and time again as hundreds of 
thousands of Puerto Ricans have demonstrated their valor and patriotism 
through service in the U.S. Armed Forces. Today, more than ever, we 
stand ready to assume an even bigger role in the defense and values for 
which our Nation stands.
  This bill is in no way contrary to that tradition, but rather one 
that I believe provides a solution which will be beneficial for both 
the people of Vieques and the U.S. Navy. I am hopeful that it will 
receive favorable congressional action at an early date.


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