Resident Commissioner introduces bill to evaluate the impacts of coastal erosion

June 11, 2025

Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández Rivera, member of the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources, introduced the Puerto Rico Business & Economic Assessment of Coastal Hazards and Erosion Study Act—also known as the Puerto Rico BEACHES Act—along with the Democratic leader of the Natural Resources Committee, Jared Huffman. 

The Puerto Rico BEACHES Act would direct the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to evaluate the economic and environmental impacts of coastal erosion along Puerto Rico’s coasts and propose federal recommendations to help local communities, tourism, fisheries, and small businesses affected by climate change-induced erosion.  

"For too long, we’ve underestimated how much our economy depends on the sand beneath our feet. When our beaches erode, our tourism jobs disappear, our businesses suffer, and our coastal communities lose the natural protections they’ve relied on for generations. The Puerto Rico BEACHES Act is about gathering the facts, understanding the stakes, and preparing a serious, science-based response,” said the Resident Commissioner. 

Huffman, for his part, acknowledged that in Puerto Rico, beaches, wetlands, and coastal communities are disappearing under rising sea levels, stronger storms, and years of uncontrolled and unregulated development.    

“The BEACHES Act will help chart a course toward a more resilient, just, and sustainable future for the island. These beaches belong to the people of Puerto Rico, and Congress has a responsibility to listen and act accordingly,” Huffman added. 

Puerto Rico’s coastline stretches for almost 700 miles, and approximately two-thirds of the island’s 3.2 million residents live in coastal areas. More than 20% of them reside in high-risk flood zones, and a recent study revealed that over 60 miles of coastline have receded due to worsening erosion. 

According to a statement, the Puerto Rico BEACHES Act underscores the urgent need to evaluate and mitigate the threats that coastal erosion poses for Puerto Rico's economy, infrastructure, and natural resources. The study would be conducted alongside local agencies, including the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, the Department of Economic Deveopment, and the Puerto Rico Tourism Company.


Source: El Vocero