NEW LIFE FOR THE MARTIN PENA CHANNEL
THE URBAN WATERS FEDERAL PARTNERSHIP
ABOUT THE URBAN WATERS FEDERAL
PARTNERSHIP
The Martin Pena Channel is one of NUMBER
locations selected for help from the nation's new
Urban Waters Federal Partnership, This partnership
will reconnect urban communities, particularly those
that are overburdened or economically distressed,
with their waterways by improving coordination
among federal agencies and collaborating with
community-led revitalization efforts to improve our
Nation's water systems and promote their economic,
environmental and social benefits. Specifically, the
Urban Waters Federal Partnership will:
•	Break down federal program silos to promote
more efficient and effective use of federal
resources through better coordination and
targeting of federal investments.
•	Recognize and build on local efforts and
leadership, by engaging and serving community
partners.
•	Work with local officials and effective
community-based organizations to leverage
area resources and stimulate local economies to
create local jobs.
•	Learn from early and visible victories to fuel
long-term action.
Led by these federal agencies and coordinated by
the White House Domestic Policy Council, the Urban
Waters Federal Partnership closely aligns with and
advances the work of the White House's place-
based efforts, including the Partnership for
Sustainable Communities, to revitalize
communities, create jobs and improve the quality of
life in cities and towns across the nation. The Urban
Waters Federal Partnership also advances the work
of the America's Great Outdoors Initiative
(http://americasareatoutdoors.gov/).
For more information, visit www.urbanwaters.gov
ABOUT THE MARTIN PENA PARTNERSHIP
The Martin Pena Channel Urban Waters Federal
Partnership seeks to make significant contributions
to the health and welfare of the approximately
27,000 residents of the area.
WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW
In an effort to improve water quality, make public
access safe, and restore the watershed's
ecosystem, here are some federal and/or local
projects the Partnership is currently engaged in:
Martin Pena Ecosystem Restoration Project -The
Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers and other federal partners are
currently evaluating a feasibility report and
preliminary draft environmental impact statement
prepared by our local partner: "Proyecto Enlace del
Cano Martin Pena" (Enlace). These documents are
the result of extensive efforts led by Enlace, a public
corporation of the Government of Puerto Rico. This
is the first step towards achieving a major dredging
project to restore water flow within the channel,
which should result in significant improvements in
water quality within the San Juan Bay Estuary.
Martin Pena Health Study- The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) facilitated a
cooperative agreement between Enlace and local
academia partners (The Ponce School of Medicine
and the University of Puerto Rico), leading to the
conduction of the first ever environmental health
studies at the Martin Pena communities. The studies
are determining the possible effects of repeated
exposure to contaminated waters and sediments by
area residents.
Public Education and Outreach- A major
undertaking at the site is the education of residents
on the risks associated with the contact of
contaminated flood waters. Of particular importance
is education of school age children, who sometimes
need to wade through floodwaters to return home
after rainfall events, and are often seen playing in
the flooded streets. Preliminary results from the
environmental health studies show that the
incidence rates for asthma and dermatitis in the
pediatric population of the area exceed those for the
rest of the nation by far. With assistance from an
Urban Waters Program grant, our local partner is
implementing innovative outreach methods to reach
this population, such as plays and urban music.
ABOUT THE COMMUNITY AND THE MARTIN PENA CHANNEL
The Martin Pena Channel is a 3.75 miles long tidal channel located within
the San Juan Bay National Estuary in Puerto Rico. During the early 20th
century, substandard dwellings were built within the mangrove wetlands
bordering the channel, using refuse and debris as fill material. Over 3,000
structures now discharge raw sewage into the remains of the channel.
Incompetent and poorly maintained sewer systems result in flooding,
regularly exposing 27,000 residents to sewage polluted waters and
sediments.

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For more information on the Martin
Pena Channel Urban Waters Federal
Partnership, please contact:
Jose M. Soto
(787) 977-5829
soto.jose@epa.gov
Cyndy Kopitsky
(212) 637-3832
kopitsky.cyndy@epa.gov
WHAT'S NEXT
Additional partnerships - While the need to
dredge Martin Pena channel remains at the core of
the issues surrounding the project area, significant
obstacles must be overcome before the dredging
project can start. The designation of Martin Pena as
an Urban Waters Federal Partnership Site should
result in an escalation of federal activities in the
area. Among the activities planned, the partnership
will convene a series of meetings with stakeholders
to discuss the issues, exchange information and
examine potential solutions to the complex
socioeconomic issues surrounding the
environmental situation of the area. These
discussions will allow us to identify potential
partnerships that can be convened amongst the
federal and local governments, as well as with
stakeholders from the private enterprise.
THE URBAN WATERS FEDERAL PARTNERSHIP
The partnership includes: U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Department of the Army (Army Corps of
Engineers), U.S. Department of Commerce (Economic
Development Administration and National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration), Corporation for National
and Community Service, U.S. Department of Education,
U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention and National Institute of Environmental
Health Sciences), U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development, U.S. Department of the Interior
and U.S. Department of Transportation

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