College of Engineers and Surveyors works on ‘coherent reconstruction plan’
The Puerto Rico College of Engineers and Surveyors has constituted a permanent assembly until the critical stage of the emergency left by the earthquakes is over, organization president Juan Alicea-Flores said.
“The organization is collecting key data and evaluating it, to determine the state of structures and infrastructure and the possibility of restoration,” said Alice, a former executive director of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority.
“Above all, we have to establish a plan with set priorities. We cannot go on with inefficient models of the past that do not support our infrastructure and our growth,” said Alicea.
“It is our expertise — the engineers and surveyors — that is essential to assess the damage to our infrastructure and our essential water and energy services systems,” Alicea said.
The trade group known as the CIAPR in Spanish, is coordinating efforts to determine the status of structures, roads and bridges, systems to generate water and power, and the environment post-earthquakes, he said.
“We have inserted ourselves in the process and our voice will be present to ensure that construction and planning errors that lead to results like those we’re experiencing today are not repeated,” Alicea added.
CIAPR members who will be in charge of the efforts are: Robzeida Rosa-Berríos, public structures and buildings; Faustino González-Quiles, energy; José Luis Flores-Molina, roads and bridges; Eli Diaz-Atienza, current executive director of the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority, will oversee water-related initiatives; and, Hannah Rodríguez, environment.
The group also named Nelson Mattei-González as the permanent liaison between the CIAPR and the Emergency Management Office. It also activated the Earthquake Committee under the direction of Felix Rivera, as well as the Ponce and Mayagüez chapters to manage emergency-related matters.
“We assume this responsibility and that commitment, and we will ensure that the people are educated about how the island should be rebuilt and has reliable data at hand,” he added.
Each of the appointed members will be in charge of collecting the data corresponding to the state of structure and systems to assist in their evaluation and accelerate the recovery process in accordance with the established priorities, the organization said.
