The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) will no longer monitor water resources in Puerto Rico because the island’s government owes it $2 million.

The USGS will stop operating up to 177 hydrologic stations within two weeks, by July 1. This will affect the monitoring of water quality, and stop the issuance of USGS flood warnings throughout the island.

Flood monitoring is a serious issue in Puerto Rico. In 1998, Hurricane Georges inflicted over $2 billion worth of damage on the island. In 2008, two feet of rain drenched Puerto Rico within a 24-hour period. In April 2016, severe flooding left several highly-populated areas under four feet of water.

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/weather/storms/2008-09-22-puerto-rico-flooding-rains_N.htm

THE U.S. GOVERNMENT REVEALS ITS AGENDA

The USGS is a part of the US federal government…a bureau within the U.S. Department of the Interior.

The federal government is well aware that July 1 is the deadline, for Puerto Rico to pay $2 billion in outstanding bond debt.

The USGS insistence on receiving $2 million by July 1, is a blatant effort by the U.S. federal government to prioritize its financial interests over the pension systems of Puerto Rico and the U.S., and the bond creditors of Puerto Rico.

In effect, the U.S. federal government is saying “PAY ME, or your water may become contaminated and floods might smother your island…and we will do nothing about it.”

This is not the action of a friendly or supportive government. 

HYPOCRISY OF THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

There is also a blatant hypocrisy at the highest levels of the US Dept. of the Interior.

On April 1, 2016, the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Sally Jewell, made a highly-publicized visit to the island.

https://waragainstallpuertoricans.com/2016/04/05/us-government-warns-puerto-rico-we-might-take-your-land-and-we-feel-very-bad-about-it/

She visited La Perla and expressed concern for its residents.

She held a press conference to denounce “Republican Financial Control Board legislation,” and to protect “the wildlife of Puerto Rico from private developers.”

She released a written statement, declaring that Puerto Rico must receive “the tools it needs to address the economic crisis, restructure its debt, support reform and enable growth.”

The statement also declared that the Dept. of the Interior, and the entire Obama administration, would bring the “full capabilities of the Executive branch to bear in providing assistance to speed Puerto Rico’s economic recovery.”

Jewell also met with the Conservation Trust of Puerto Rico to “discuss progress on environmental and education projects across the island.”

http://cb.pr/us-secretary-of-the-interior-jewell-visits-puerto-rico/

In the end, this was all a hoax…an April Fool joke.

The USGS threats are clearly not “providing assistance and economic recovery.” They are not helping with “environmental and education projects.” They are demanding $2 million, and hijacking the water management system of Puerto Rico, until they get it.

Sally Jewell, the Department of the Interior, and the USGS have openly demanded an immediate payment of $2 million from a Commonwealth government that has no cash reserves, and a crushing debt payment of $2 billion in exactly two weeks.

Otherwise they will allow the island’s water supply to deteriorate, and allow floods to overrun the island…without lifting a finger to prevent it.

This is a disgrace.