For the past several years the Electrical Authority has been repeatedly spraying 'Round Up' in a 20' wide strip on the paths it uses to access their pipeline on the South side of the rainforest. Their path crosses the Sabana River, the Icacos River and the Rio Prieto. They access this path from the end of road #191 up the south side of the El Yunque Mountains, above Naguabo. They use these waters to generate electricity hydro-electrically at the Florida station. Their need to walk on this path is sometimes daily, but there is no excuse to resort to defoliants to keep a 20-40 foot wide swath free of growth.

• I think it is unnecessary to state that defoliants, even in small amounts, cause cancer.

• The photos below say it all! They have been spraying plants on the very edge of the rivers and the lake on the Rio Icacos. Which insures that it gets into the rivers and causes ecological havoc.

These waters are used for drinking! in Culebra, Vieques, Roosevelt Roads and other locations!

The photo at right shows the dam on the Rio Icacos with the dead plants that were sprayed with 'Round Up' right at the edge of the lake and river, in fact hanging over the water! These hikers are still checking on the spraying and will report to this webpage whenever the Electric Authority sprays again. More photos of the damage and how beautiful it looked before.

• Pablo Cruz (the supervisor of the Caribbean National Forest) says: "The use of Round Up is prohibited in the Caribbean National Forest."....."The Electrical Authority has been warned and now must be made to stop." ..."Defoliant use is condemned, it is not an acceptable practice and is totally prohibited!"

Pedro Rios sends us an email that states the following. He writes: "Mrs. Harley .. First, thank you for having CNF information on your website. We provide two updates for information.

............................" I am Pedro Rios and state about the use of Pesticides that " Our Land and Resource Management Plan does not allow for pesticides use.

I am providing the following name and address of the PREPA's accountable office:

Mr. Angel L. Rivera Santana Director, Planning and Environmental Protection PO Box 364267 San Juan, PR 00936-4267

We address our letters to this office. Community involvement is essential. thanks in advance Pedro Rios Ecosystem Management Team Leader Natural Resources Staff Officer 787-888-5655 fax 787-888-5685 prios@fs.fed.us .......................................................

Official complaints with the Puerto Rico Junta de Calidad Ambiental (querella # QAG-98-53-0129) has brought no action whatsover. They have sent two letters informing me that when they went to see the damage the Electrical Authority Engineer didn't show up so they could do nothing. and now they write that they have 'checked' on the issue and everythign is allright....... Do they mean to say that it is 'allright to spray defoliants everywhere"? .. meanwhile the Electric Authority continues pouring defoliants into the rain forest. Gee..... who cares?

The EPA found " No problem" really? what a joke.