Groundwater disaster in Puerto Rico - The need for environmental education

Puerto Rico is facing a serious dilemma because economic development direct ly conflicts with environmental health interests. The Puerto Rican governme nt claims that American pharmaceutical companies, whose numbers are growing in Puerto Rico, have released toxic chemicals that have contaminated the g roundwater, not only causing a widespread environmental problem, but also r aising concern about the potential negative effects on the health of the po pulation. The United States argues that the presence of the pharmaceutical companies has been essential in leading the Puerto Rican people out of thei r financial misery of a few decades ago. This paper takes a look at the cul tural matrix of Puerto Rico, explains the importance of the industrializati on, outlines the extent of the groundwater contamination problem: and discu sses different avenues by which the Puerto Rican people can be informed of the environmental hazards they face.