- The move temporarily waives the Jones Act, which permits only U.S. flagged vessels to complete maritime cargo transport between U.S. ports.
- Hurricane Fiona hit Puerto Rico in September, at one point knocking out power across the entire island as it hammered the power grid.
- Mayorkas noted in the Sunday announcement that the granted waiver was decided upon with input from Pierluisi as well as the Transportation and Energy departments.
Liquefied natural gas will be delivered to Puerto Rico while it recovers from Hurricane Fiona according to a temporary suspension of U.S. cargo transport regulations issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Sunday as reported by The Hill.
Jonas act
The Jones Act, which only allows vessels flying the American flag to transfer nautical cargo between U.S. ports, is temporarily waived as a result of this action.
In the immediate wake of the hurricane, Alejandro Mayorkas, secretary of homeland security, gave his approval for a comparable waiver to meet the island’s fuel and petroleum requirements.
When Hurricane Fiona struck Puerto Rico in September, the power grid was severely damaged, and at one time the whole island lost power.
Hurricane Fiona
Mayorkas stated in a statement from the Homeland Security Department, “I have approved a temporary and targeted Jones Act waiver to address the unique and urgent need for liquified natural gas in Puerto Rico. This is in support of the Puerto Rican people as they continue to recover from Hurricane Fiona.”
According to tweets from the governor, Pedro Pierluisi, the U.S. territory’s governor requested the waiver on Friday “to enable for a natural gas barge from the Dominican Republic” to arrive on the island and pressed for quick approval to keep Puerto Rico’s EcoEléctrica plant operating.
Mayorkas stated in the announcement made on Sunday that Pierluisi, the Transportation and Energy departments, as well as other stakeholders, contributed to the decision to give the waiver.
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Source: The Hill
