Light Pollution in Puerto Rico: Proposed Amendments to Regulation 8493 of the Environmental Quality Board
Light pollution in Puerto Rico has increased drastically in the past few decades. As a result, the Legislative Assembly approved Act 105-2014, that amends Act 218-2008, as amended, also known as the "Light Pollution Control and Prevention Act". The amendments included in Act 105 facilitated the adoption process for the regulation to control the light pollution in Puerto Rico. As a consequence, the Environmental Quality Board (hereinafter, “EQB”) approved Regulation No. 8493 of June 27, 2014, also known as the Regulation for Control and Prevention of Light Pollution (hereinafter, “Regulation”).
Nevertheless, the EQB felt the need to reevaluate the Regulation and, in August of 2015, the agency continued the discussion by proposing a new regulation. The proposed regulation seeks to incorporate various new provisions in compliance with Act 105-2014, and with the Environmental Public Policy Act. Also, this proposed regulation sets the standards, measures and permissible methods for the emission of artificial illumination to the night skies, to avoid and mitigate light pollution on the island and its impacts on the urban, rural and natural environments, and to reduce its impact to the enjoyment of the property by intrusion of unwanted light, among other purposes.
Although the precise date isn’t available yet, the proposed regulation is set to be soon approved by the EQB.
For more information on the current regulation to control and prevent light pollution, please visit: http://tinyurl.com/Regulation8493-27June2014-Sp