Talk:Vieques, Puerto Rico

Proposed Literary Section

Perhaps someone more knowledgeable than I in 20th century literature set in the Caribbean could add a few interesting lines about the role Vieques had in various authors' novels. For example, Hunter Thompson's the Rum Diary includes a few chapters describing Vieques in the late 1950's and the author's time spent on the island. Interesting perspective on the Navy's presence and the indigenous locals take on things. It would make the article more interesting at the very least.

Neutrality

The POV of the History section is questionable, as tenuous facts and assertions abound in what seems an attempt to vilify the U.S. Navy's presence on the island. Better, more-neutral sources (as opposed to an anti-Navy site and a socialist worker's website would help. - Mustang dvs 02:20, 24 March 2006 (UTC)

Congressional Research Service Report RS20458

The Congressional Research Service (CRS), known as "Congress's think tank", is the public policy research arm of the United States Congress. As a legislative branch agency within the Library of Congress, CRS works exclusively and directly for Members of Congress, their Committees and staff on a confidential, nonpartisan basis.

Reports by the Congressional Research Service, usually referred to as CRS Reports, are the encyclopedic, public domain research reports written to clearly define issues in a legislative context. Over 700 new CRS reports are produced each year; almost 4,000 are currently in existence.

CRS reports are highly regarded as in-depth, accurate, objective and timely, and topped the list of "10 Most-Wanted Government Documents" in a 1996 survey by the Center for Democracy and Technology.

As you can see on the following CRS Report for Congress on the Report RS20458 of August 20, 2004, title "Vieques, Puerto Rico Naval Training Range: Background and Issues for Congress " adressed the Vieques, Puerto Rico Naval Training Range controversy.

You can find this Report on the following WikiLeaks Document Release Web Address http://wikileaks.org/wiki/CRS:_Vieques%2C_Puerto_Rico_Naval_Training_Range:_Background_and_Issues_for_Congress%2C_August_20%2C_2004 of February 2, 2009.

--Seablade (talk) 07:02, 6 December 2009 (UTC)

Neutral? That report seems to ignore the main problem caused by the US Navy's exercises, Vieques' ridiculous cancer rate. - Caribbean~H.Q. 07:24, 6 December 2009 (UTC)

Please refer to the Congressional Research Service Report RL32533 below On the Abstract of the report indicate the following:

This report provides information on the listing of Vieques on the NPL, examines the implications of the site listing for environmental cleanup, indicates the status and estimated costs of cleaning up munitions and other environmental contamination on Vieques, and discusses cleanup actions and costs at nearby Culebra Island.

--Seablade (talk) 08:26, 6 December 2009 (UTC)

References

Cleanup

The history section needs sub-categories, improved accuracy and less editorializing, as noted by other users below. - Mustang dvs 02:20, 24 March 2006 (UTC)

What is inaccurate? are you a Puerto Rican Historian ?, many of the comments added were very present in most tabloids at the time of this event, I lived it, I read most of what this person has posted here and even if it's questionable it is what was said and argued during the time of the protests, many of these numbers were not denied by many even in the United States Government. If being neutral is saying that Vieques hosted the navy for 60 something years and then they left, without mentioning this event, that was international news, would be inappropriate.--zetback 10:18, 24 May 2006 (UTC)

Discussion

I question the 33% have had cancer statistic. Why, that's one out of three! Here's an anti-Navy site:

"the School of Medicine at the University of Puerto Rico announced in 1997 that the cancer rate on Vieques was twenty-seven percent higher than on Puerto Rico." [1]

Twenty-seven percent higher would mean, for example, an increase from 100 cases per million to 127 cases per million. It would not mean in increase from 6% to 33%!! --Uncle Ed

Here's another site:

"The data shows that the island of 9,300 people has an average of 30 to 40 cases of cancer a year."

That percentage is approximately 0.5% -- a far cry from 33%. Do the math, people... --Uncle Ed

You must have misread the article the person did not say 33% he said 31% higher than the rest of the Island, he did add that the socialist web site had 33%, but then mentioned the statistical number of 31%. Or maybe it was corrected.--zetback 10:06, 24 May 2006 (UTC)

Do you have the url for that statistic? — Mustang dvs 02:23, 24 March 2006 (UTC)

How about adding links for how to get there?

I am inexperienced at wiki-talk but notice details, so I thought I would mention a descriptive ellipse between two photos on the page. The exact same picture is labeled both as Playa del Corcho (Corcho Beach) in the middle of the article and at the end of the page with the names Playa del Caracas (Red Beach). I realize that all three names are used for the same place; however, nowhere in the article or in the photo descriptions are the three names linked together logically or verbally as the same beach. Hope this helps clarify your work. -Analogy4U 12:39, 03 April 2008 --- this topic is addressed further down in the discussion under the heading "picture question"

20131127 Wed 1246pm The Race Statistics are really flawed. There are only a few "white" people on Vieques. You can't really call the Puerto Ricans White. I suggest you add Puerto Rican as a race category and you will get 80% Puerto Rican, 12% White and 8% Black. This is just a guess. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.50.102.205 (talk) 16:49, 27 November 2013 (UTC)

Worldwide view

Primarily, under the content titled "Administration", the words "here" and "county" assumes that everyone who consults Wikipedia is from The United States and nowhere else. This does not represent a worldview of the subject; therefore a note of such has been added along this discussion entry. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Flurry (talk • contribs) 15:14, 11 May 2007 (UTC).

• "Here" means "in this context", not "in the US". (Even if it didn't the whole article should not be damned on account of this tiny point!) I will change it to make that clearer, and remove the banner. If you perfceive any other significant US-centric biases then please explain what they are. Bear in mind that due to the history and situation of the island numerous references to the US are inevitable. Matt 01:29, 12 May 2007 (UTC)

picture question

why is the same picture used in the article and in the gallery with two different names? one should be removed but i don't know which (if either) is correct Soyseñorsnibbles^Dígame 23:41, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

The place on the picture has multiple names:

• Bahía del Corcho - (Cork Bay)
• Playa Caracas - (Caracas Beach)
• Red Beach - name given to the beach by U.S. NAVY and used mostly by English speakers

--Hlucho (talk) 03:08, 17 June 2008 (UTC)

Name?

I thought Vieques / Bieke came from a native word meaning "crab", hence the British naming it Crab Island? The article header currently states that the name came from a native word meaning "small island", which I've never heard before despite being there several times and talking to the historical folks both at El Fortín and over in Esperanza... -- Erik Anderson, 17:57, 8 August 2008 (UTC)

I'm not too sure about the Vieques meaning "crab" thing, but "small island" comes from the term "Isla Nena". Isla Nena is a euphemism that locals use, but it does not address the term "Vieques". So, whether or not Vieques means crab; it definitely does not mean small island.

Congressional Research Service Report RL32533

Congressional Research Service Report RL32533

The Congressional Research Service (CRS), known as "Congress's think tank", is the public policy research arm of the United States Congress. As a legislative branch agency within the Library of Congress, CRS works exclusively and directly for Members of Congress, their Committees and staff on a confidential, nonpartisan basis.

Reports by the Congressional Research Service, usually referred to as CRS Reports, are the encyclopedic, public domain research reports written to clearly define issues in a legislative context. Over 700 new CRS reports are produced each year; almost 4,000 are currently in existence.

CRS reports are highly regarded as in-depth, accurate, objective and timely, and topped the list of "10 Most-Wanted Government Documents" in a 1996 survey by the Center for Democracy and Technology.

As you can see on the following CRS Report for Congress on the Report RL32533 of July 7, 2005, title "Vieques and Culebra Islands: An Analysis of Environmental Cleanup Issues " examines the implications of the site listing for environmental cleanup You can find this Report on the following WikiLeaks Document Release Web Address http://wikileaks.org/wiki/CRS:_Vieques_and_Culebra_Islands:_An_Analysis_of_Environmental_Cleanup_Issues%2C_July_7%2C_2005 of February 2, 2009.

On the Abstract of the report indicate the following:

This report provides information on the listing of Vieques on the NPL, examines the implications of the site listing for environmental cleanup, indicates the status and estimated costs of cleaning up munitions and other environmental contamination on Vieques, and discusses cleanup actions and costs at nearby Culebra Island.

Summary

For decades, the U.S. Navy conducted ship-to-shore bombing exercises and other live-fire training activities on Vieques Island and Culebra Island, located off the coast of Puerto Rico. In response to concerns about risks to public safety, human health, and the environment, Congress directed the Navy to close its training facilities on Vieques Island in 2003 and to relocate them elsewhere. The Navy has begun to investigate the presence of munitions and related contamination on Vieques to determine the cleanup actions that will be necessary to protect human health and the environment, and has begun the surface removal of munitions in some areas. In 1974, Congress had enacted legislation that required the Navy to cease its training operations on Culebra Island, in response to similar public concerns. The Army Corps of Engineers has removed some munitions on Culebra to address safety hazards in publicly accessible areas, but has not begun a comprehensive cleanup of the island. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Puerto Rico Environmental Quality Board are responsible for overseeing these actions. There has been rising public interest in the degree to which the Department of Defense (DOD) will be required to clean up both islands. The scope of the cleanup will depend on the type and extent of contamination found, and whether a pathway of human exposure exists. The National Defense Authorization Act for FY2002 (P.L. 107-107) prohibits public access within the Live Impact Area of the former bombing range on Vieques. Public access also may be limited in other areas due to the presence of munitions hazards. Since denying public access is intended to reduce safety threats, DOD may be allowed to remove fewer munitions than would be required otherwise. However, if contamination has leached from munitions and migrated to present a pathway of exposure, removal of more munitions may be required to protect human health. Possible pathways include the consumption of contaminated groundwater and contaminated fish or shellfish. At the request of the Governor of Puerto Rico, Sila M. Calderon, EPA listed Vieques on the National Priorities List (NPL) of the nation’s most hazardous waste sites on February 11, 2005. Listing a site on the NPL does not affect the stringency of the cleanup that is required or increase the availability of funding for the Navy to perform the cleanup. Rather, it identifies Vieques as a site that warrants further investigation to determine actions that are necessary to protect human health and the environment. The Governor also requested that EPA list Culebra on the NPL along with Vieques. However, EPA “elected to take no action” on its final listing decision for Culebra at that time, and reports that the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the Army are negotiating a Memorandum of Agreement to govern the cleanup. Regardless of the site listing decision, the degree of cleanup on either island will depend on threats to human health and the environment and the types of remediation that will be deemed necessary to address these threats. Whatever actions are required, the progress of cleanup will depend on the availability of federal funding to pay for the remediation. This report will be updated annually to track the status of cleanup on both islands.

The information provided in this report was originally prepared at the request of Representative Jose Serrano. It has been released in this format for general distribution to interested Members and Committees of Congress and their staff.

--Seablade (talk) 07:37, 6 December 2009 (UTC)

References

Used in movies

Lord of the Flies (1963) identifies Puerto Rico as its exclusive setting and names Vieques specifically.... a visual comparison confirms (to me) that majority of the Island shots were from Vieques.

being that the book was considered great literature (at the time at least) and the movie appears to ape the book quite accurately it occurs to me that some mention of the island being used as a movie location might be in order --Qazwiz (talk) 03:48, 23 November 2014 (UTC)

Lord of the Flies was indeed filmed on Vieques Island. They even made an artistic photographic book by Ken Heyman about the filming of the movie called "The Boy: A photographic essay" which featured the cast both on and off the set. A video of outtakes from the film also show the boys filming on the beaches of Vieques. .

References

Minor merger with Milivi Adams

Merged 1 paragraph content from Milivi Adams to here per consensus to merge the content into the article Vieques#Public health from 2014 (which I wasnt involved in). I found it had not been done so I simply assited in the merger. --Wuerzele (talk) 21:46, 4 March 2015 (UTC)

Naval Station didn't exist in 1941

The article currently reads: "In 1941 ... the United States Navy purchased or seized about two thirds of Vieques as an extension to the Roosevelt Roads Naval Station nearby on the Puerto Rican mainland."

This is misleading; the article on the Naval Station makes it clear that the Station was intended BUT DIDN'T EXIST until 1943. This totally changes the meaning of the Navy's "purchase or seizure" (a question which needs resolving) to being part of a process. Twang (talk) 03:05, 9 April 2019 (UTC)

Chart of Barrios

The areas are listed in square meters, which makes no sense. I'm not sure how to change this so can somebody please fix this? Commander0034 (talk) 16:16, 13 February 2023 (UTC)