EXHIBIT 1

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 Tel. 787-226-4555 PO Box 2956 Carolina P.R. 

 Claim # 177404 00984-2956 

 10-25-2021 

 

To whom it may concern, 

I, Mr. José A. Figueroa Sierra, with claim number 177404, do not agree with my claim being 

reclassified, as the Electric Power Authority directly exposed us to asbestos without any type of 

protection for an undefined time. Even the very Secretary of Justice of Puerto Rico sent a letter to 

Atty. Jesús Hernández Sánchez on April 04, 2016 where he commented and stated that PREPA 

had incurred in a criminal case. I am attaching a copy of it. On June 30, 2008, the House of 

Representatives made its report regarding the House Resolution 5661, of which I am attaching a 

copy. It also included medical diagnoses of pulmonary conditions as a result of the removal of 

asbestos in my place of work. I therefore request that my case files be reviewed and reassessed. 

Documents are being sent today Monday, October 25, 2021, since they were received on 

Thursday, October 21, 2021. 

[Stamp: Illegible – OCT 

26, 2021 PM 2:55] 

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Yours sincerely, 

[Signature] 

José A. Figueroa Sierra 

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Subject to financial compensation 

Retired

PREPA

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Direct exposure to the asbestos without protection and without any prior notice. This is due to the 

claim to the Electric Power Authority. As a result of this I suffer from damaged lungs, thyroid disease, 

asthma, high blood pressure and cardiac issues. The dismissed case # is KBP2005-1599. 

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Electric Power Authority Case # 130187 

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[ILLEGIBLE TEXT] 

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COMMONWEALTH OF PUERTO RICO 

15th Legislative 7th Ordinary 

 Assembly Session 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

June 30, 2008 

First Joint Report on 

House Resolution 5661 

TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

Your Natural Resources, Conservation and Environment and Health Committees of 

the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico submit to this Legislative Body this First Joint 

Report motivated by House Resolution 5661. SCOPE OF THE MEASURE

The purpose of House Resolution 5661 is to order the Natural Resources, Conservation 

and Environment and Health Committees of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico to 

conduct an investigation into the alleged use and contamination of asbestos in the facilities of the 

Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority. 

 

The first Public Hearing held by the Natural Resources, Conservation and Environment 

Committee was held on September 20, 2007. The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) 

and the Department of Health were summoned to this hearing, but they both excused themselves 

in writing. Former employees of PREPA participated in the hearing, and among the representatives 

of the group were: 

Atty. Jesús Hernández Sánchez who was a senator from 1969-1977 and a member of 

the Labor Committee. He states that he participates as a private citizen because he has a lawsuit 

with the court. He points out that the Federal Government banned the use of asbestos in 1970, 

and this continued until 1980. The first case of contamination with this material occurred in 1999. 

Asbestosis is a condition that is used to distinguish it from cancer. These symptoms can 

unfortunately appear up to 15 years later, according to some diagnoses made by the State 

Insurance Fund or the Industrial Commission. 

 

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Human Resources, Conservation and Environment Committee 

First Joint Report 

House Resolution 5661 

According to Atty. Hernández Sánchez in his opinion, the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico in 

the case of Oriosola v. Superior 116DRR 485 of 1985, determined that the Insurance Fund Act 

could recommend cases where there is intent if the employer sends the employee to an area where 

there are “fumes” and the employer acts with gross negligence. It could be legislated in cases 

where the employer has knowledge of such circumstance, because if it does not have knowledge, 

then there is no intention, but if it does, then it can be a crime under the criminal code. The 

knowledge should be imparted to the weakest and most deprived party, the worker. Atty. 

Hernandez states that “he is here as a citizen to legislate and protect public and private workers. 

The large companies in this country are going to oppose it. You will have a great challenge in 

facing all these forces, but if you do it and achieve the legislation then you will become 

distinguished. In Puerto Rico there are no punitive damages, but they should exist in order to 

protect the weaker party, the worker. God willed for me to want to follow this route of continuing to 

defend the workers, which is why we have this lawsuit in court.” 

Mr. Jorge Martínez, a former employee of PREPA, submitted a written statement to this 

Committee where he informs that on behalf of himself and his family, he is grateful for the invitation 

to testify regarding House Resolution 5661 dated October 04, 2006 and filed by the honorable 

president of this legislative body, Hon. Aponte Hernández. All workers in Puerto Rico have to thank 

the President for his interest in and concern for the health of more than one million public and 

private employees who work day and night in the labor market of our enchanted island. 

Mr. Jorge Martínez Garcia mentions in his statement that he is the father of two young girls, 

one 19 and the other 21, whom he had with his beloved wife Evelyn [redacted] López. He states 

that he is sick due to asbestos contamination during the time he worked at the Puerto Rico Electric 

Power Authority. He worked there from 1986 to 1996. His role was as a generator assistant working 

in the boilers of said public entity and while working at Palo Seco and Puerto Nuevo he worked in 

the turbine. His duties required him to get inside the boilers where he removed and put in asbestos, 

which is a heat insulating material. Other co-workers also worked in the boilers and were exposed 

to said contamination. PREPA has known since the early 1980s that asbestos is a mineral 

that causes cancer and diseases such as asbestosis. Mr. Martínez currently has a respiratory 

tract dysfunction and a bronchial asthma condition which causes him to be unable to breathe. He 

has to be given oxygen therapies and it greatly affects his ability to digest his food. According to 

Mr. Martínez, the obstruction is severe at the lung level. It is all related to asbestos contamination. 

While he worked while exposed to such contamination, he was not provided with equipment to 

protect him from the asbestos dust that filled their bodies, heads, and clothing. It was not until 

years later that he was provided with a mask to cover his nose and was never given a half or full 

face mask for protection. The clothes he wore to work were those he brought from home and he 

would then return home with contaminated clothing. Neither he nor his co-workers were ever told 

of the risks involved and it was not until 1989 or so that a lady by the name of Marta Disla came to 

give them some lectures on the damage caused by asbestos if they did not have protective 

equipment. He has had thyroid surgery, is currently thyroid-free and there is no one in his family 

with thyroid disease. He also had polyps removed from his colon six or seven years ago. 

 

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Human Resources, Conservation and Environment Committee 3 

First Joint Report 

House Resolution 5661 

As mentioned in his statement, Mr. Martínez considers that this is an inhumane and even 

criminal act. If an employer knows that a worker is going to get sick, why would it send him to work 

at a contaminating site without protective equipment? It is incumbent upon the Puerto Rico 

Legislative Assembly to legislate to hold employers criminally and civilly liable when such a 

situation occurs. Mr. Martínez considers that in such a situation there is gross negligence on the 

part of the employer and there is also intent, because if it has prior knowledge that the worker is 

going to get sick, it should not send him to work in a contaminating place without protective 

equipment. 

Other co-workers have died of cancer, while others are receiving treatment because they 

have cancer and contracted the disease due to asbestos contamination, which is a substance that 

produces cancer, i.e., it is carcinogenic. Cancer may develop 15, 20 or 25 years after the employee 

has been exposed to tiny asbestos fibers. Mr. Martínez says: 

“We go to our graves, we leave our children orphaned and our wife widowed, and 

those responsible are left laughing. That’s enough. It is up to the legislative assembly to 

stop situations like this. If the legislative assembly does not act, it would be complicit in 

every tragedy, pain and death suffered by a worker. This committee must publicly condemn 

it when submitting its report.” 

Mr. Martínez also reported that when he was a temporary employee he worked from 7am 

to 7pm. All of the co-workers continued working without any protection. Sometimes they were given 

a cloth, then the authorities came with cardboard muzzles. (EXHIBIT #1)

PREPA, in an agreement with UTIER, sent mobile buses to 

conduct studies at the same Plant. They took urine samples, chest x-rays and a lung test 

that consisted of blowing through a machine and a pulmonary function test. PREPA never reported 

the results of these tests. After a while, PREPA and UTIER reached another agreement to conduct 

an epidemiological study and whoever got sick was sent to Mount Sinai Hospital.

In a letter sent to this Committee, Mr. Martínez states the following: “I was disabled by an 

accident at the Plant leading to disc problems and a nerve disorder. The State Insurance Fund 

granted me total disability. This is why I wound up with an obstruction in my lungs and Severe 

Bronchial Asthma, and due to being retired PREPA sends me to receive treatment under the 

Insurance Fund. What kind of compensation will I receive if I have already been granted total 

disability”? 

Mr. Martínez submits to this Committee a letter dated May 28, 2008, received from the 

Puerto Rico Department of Labor and Human Resources, Occupational Safety and Health 

Administration (OSHA), in which said agency answers a series of questions that Mr. Martínez 

referred to it on this matter. The following are the questions and answers contained in the letter: 

(Exhibit 6) 

 

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Human Resources, Conservation and Environment Committee 4 

First Joint Report 

House Resolution 5661 

a) Since when has OSHA been aware that asbestos causes cancer? 

PR OSHA has been aware of the asbestos standard (1910.1001) since its date of adoption 

(February 01, 1978) and it states that one should avoid breathing dust containing asbestos fibers 

because it can cause severe damage to one’s health. However, in 1971, OSHA (Federal 

Occupational Safety and Health Administration) enacted its first asbestos rule regarding adverse 

health effects in the workplace. As more information was received about the toxicity of asbestos, 

OSHA updated and amended said regulation. In 1975, OSGA decided to evaluate the scientific 

and medical data identifying asbestos as a human carcinogen and again updated the regulation 

with new measures. 

b) Since when does OSHA notify the Electric Power Authority that asbestos causes 

cancer in its employees? 

Act No. 16 of August 05, 1975, known as the Puerto Rico Occupational Safety and Health 

Act, establishes the basis for the development of PR OSHA. Since the approval of the state plan 

in 1978, private sector and governmental employers have had to comply with all regulations 

adopted under it. 

c) Since 2007, has the Electric Power Authority been fined for asbestos? 

An inspection was performed on May 17, 2007, at the Electric Power Authority, San Juan 

Plant (inspection #307935171). In this investigation, a proposed penalty of $17,500.00 was issued 

for apparent asbestos regulation violations. 

d) If OSHA is aware of asbestos deaths at Electric Power Authority plants? 

PR OSHA is not aware of any employee deaths from asbestos exposure. You can contact 

the State Insurance Fund Corporation to verify whether deaths from asbestos exposure have been 

reported at the Electric Power Authority. 

Mr. Juan Sosa Fernández, who worked 27 years as a welder, states to this Committee 

that he has difficulty with his respiratory tract. “We carried this poison into our homes and our 

children hugged us and became contaminated.” After these talks, they began to use what they 

called dirty rooms and then clean rooms, but this was 10 years after starting work. He retired in 

March 2004. The process of working with asbestos went on until 1987. On January 16, 1990, a 

countless number of co-workers were relocated. That’s when the cycle of working with asbestos 

was broken. “When it isn’t seen, it goes unnoticed, and we were contaminated with the material 

through our hands. The assistants as well as the operators intook all that contamination. I know it 

is a scientific fact that an asbestos particle in a task at a height of six feet takes six hours to travel 

the distance. In an unventilated place it takes longer and you breathe it in.” 

 

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Human Resources, Conservation and Environment Committee 5 

First Joint Report 

House Resolution 5661 

In 2000, an epidemiological study was conducted, and according to Dr. Levin of the New 

York Hospital, 89% of all patients had scarring in the lungs and respiratory problems. “We wound 

up with this. I have the papers in my house. I can’t be exposed to chemicals, dust, or fumes. 

Ultimately, I have a case. Ultimately, there are no doctors here with expertise in this area and the 

cases have to be sent to the United States. Dr. Perdomo, the Secretary of Health, met with us. 

She is fully aware of Dr. Levin’s studies and the results they yielded. They said that if some people 

wound up with the disease then they would pay for their treatment.” 

Mr. Adrián Valle, a former supervisor of PREPA, stated at the Committee’s public hearing 

that he was in charge of a group of employees, a line supervisor, and a substation supervisor and 

that he worked there for 10 years. His office is called Durotex. He states that the office also had 

asbestos, and he went to the plants to provide maintenance with his people. He retired and 12 

years after he had retired he felt a lump under his arm. An examination was performed and it was 

a cancerous lymphoma. Mr. Valle said the following: “I went to the fund. There they sent me two 

doctors called Dr. Masin and Dr. Franco, and both determined that I had cancer. Because of my 

work my co-workers have died of cancer. I have a lymphoma between my heart and I had 

chemotherapy. I am receiving treatment at the Torre Hospital San Francisco and I still have cancer. 

I had to go into the areas of my employees. There are almost none left, as they have all died of 

cancer. I have been found to have four lymphomas. I’m going through all of this. The masks they 

gave us are what are used for painting, and they did not give us equipment. My last co-worker was 

37 years old and I am still alive here fighting. Even other superiors who entered the sub-stations, 

and many other co-workers do not know their rights. They are already retired and do not know if 

they have conditions for this very reason.” 

Mr. José Hernández, a former employee, informed this Committee of the following: “I ask 

my cardiologist why I have had heart surgery and 4 bypasses. I am a welder, I retired in 1994 and 

they had not yet made masks mandatory. You can never fully remove the asbestos found in the 

rod coating. Anything that becomes fine powder is silica. Many of my co-workers have died, one 

of them was Pellot. I had problems with supervisors, as if I didn’t do a task then they would threaten 

to kick me out. I feel sorry for my co-workers, as many of us are damaged. We are all down on our 

luck with asbestos. I went to the Fund and the doctor thought I was looking for money. I didn’t go 

looking for money, I went looking for health. I would like to investigate Dr. Franco. He is a doctor 

that works for the Fund, the Aqueduct and Sewer Authority and the Electric Power Authority. He is 

the only toxicologist in Puerto Rico, and there is a conflict of interest. Who is going to give us 

justice? If I sleep on my side, I feel my lungs swell up. Co-workers have died from lung conditions.” 

Mr. José Nadal also stated the following in the public hearing: “I worked from 1972-1989 

and I was incapacitated. I have been diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 

which has been certified by the State Insurance Fund. I am being treated for asthma. In 1972, for 

protection, we wore T-shirts as masks to work breaking up asbestos. I was a boiler assistant, and 

in 1989 they had not yet encapsulated the asbestos.” 

 

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Human Resources, Conservation and Environment Committee 6 

First Joint Report 

House Resolution 5661 

Mr. Víctor Morales Cedeño informed this Committee of the following: “I worked for 23 

years and there was no protection. Many residents were probably contaminated. At the last 

moment, PREPA began to provide plastic masks to prevent problems but when protection arrived, 

the damage had already been done. I have a respiratory tract problem. The Puerto Rico Testing 

company that performed tests on me and a co-worker of mine sent us to the Medical Center where 

Dr. Franco certified that I had my condition.” 

Mr. Benito Ayala Pacheco stated in the public hearing the following: “I started at PREPA 

in Aguirre working with asbestos. They sent me to Guayanilla for 2 years and then they sent me to 

Puerto Nuevo, Palo Seco. The Fund said I presented anomalies. I went to a private doctor and 

they said I had Leukemia. The protection was a cloth muzzle and nothing else. I would go home 

with the same clothing. Now I’m suffocating. My plates were taken away and lost and I had to take 

out others.” 

Mr. José A. Otero informed this Committee of the following: “I worked for PREPA for 28 

years, most of them at the Puerto Nuevo Plant. I was a mechanic. They assigned us the duties 

and they deemed that if we were going to work with asbestos then we had to remove it. I worked 

in the boiler area and there was an asbestos smell. In 1988 I had a myocardial infarction. I retired 

in 2000. In 2002 I was called for an epidemiological study. I wound up with calcifications in my 

lungs, and my chest feels compressed. I am concerned that sooner or later it will affect us. In July 

2003 we received the results of the asbestos epidemiological study.” 

Mr. Carlos Benjamín Morales Ruiz, a III-category bricklayer of the Puerto Rico Electric 

Power Authority, delivered to this Committee an affidavit before notary public Milagros Acevedo 

Colon, dated August 23, 1989, in which he declares that: 

1. That my personal circumstances are as stated above. 

2. That during the years 1981-1982 I worked with the Electric Power Authority as a 

bricklayer and together with 15 or 20 other co-workers we were instructed to work at 

the Palo Seco Plant in Toa Baja, and that we should take a low-bed truck. There were 

other temporary employees there who were assigned to do the work during the day. 

We were tasked with picking up material that was lying on the ground, which had fallen 

out of a boiler duct, and we had to wet it so that it would not blow away. The collection 

was done using shovels and the waste was disposed of in garbage barrels. 

3. Once filled, the uncovered barrels were loaded onto the truck. Sometimes there were 

up to 20 or more barrels per trip, and one of the co-workers would guide it to a hole 

that had been made with a digger inside the same plant. 

4. That hole was over 10 feet deep. You could see the seawater at the bottom, and it was 

about 20 or more feet in diameter. It was between the gas turbine and Highway #165. 

The hole was originally smaller, and as it filled up it was covered with sand. Another 

hole was opened up next to it with the digger that was there, which was operated by a 

co-worker who we nicknamed “Morovis.” 

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Human Resources, Conservation and Environment Committee 7 

First Joint Report 

House Resolution 5661 

5. Two or three of us would grab the full barrel and turn it over to drop the waste into the 

hole. Once emptied, the barrels were mounted onto the truck and taken back to the 

waste site to be refilled. This was done many times over, and we spent around three 

or four weeks working there. 

6. For our convenience, every time we opened up a hole, before we started dumping 

waste, we would place a wooden ladder and on more than one occasion some of my 

co-workers or I would climb down the ladder to the bottom to pick up a barrel, a shovel 

or other objects that would fall in. 

7. Sometimes, if any waste was left in the truck, it was picked up with the same shovel 

and with our hands. At other times we used our handkerchiefs for our noses, because 

when the asbestos dried it became a powder keg. 

8. At no time was I warned that I would be working with asbestos. I did not know and was 

not advised about the damage that asbestos could cause to my health and that of my 

family. 

9. I wore the usual work clothes to work there: an olive green shirt and pants with safety 

boots, leather gloves to move the barrels and a safety helmet with goggles. Some coworkers used them but others did not because we were never warned of the need to 

protect ourselves. While we were doing this work, routine work was being carried out 

at the Plant. 

10. Each day when we returned to our work I noticed that during the night they had poured 

sand over the holes we had covered during the day. 

11. At the end of each workday, many of us showered in the plant’s bathrooms. There was 

no designated area or restrictions on the use of personal equipment. 

12. Once the work of removing and burying the asbestos was completed, I was never 

medically assessed in relation to my participation in this work, nor was I trained in the 

proper handling of these toxins or equipped or protected to work. 

13. The immediate supervisor and person in charge of the project was Mr. Elías Vega, and 

the person who signed the worksheet was the engineer Gilberto Félix Orta. The 

supervisor Domínguez came by in passing and stood “from afar” watching. 

I swear that the foregoing is the truth and nothing but the truth, with nothing to be stated to the 

contrary, and I subscribe to this affidavit for all legal purposes. 

In San Juan, Puerto Rico, on August 23, 1999. 

The Environmental Quality Board (EQB) submitted a written statement in which they 

state that they regulate the handling of asbestos-containing materials through their Regulations for 

the Control of Atmospheric Contamination. Rule 422 of the aforementioned regulations stipulates 

as follows: 

A. No person shall cause or permit the handling of asbestos-containing materials as 

defined in these Control Regulations without first having a permit from the Board and as 

required by Rule 204. 

 

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Human Resources, Conservation and Environment Committee 8 

First Joint Report 

House Resolution 5661 

B. Standards for granting approval to permits for the handling of asbestos during the 

removal, clearing or transfer of asbestos-containing materials, as well as the work of 

enclosing, encapsulating or repairing such materials. 

1. A permit to handle asbestos-containing materials during the removal, clearing or 

transfer of asbestos-containing materials shall be granted if the applicant 

demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Board that: 

a. The handling of the asbestos-containing material shall be capable of 

complying with all applicable rules and/or regulations. 

b. All personnel working in the handling of asbestos-containing material 

must possess evidence that they have passed a course from a school 

and/or institution duly certified by the Board and must provide evidence 

that they appear on the Board’s registry of certified asbestos handlers. 

The Board shall have available in the Program, its library and other 

distribution centers the list of schools and/or institutions to certify trained 

personnel. 

c. Prior to starting the handling of asbestos-containing material, the person 

and/or persons responsible must submit to the Board a Work Plan thirty 

(30) days prior to the start of operations for the handling of asbestoscontaining material, which shall contain, but not be limited to, the 

information contained in the guidelines provided by or any other 

applicable requirements established by the Board. 

 

2. All handling of asbestos-containing material during the work of enclosing, 

encapsulating and/or repairing such material must be notified to the Board thirty 

(30) days in advance, except when it occurs as a result of an emergency or when 

permitted by a permit from the Board and/or APA. All encapsulation, enclosing 

and/or repairing of the material must be performed by personnel properly trained 

to work with asbestos-containing materials. Accreditation and evidence of 

registration with the Board must be attached. 

Subject to these regulations, the Electric Power Authority has applied for multiple permits. The 

EQB details the permits applied for by PREPA in the last five years. (EXHIBIT #2) 

The Department of Labor and Human Resources (PRDLHR) submitted an explanatory 

memorandum dated November 27, 2006, at the request of this Committee. They mention that in 

the workplace, the Constitution establishes and recognizes the right of all workers to be protected 

against safety and health risks. The Department of Labor and Human Resources, through the 

Puerto Rico OSHA, is the agency in charge of enforcing labor protection and occupational 

safety and health laws. According to its provisions, the employer is obliged to provide each 

person it employs with a place free from risks that could cause physical harm or death to 

the worker. The Puerto Rico Occupational Safety and Health Administration (PR OSHA) began 

its operations in 1978, following the creation of Act No. 16 of August 05, 1975, the Puerto Rico 

Occupational Safety and Health Act. The purpose of this Act is to ensure safe and healthy working 

conditions for every employee in Puerto Rico by authorizing the Secretary of Labor to prescribe 

and enforce the safety and health standards, rules and regulations developed and adopted, while 

assisting and encouraging employers and employees in their efforts to ensure safe and healthy 

working conditions, and providing for scientific research, information, education and training, and 

the development of statistics in the field of occupational safety and health. 

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Human Resources, Conservation and Environment Committee 9 

First Joint Report 

House Resolution 5661 

Among the areas and departments of PR OSHA is the Inspections Department. The 

basic function of the Inspections Department is to enforce the mandate of the Law: 

“... to guarantee as far as possible to every employee in the Commonwealth of Puerto 

Rico safe and healthy working conditions...”. 

These shall be required to conduct effective workplace inspections to determine whether 

employers are providing workplaces free from recognized hazards that are causing or are 

likely to cause death or physical harm to their employees, and complying with occupational 

safety and health standards, rules and regulations applicable to their workplaces. 

In being aware of its importance for our labor peace and workers’ health, the 

PRDLHR supports any investigation that will benefit the health of all workers. 

The Department has an unwavering commitment to workers’ safety and health and 

an indelible commitment to labor peace. For this reason, they understand that this measure 

could be an essential piece in workers’ health and labor peace in this industry of vital 

importance to the people of Puerto Rico. The PRDLHR reiterates its willingness to comment 

on any measure that will benefit the working class. 

The Committee held a second public hearing on Thursday, January 17, 2008, in 

which the Electric Power Authority (PREPA), the Department of Health, the UTIER and the 

Association of Retirees were summoned. Of the above, the PREPA and the Department of 

Health appeared. 

The Department of Health, represented by Atty. Yaidy Santiago, informs that she 

makes her statement in the aspect of the Department of Health, but in her agency the doctor 

conducted a study for the UPR. She reports in her statement that asbestos is a carcinogen 

whose repeated exposure can cause a disease known as asbestosis which scars the lungs 

and reveals changes in chest X-rays. Symptoms include coughing, shortness of breath and 

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Human Resources, Conservation and Environment Committee 10 

First Joint Report 

House Resolution 5661 

chest pain. Stopping exposure is the best way to stop the disease. Everything related to 

asbestos is regulated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). 

The presence of asbestos fibers in the environment constitutes a threat to health, 

since they do not evaporate in the air or dissolve in water. The fibers of these minerals can 

remain for long periods of time suspended in the air and be carried long distances by water 

and wind. The harmful effect of asbestos on health has been widely documented 

scientifically by the medical community and proven researchers in the field. 

According to the literature, we are naturally exposed to low levels of asbestos from 

the air we breathe, especially those people residing in urban and/or industrial areas. If to 

this exposure we add that which may occur in the workplace, the risk which the employee is 

exposed to is undoubtedly greater. Considering that the Resolution alludes to the 

occupational environment, they recommend the participation of the Department of Labor 

and Human Resources in the proposed investigation. 

Messrs. Manuel Santiago and Orville M. Disdier, also from the Department of 

Health, explained in the public hearing everything related to the epidemiological study. In 

1996, the School of Public Health developed a research protocol, and the study commenced 

in October 2003. The study consisted of exposure to mercury and hydrazine. The study is a 

contract between the PREPA and the University. The population used were employees who 

had worked prior to 1987. These employees were invited to participate in the study. 

The study explains what it consisted of and each participant received a copy of their 

results. Among the findings of 1555 employees, 1248 attended clinical studies and 93% 

completed all aspects of the study. As part of the conclusions, Dr. Levin states that there is 

a prevalence of abnormalities. Workers should continue a surveillance program. Employees 

with thoracic abnormalities should undergo further studies. Exposures should be eliminated, 

and the rate of abnormality in the pulmonary function test shows a higher risk among 

smokers. 

The study is the first epidemiological study conducted on workers. 11% presented 

the presence of mercury, and it may be the case that they were exposed to both asbestos 

and mercury. Manifestations or symptoms are limited to 15 years. The criterion has been 

used since 1987. 

At the time of the study, some objectives had already been established. The study 

arises at the request of the PREPA and the union. There is not enough information on 

conditions that are being studied. 13% means that there is abnormality in the lung, but it can 

not be determined in this type of study whether it can be associated with the employment. 

The study alerts us but does not establish whether they were rationed by the PREPA or by 

other factors. The Committee Chairman questioned at the public hearing whether the 13% 

were referred for medical treatment, and the deponent stated that the school did not provide 

treatment because it was not the purpose of the study. A physician who knows that a person 

has certain conditions has a legal obligation to notify the patient. 

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Human Resources, Conservation and Environment Committee 11 

First Joint Report 

House Resolution 5661 

At the individual level, each participant received their results in an activity where Dr. 

Levin presented her results. Each individual received their results. Dr. Levin was emphatic 

that this study was a first step. If you want to study a population then it should be for many 

years. We recommend that the study be continued. The type of study is descriptive. The 

study fulfills its purpose of generating hypotheses and questions. 1,168 employees 

completed all parts of the study. 10,786 letters were sent in a procedure carried out by the 

PREPA and 2219 responded upon first notification. 

This Natural Resources, Conservation and Environment Committee requested 

additional information from the Department of Health regarding what additional questions or 

studies can be generated for further investigation. 

On February 29, 2008, the Department of Health sent a written letter to this 

Committee indicating that the Department would like to inform the following regarding 

questions or additional studies that could be conducted in order to offer continuity to 

the investigation into asbestos in workers of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority: 

As established during our statement, the conducted study was a descriptive one. It 

was possible to obtain specific estimators (frequency, averages, proportions and 

percentages) of the variables or characteristics studied. This provides an overview or 

description of the sociodemographic and clinical profile of the study population (in this case 

the workers studied). The study was one of high quality and with an excellent 

epidemiological design. Its results provide data never before obtained in this type of 

population, especially in the Puerto Rican population. But the main wealth of this, as of any 

descriptive study, lies in its capacity to generate questions and hypotheses. Examples of 

questions arising from the investigation are as follows: 

1. What is the proportion of workers who, despite no evidence of occupational 

exposure to asbestos, have lung abnormalities? 

2. Is there a statistical association between working in generating plants and 

presenting clinical abnormalities related to hydrazine, asbestos or mercury? If 

so... 

3. What is the attributable risk? 

4. How do the proportion of workers who do not participate in the study differ in 

demographical, clinical and exposure terms? Why didn’t they participate? 

Human Resources, Conservation and Environment Committee 10 

First Joint Report 

House Resolution 5661 

These are just some of the many questions that the results of this descriptive study 

manage to provoke. The options for the next steps are varied but should be aimed at 

answering these and other possible questions. Perhaps the most advisable is the 

development of an inferential study with a Case-Control design. Qualitative interviews 

could also be conducted with those who evidence clinical problems in order to obtain 

more information about their past exposures and lifestyles. 

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Human Resources, Conservation and Environment Committee 12 

First Joint Report 

House Resolution 5661 

The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA), represented at the hearing 

by Atty. Ramón Rosado, Director of Labor Affairs, Mr. Juan F. Alicea, from the 

Environmental Planning area and Eng. Evelyn Parrilla, read a paper stating that asbestos is 

a mineral fiber that, mixed with other substances, was used in the construction of buildings 

and structures, and it is also an insulating material. Many different industries, including the 

Authority, used asbestos in their facilities because of its heat-resistant, durable and 

insulating properties. In the eighth decade of the 20th century, the Federal Occupational 

Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) revised its regulations and restricted employee 

exposure to asbestos fibers. 

The Authority, in fulfilling its responsibility to protect its employees and comply with 

state and federal regulations, established a program to remove all asbestos-containing 

material from its facilities. A Permanent Comprehensive Agreement was established with 

the Electrical and Irrigation Industry Workers’ Union (UTIER) to carry out removal, repair or 

cleaning of asbestos-containing insulating material. Among the agreements signed are the 

following: 

 The Authority shall remove all insulating material and any other asbestoscontaining material and replace it with material that complies with current 

legislation and regulations. 

 The Authority shall comply with all agreements, stipulating that it shall not 

discriminate against workers, nor take disciplinary action, when they report 

situations that violate the safety and health standards herein. 

In addition, the purchase of asbestos-containing material was prohibited. The 

asbestos content of insulating materials in pipes, boilers, turbines and electronic equipment 

was determined through sampling and laboratory tests. Suspicious buildings, structures and 

materials were also analyzed. Areas that tested positive for asbestos were identified. 

A work plan was established, as required by OSHA, for the removal of asbestoscontaining material. This plan specified the methodology to be followed to carry out the work 

safely. 

Employees who could be exposed to asbestos during removal work, in addition to 

other maintenance and operational work at the generating plants and other departments, 

were included in the Program established. These employees were trained in the safe way 

of working, the risks associated with exposure and the requirements of applicable 

regulations. They were provided with all the personal protective equipment needed to 

perform their tasks safely, and were included in an annual medical examination program. 

Environmental sampling was also carried out during the removal work to determine 

asbestos exposure levels and to evaluate the effectiveness of the established control, 

engineering and administrative methods. To perform the work of removing asbestos from 

buildings, walls or concrete structures, the Authority hired companies certified by the 

regulatory agencies. 

In 1996 a stipulation was signed between the Authority and the UTIER to conduct an 

epidemiological study on possible asbestos exposure. This study covered active and retired 

employees who worked in the last fifteen years at the generating plants. 

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Human Resources, Conservation and Environment Committee 13 

First Joint Report 

House Resolution 5661 

A total of 10,786 retired employees who may have been exposed to asbestos were 

notified of the epidemiological study by registered letter. Of the above, only 1,248 people 

participated on a voluntary basis. 11% reflected abnormalities that could be associated with 

occupational tasks. Some of the participants filed their cases with the State Insurance Fund 

Corporation. The Authority, in fulfillment of its responsibility, continues with the follow-up 

process for these individuals. 

Currently, all employees of the Authority who work in the generating plants and who, 

due to their tasks, may be exposed to any remaining material that may contain asbestos, 

continue in the Program and undergo annual medical examinations. 

On the other hand, Article XLIV, Occupational Safety and Health, of the Collective 

Bargaining Agreement between the UTIER and the Authority establishes in its Section 1: 

The Authority and the Union shall take the necessary and indispensable safety 

measures for the prevention of industrial accidents and occupational diseases in 

order to ensure, as far as possible, the physical and mental health of all workers 

covered by this Collective Bargaining Agreement. 

In its Article 2, it stipulated as follows: 

The Authority and the Union agree to create a Central Occupational Safety 

and Health Committee (hereinafter referred to as the Central Committee) 

comprised of the UTIER Safety and Health Secretary and a UTIER 

representative from each of the office, plant and field levels. 

This Central Committee shall have the power to enact standards and rules on 

medical safety and health in order to prevent occupational accidents and 

diseases. These measures and standards shall be binding on both parties. 

The PREPA mentions in its statement that in line with the foregoing, the Authority is 

committed to the safety and health of its employees, specifically those exposed to asbestos. 

Therefore, the Authority has no objection to any investigation that the House of 

Representatives deems appropriate in this regard. 

At the public hearing, the deponents explained that prior to 1988 there was a table 

of contaminants with minimum restrictions, and basic protection measures were taken. As 

soon as a change would arise, the PREPA would make the changes in order to comply with 

the restrictions established by OSHA. Asbestos was used in generating plants and other 

areas. Basically boiler areas. The platforms are open. Mr. Juan Alicea states that there are 

still areas of asbestos that are encapsulated and they are going to work on them little by 

little. They report that there is a trained group and the appropriate equipment, and it is 

already a basic routine. At the public hearing, he was asked whether those who work with 

the material currently receive any protection and whether they undergo any physical 

examination. Eng. Evelyn Parrilla states that they provide a respirator, filter with a battery 

that supplies air to the inside of the mask (the strictest half-face masks), decontamination 

chamber, an annual examination and they limit work time. The union preferred to hire a 

person to advise employees. 

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Human Resources, Conservation and Environment Committee 14 

First Joint Report 

House Resolution 5661 

This Natural Resources, Conservation and Environment Committee requested the 

following additional information from the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA): 

 Information on the exact date that the PREPA was notified of the new OSHA 

regulations and when the employees were given the protective equipment. 

 When were letters of notification of the changes to the regulations sent? 

 Information on evidence of purchase of safety equipment. 

 Which were the private companies that carried out the removal of the contaminating 

material. 

 Name of the person hired by the UTIER to advise employees. 

 Additional time was given to provide evidence that all employees had been given the 

necessary safety equipment prior to undertaking the material removal process. 

 A request was made for evidence of receipts for the purchase of such safety 

equipment. 

 A request was also made for evidence that the employees were trained on the risks 

and hazards involved in working with the material. 

On March 06, 2008, the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) sent a 

written letter to this Committee stating that in accordance with the information provided by 

the Occupational Safety Division, the companies that worked in the removal of asbestos 

since 1989 are the following: J.R. Insulation, Central Insulation, Induchem Environmental 

Services (now Indultec), PROTECO, General Products, and DEMACO. 

On the other hand, regarding the request for the exact date on which the Authority 

was notified of the new OSHA regulations, it should be noted that OSHA does not directly 

notify employers of changes in its regulations. The publication of or changes to federal 

regulations are notified through the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). The Authority 

provided personal protective equipment in accordance with these regulations. 

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Human Resources, Conservation and Environment Committee 13 

First Joint Report 

House Resolution 5661 

CURRENT LEGAL FRAMEWORK OF THIS RESEARCH 

Everything related to asbestos is regulated by the Occupational Safety and Health 

Administration (OSHA). The Puerto Rico Occupational Safety and Health Administration (PR 

OSHA) began its operations in 1978, following the creation of Act No. 16 of August 05, 1975, 

the Puerto Rico Occupational Safety and Health Act. The purpose of this Act is to ensure 

safe and healthy working conditions for every employee in Puerto Rico by authorizing the 

Secretary of Labor to prescribe and enforce the safety and health standards, rules and 

regulations developed and adopted, while assisting and encouraging employers and 

employees in their efforts to ensure safe and healthy working conditions, and providing for 

scientific research, information, education and training, and the development of statistics in 

the field of occupational safety and health. 

 

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Human Resources, Conservation and Environment Committee 15 

First Joint Report 

House Resolution 5661 

FINDINGS

The Committees which House Resolution 5661 referred to developed a Work Plan 

in order to comply with this investigative measure. House Resolution 5661 orders in its 

Section 1 to conduct an investigation into the alleged use and contamination of asbestos in 

the facilities of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority. 

These Commissions, in fulfillment of their duties, held two Public Hearings with the 

participation of the agencies and stakeholders mentioned in this report. 

Among the findings found after a weighted study of this measure, we can 

highlight the following: 

1. All the former employees who participated in this process expressed and feel that 

what has been done to them is an outrage. 

2. The former employees question why, if the PREPA paid for an insurance policy, they 

were not referred to the State Insurance Fund for exposure to the asbestos 

contaminating material. They were only referred to the Accidents Fund. 

3. It was established in the statements of the former employees that they did not wear 

any type of protection for working with such dangerous material, thus taking home 

asbestos residues impregnated in their clothing 

4. It was established by the employees that they were not advised on the dangers of 

exposure to such material before starting the removal work. 

5. Mr. Jorge Martínez, a former employee of the PREPA, said that his daughter is 

currently showing the same symptoms as himself, who worked for the PREPA for 

around 11 years. 

6. A New Proposal for the Integration of the Agreements between the UTIER and the 

PREPA to Perform the Removal, Encapsulation, Installation and Cleaning of 

Insulation Material in the Generating Plants was established in 2001. (EXHIBIT #3)

7. Mr. Martínez brought his case before the Puerto Rico Industrial Commission and the 

latter resolved to order the administrator of the State Insurance Fund Corporation to 

evaluate and issue an Institutional Decision on Reactive Airways Dysfunction and 

Bronchial Asthma Syndrome, both related to asbestos exposure, as well as Severe 

Dysfunctional Obstructive Lung Disease and Severe Bronchial Asthma. (EXHIBIT 

#4)

8. That the PREPA did not present evidence that they complied with providing 

the necessary safety equipment to all employees who were in contact with the 

material. In addition, the Corporation failed to provide evidence of the training 

provided to these employees before subjecting them to the process of 

cleaning and removal of asbestos in the work area. 

 

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Human Resources, Conservation and Environment Committee 16 

First Joint Report 

House Resolution 5661 

Conclusions and Recommendations 

After this analysis of having presented the findings outlined above, these 

Committees, in fulfillment of their ministerial duty established in Section 2 of House 

Resolution 5661, hereby submit to this Honorable Body the following recommendations: 

1. The Department of Health recommends the development of an inference-type study 

with a Case-Control design. Qualitative interviews could also be conducted with 

those who present clinical problems in order to obtain more information about their 

past exposures and lifestyles. 

2. A copy of said report shall be sent to the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of 

Justice of Puerto Rico, so that they may evaluate and determine whether there is 

any violation of Current Federal or State Legislation and proceed to issue any ruling 

that may be appropriate in law. 

In view of the foregoing, your Natural Resources, Conservation and Environment 

and Health Committees of the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of 

Puerto Rico, recommend the approval of this First Report with its findings, conclusions 

and recommendations.

Respectfully submitted, 

Hon. José Luis Rivera Guerra Hon. Gabriel Rodríguez 

Aguiló 

Chairman Chairman 

Natural Resources, Conservation Health Committee 

and Environment Committee 

Human Resources, Conservation and Environment Committee 15 

First Joint Report 

House Resolution 5661 

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Human Resources, Conservation and Environment Committee 4 

First Joint Report 

House Resolution 5661 

a) Since when has OSHA been aware that asbestos causes cancer? 

PR OSHA has been aware of the asbestos standard (1910.1001) since its date of 

adoption (February 01, 1978) and it states that one should avoid breathing dust containing 

asbestos fibers because it can cause severe damage to one’s health. However, in 1971, 

OSHA (Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration) enacted its first asbestos 

rule regarding adverse health effects in the workplace. As more information was received 

about the toxicity of asbestos, OSHA updated and amended said regulation. In 1975, OSGA 

decided to evaluate the scientific and medical data identifying asbestos as a human 

carcinogen and again updated the regulation with new measures. 

b) Since when does OSHA notify the Electric Power Authority that asbestos causes 

cancer in its employees? 

Act No. 16 of August 05, 1975, known as the Puerto Rico Occupational Safety and 

Health Act, establishes the basis for the development of PR OSHA. Since the approval of 

the state plan in 1978, private sector and governmental employers have had to comply with 

all regulations adopted under it. 

c) Since 2007, has the Electric Power Authority been fined for asbestos? 

An inspection was performed on May 17, 2007 at the Electric Power Authority, San 

Juan Plant (inspection #307935171). In this investigation, a proposed penalty of $17,500.00 

was issued for apparent asbestos regulation violations. 

d) If OSHA is aware of asbestos deaths at Electric Power Authority plants? 

PR OSHA is not aware of any employee deaths from asbestos exposure. You can 

contact the State Insurance Fund Corporation to verify whether deaths from asbestos 

exposure have been reported at the Electric Power Authority. 

Mr. Juan Sosa Fernández, who worked 27 years as a welder, states to this 

Committee that he has difficulty with his respiratory tract. “We carried this poison into our 

homes and our children hugged us and became contaminated.” After these talks, they began 

to use what they called dirty rooms and then clean rooms, but this was 10 years after starting 

work. He retired in March 2004. The process of working with asbestos went on until 1987. 

On January 16, 1990, a countless number of co-workers were relocated. That’s when the 

cycle of working with asbestos was broken. “When it isn’t seen, it goes unnoticed, and we 

were contaminated with the material through our hands. The assistants as well as the 

operators intook all that contamination. I know it is a scientific fact that an asbestos particle 

in a task at a height of six feet takes six hours to travel the distance. In an unventilated place 

it takes longer and you intake it.” 

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Human Resources, Conservation and Environment Committee 5 

First Joint Report 

House Resolution 5661 

In 2000, an epidemiological study was conducted, and according to Dr. Levin of the 

New York Hospital, 89% of all patients had scarring in the lungs and respiratory problems. 

“We wound up with this. I have the papers in my house. I can’t be exposed to chemicals, 

dust, or fumes. Ultimately, I have a case. Ultimately, there are no doctors here with expertise 

in this area and the cases have to be sent to the United States. Dr. Perdomo, the Secretary 

of Health, met with us. She is fully aware of Dr. Levin’s studies and the results they yielded. 

They said that if some people wound up with the disease then they would pay for their 

treatment.” 

Mr. Adrián Valle, a former supervisor of PREPA, stated at the Committee’s public 

hearing that he was in charge of a group of employees, a line supervisor, and a substation 

supervisor and that he worked there for 10 years. His office is called Durotex. He states that 

the office also had asbestos, and he went to the plants to provide maintenance with his 

people. He retired and 12 years after he had retired he felt a lump under his arm. An 

examination was performed and it was a cancerous lymphoma. Mr. Valle said the following: 

“I went to the fund. There they sent me two doctors called Dr. Masin and Dr. Franco, and 

both determined that I had cancer. Because of my work my co-workers have died of cancer. 

I have a lymphoma between my heart and I had chemotherapy. I am receiving treatment at 

the Torre Hosptial San Francisco Metropolitan and I still have cancer. I had to go into the 

areas of my employees. There are almost none left, as they have all died of cancer. I have 

been found to have four lymphomas. I’m going through all of this. The masks they gave us 

are what are used for painting, and they did not give us equipment. My last co-worker was 

37 years old and I am still alive here fighting. Even other superiors who entered the substations, and many other co-workers do not know their rights. They are already retired and 

do not know if they have conditions for this very reason.” 

Mr. José Hernández, a former employee, informed this Committee of the following: 

“I ask my cardiologist why I have had heart surgery and 4 bypasses. I am a welder, I retired 

in 1994 and they had not yet made masks mandatory. You can never fully remove the 

asbestos found in the rod coating. Anything that becomes fine powder is silica. Many of my 

co-workers have died, one of them was Pellot. I had problems with supervisors, as if I didn’t 

do a task then they would threaten to kick me out. I feel sorry for my co-workers, as many 

of us are damaged. We are all down on our luck with asbestos. I went to the Fund and the 

doctor thought I was looking for money. I didn’t go looking for money, I went looking for 

health. I would like to investigate Dr. Franco. He is a doctor that works for the Fund, the 

Aqueduct and Sewer Authority and the Electric Power Authority. He is the only toxicologist 

in Puerto Rico, and there is a conflict of interest. Who is going to give us justice? If I sleep 

on my side, I feel my lungs swell up. Co-workers have died from lung conditions.” 

Mr. José Nadal also stated the following in the public hearing: “I worked from 1972-

1989 and I was incapacitated. I have been diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary 

Disease which has been certified by the State Insurance Fund. I am being treated for 

asthma. In 1972, for protection, we wore T-shirts as masks to work breaking up asbestos. I 

was a boiler assistant, and in 1989 they had not yet encapsulated the asbestos.” 

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Certified to be a correct and true translation from the source text in Spanish to the target language English. 

 10 / APRIL / 2023 – PHILLIP BERRYMAN ATA-certified Spanish-English # 432118 

By Targem Translations Inc.

Human Resources, Conservation and Environment Committee 6 

First Joint Report 

House Resolution 5661 

Mr. Víctor Morales Cedeño informed this Committee of the following: “I worked for 

23 years and there was no protection. Many residents were probably contaminated. At the 

last moment, PREPA began to provide plastic masks to prevent problems but when 

protection arrived, the damage had already been done. I have a respiratory tract problem. 

The Puerto Rico Testing company that performed tests on me and a co-worker of mine sent 

us to the Medical Center where Dr. Franco certified that I had my condition.” 

Mr. Benito Ayala Pacheco stated in the public hearing the following: “I started at 

PREPA in Aguirre working with asbestos. They sent me to Guayanilla for 2 years and then 

they sent me to Puerto Nuevo, Palo Seco. The Fund said I presented anomalies. I went to 

a private doctor and they said I had Leukemia. The protection was a cloth muzzle and 

nothing else. I would go home with the same clothing. Now I’m suffocating. My plates were 

taken away and lost and I had to take out others.” 

Mr. José A. Otero informed this Committee of the following: “I worked for PREPA 

for 28 years, most of them at the Puerto Nuevo Plant. I was a mechanic. They assigned us 

the duties and they deemed that if we were going to work with asbestos then we had to 

remove it. I worked in the boiler area and there was an asbestos smell. In 1988 I had a 

myocardial infarction. I retired in 2000. In 2002 I was called for an epidemiological study. I 

wound up with calcifications in my lungs, and my chest feels compressed. I am concerned 

that sooner or later it will affect us. In July 2003 we received the results of the asbestos 

epidemiological study.” 

Mr. Carlos Benjamín Morales Ruiz, a III-category bricklayer of the Puerto Rico 

Electric Power Authority, delivered to this Committee an affidavit before notary public 

Milagros Acevedo Colon, dated August 23, 1989, in which he declares that: 

1. That my personal circumstances are as stated above. 

2. That during the years 1981-1982 I worked with the Electric Power Authority as a 

bricklayer and together with 15 or 20 other co-workers we were instructed to work 

at the Palo Seco Plant in Toa Baja, and that we should take a low-bed truck. 

There were other temporary employees there who were assigned to do the work 

during the day. We were tasked with picking up material that was lying on the 

ground, which had fallen out of a boiler duct, and we had to wet it so that it would 

not blow away. The collection was done using shovels and the waste was 

disposed of in garbage barrels. 

3. Once filled, the uncovered barrels were loaded onto the truck. Sometimes there 

were up to 20 or more barrels per trip, and one of the co-workers would guide it 

to a hole that had been made with a digger inside the same plant. 

4. That hole was over 10 feet deep. You could see the seawater at the bottom, and 

it was about 20 or more feet in diameter. It was between the gas turbine and 

Highway #165. The hole was originally smaller, and as it filled up it was covered 

with sand. Another hole was opened up next to it with the digger that was there, 

which was operated by a co-worker who we nicknamed “Morovis.”

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Certified to be a correct and true translation from the source text in Spanish to the target language English. 

 10 / APRIL / 2023 – PHILLIP BERRYMAN ATA-certified Spanish-English # 432118 

By Targem Translations Inc.

Case:17-03283-LTS Doc#:18818-2 Filed:10/26/21 Entered:10/27/21 09:30:54 Desc: 

Envelope Page 1 of 2 

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Exhibit 1 Page 30 of 32
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Exhibit Page 28 of 26 

Certified to be a correct and true translation from the source text in Spanish to the target language English. 

 10 / APRIL / 2023 – PHILLIP BERRYMAN ATA-certified Spanish-English # 432118 

By Targem Translations Inc.

Case:17-03283-LTS Doc#:18818-2 Filed:10/26/21 Entered:10/27/21 09:30:54 Desc: 

Envelope Page 2 of 2 

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Exhibit 1 Page 31 of 32
TRANSLATOR’S CERTIFICATE OF TRANSLATION 

Translat ion from: Spanish (Puerto Rico) into English (US) 

TARGEM Translations Inc. 

I, PHILLIP BERRYMAN, ATA-certified Spanish-English #432118, acting as translator at TARGEM 

Translations Inc., a NEW YORK City corporation, with its principal office at 185 Clymer Street, 

Brooklyn, NY, 11211, USA, certify that: 

the English translated document is a true and accurate translation of the original Spanish and has 

been translated to the best of my knowledge. 

 

Original Document Name: Claim No. 177404 - ECF No 18818 (rev.)

 

 Signed this 10th day of April, 2023 

 

 

 

 Phillip Berryman 

 

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