The Navy is conducting Environmental Restoration activities on Vieques Island under the CERCLA or “Superfund” process. Oversight is provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Puerto Rico Environmental Quality Board (EQB), the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Puerto Rico Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (DNER).

The Navy began identifying environmental sites on the former Navy properties on Vieques in the late 1980s. Based on interviews with current and retired station personnel, historic records, aerial photographs and field inspections, preliminary studies identified 66 known or potential environmental contamination sites: 16 sites on western Vieques and 50 on eastern Vieques.

Sites in the Vieques Environmental Restoration program are referred to as either:

• Solid Waste Management Unit (SWMU), a site where wastes are known to have been disposed of, or
• Area of Concern (AOC), a site where wastes are suspected on the basis of past use or reported spills.

Potential sites are identified by reviewing historical aerial photos and facility records. These potential sites are referred to as either:

• Preliminary Areas of Concern (PAOC), or
• Photo-Identified areas (PI)

These potential sites may or may not become sites in the Environmental Restoration program, based on further investigation. As of March 2008, 24 PIs and PAOCs are included in the Environmental Restoration program.

In addition to environmental sites, there are 62 potential sites with Munitions and Explosives of Concern (MEC) on the former range on east Vieques and one former munitions disposal site on west Vieques, which are being investigated and cleaned up under the Munitions Response Program. After the munitions removal is completed, the munitions response sites also will be investigated to find out what environmental contamination may be present and what cleanup action is needed.

Environmental Restoration Progress (as of December 2009)

In 2007, this report was further revised to include data from a soil inorganics background investigation report and a field investigation of 8 PIs and PAOCs (PIs 4 and 7, PAOCs J, K, L, N, S, and U) on east Vieques. The PA/SI was submitted for regulatory review in November 2007.

Evaluation of information collected for 10 sites on western Vieques and 11 sites on eastern Vieques indicate that no further action is needed at these sites to protect public health and the environment.

At the remaining 45 sites, either additional data needs to be collected or risk assessments need to be completed, to determine where and what kind of cleanup actions are needed.

National Priorities List and Federal Facility Agreement

In 2005, at the request of the Governor of Puerto Rico, EPA placed the former Navy facilities on Vieques on the National Priorities List (NPL or "Superfund").

In 2007, a Federal Facility Agreement (FFA) was developed and signed by the Navy, EPA, Puerto Rico Environmental Quality Board, and U.S. Department of Interior (the parent agency of USFWS). The purpose of the FFA is to:

• Ensure that environmental sites are thoroughly investigated and that the proper remedial actions are taken as necessary to protect the public and the environment.
• Establish the framework and schedule to develop, implement, and monitor appropriate response actions, according to Federal and Commonwealth law and regulations.
• Facilitate cooperation, exchange of information, and participation among the signing parties.

For more information about the FFA for Vieques, please visit the EPA website.

The areas being investigated under the FFA are shown on this map. Click on the map to pop up a larger version.

Plan of Action (2010)

Removal Actions (2008/2009)

The Navy removed old wastes, debris, and metal scrap from four sites on west Vieques, to eliminate any future risk that people or wildlife could be exposed to contaminants from these sites:

• SWMU 6 – Mangrove Disposal Site at Kiani Lagoon
• SWMU 7 – Quebrada Disposal Site
• AOC J – Former Operations/Staging Area Disposal Site
• AOC R – Former Staging and Operations Area

An Engineering Evaluation/Cost Assessment (EE/CA) was released for public comments in December 2005-January 2006. After EPA, EQB and USFWS approved the Removal Action Work Plan in February 2008, the removal action began.

Profiling samples were collected throughout the debris areas, to determine if any contaminated soil is present that should be removed along with the debris. The wastes were removed and properly disposed of by February 2009.

No Further Action (NFA)

On February 28, 2007, EQB concurred with the No Further Action recommendation submitted by the Navy for nine sites on western Vieques. The concurrence followed submittal of the Final No Further Action Report for Nine Sites, Former Naval Ammunition Support Detachment, Vieques Island, Puerto Rico and was based on EQB’s consideration of both the report and the comments received during a public hearing held by EQB in Vieques in January 2004.

The No Further Action recommendation was based on several data sources including: review of historical aerial photos, interviews with former employees, review of archived records, and site inspections. Samples were collected at the sites and analyzed for inorganics (metals), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and pesticides. Finally, a quantitative human health risk assessment and a qualitative ecological survey were completed for each site. The human health risk assessment concluded the sites pose little or no risk to human health.

In September 2007, the Navy and EPA, in consultation with EQB and the Municipality of Vieques, agreed that no further action is needed at another site (AOC H) on western Vieques and that no restrictions on future land use are necessary. The No Further Action recommendation was based on the Remedial Investigation (RI) report for the site. A Proposed Plan was released for public review. A public meeting was held on February 7, 2008. No other public comments received during the 45-day comment period. A Record of Decision is currently being prepared to document the decision.

The 10 sites approved or recommended for no further action, all located on land that is administered by the Municipality of Vieques in western Vieques, are:

• SWMU 05 – Former Inhibited Red Fuming Nitric Acid/Mixed Amine Fuels (IRFNA/MAF) Disposal Site
• SWMU 10 – Former Waste Paint and Solvents Disposal Ground
• SWMU 14 – Former Wash Rack
• SWMU 15 – Former Waste Transportation Vehicle Parking Area
• AOC B – Former Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP)
• AOC C – Drainage Ditch at Former Transportation Shop
• AOC F – Former UIC Septic Tank
• AOC H – Former Power Plant
• AOC K – Former Water Well
• AOC L – Abandoned Septic Tank

The No Further Action decisions for these sites do not include or affect actions at other cleanup sites on Vieques.

East Vieques NFA sites

The Preliminary Assessment/Site Inspection (PA/SI) presents the data that was collected and analyzed for 12 SWMUs/AOCs and 8 PIs/PAOCs on East Vieques. Of the remaining PI/PAOC sites, 16 are currently included in the Environmental Restoration Program. In October 2007, the regulatory agencies and the Navy conducted a site visit to the majority of the remaining PIs/PAOCs. Based on this information, the following areas on east Vieques are recommended for no further action. A Site Inspection/Expanded Site Inspection will be performed at the remaining 11 PIs/PAOCs.

After regulatory review of the revised PA/SI report and further discussion with EPA and EQB, a No Further Action decision document was prepared for some or all of these areas.

Environmental sites:

• SWMU 5 – Spent Battery Accumulation Area
• SWMU 8 – Waste Oil Accumulation Area
• SWMU 12 – Solid Waste Collection Unit Area (formerly AOC B)
• AOC F – Rock Quarry

Photo-Identified areas:

• PI-11 – Pump house used for the former wastewater treatment system and/or salt water supply system
• PI-20 – Area used as observation point during landing exercises  

Preliminary Areas of Concern: