SWMU 04 Inactive Waste Explosive Open Burn/Detonation Area

SWMU 4 has been undergoing munitions response since 2002; please see the “Munitions Response” page on this website for updates. The old open burn/detonation area (SWMU 04) operated from 1969 to approximately 1979, but may have been used as early as the 1940s. The site is approximately 0.5 miles long and 200 yards wide and is located approximately 0.5 miles from the Caribbean Sea, in the southwest corner of Vieques Island. To protect the public until investigation and cleanup has been completed, the much larger buffer area shown on the map above was been fenced off. When it was operational, SWMU 4 was used for thermal destruction of waste munitions, fuels or propellants. The material to be burned was placed in the open burn area and a squib or other detonator was placed in the waste material. The open burn was then initiated from a safe distance using electrical detonation. In addition, material from the rework of munitions (loose powder and primers) and flares and cartridge-activated devices may also have been disposed at the unit. The inactive open burn/detonation area reportedly was swept for live munitions by an Explosive Ordnance Demolition (EOD) team when it was closed around 1979.   Past Investigations and Actions Environmental Baseline Survey (2000) Expanded Preliminary Assessment/Site Investigation (2000) Remedial Investigation (2007 thru 2008) Current Site Status As of September 2010, discussions are underway with regulatory agencies to determine the path forward for the site. Current Land use Wildlife refuge, fenced off for public safety This photo shows the safety fence around SWMU 4.