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Vieques Island, Puerto Rico - Sectors
Eastern Sector
After acquiring the eastern end of Vieques, during the 1940's the U.S. Navy divided the area into the Atlantic Fleet Weapons Training Facility (AFWTF) and the Eastern Maneuver Area (EMA). The EMA included Camp Garcia, which contained public works facilities to maintain the vehicles, buildings, roads and utilities that were need for military activities on Vieques. The AFWTF was used for military training exercises and included a Live Impact Area, where explosive and non-explosive ordnance was used. On May 1, 2003, Navy ceased all military activities on the island. The U.S. Department of the Navy is now working with EPA and the Puerto Rico Environmental Quality Board (EQB) in conducting an environmental investigation of potential contamination of the property used for military activities to determine what cleanup action is required. EPA is overseeing this work through an Administrative Order on Consent (Consent Order) under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)signed with the Navy. The Consent Order requires the Navy to perform a RCRA Facility Investigation (RFI). The RFI Work Plans, describing the objectives, technical approach, and schedule for a site investigation are available for public review.
On May 1, 2003, the Navy transferred approximately 15,000 acres of its property in eastern Vieques to the U.S. Department of the Interior to be added to the current Vieques National Wildlife Refuge. The land transfer increased the area currently managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to just over 18,000 acres and created the largest national wildlife refuge in the Caribbean. The Vieques National Wildlife Refuge includes habitat for threatened and endangered sea turtles, subtropical dry forest, mangrove lagoons, salt flats and a bioluminescent bay.
EPA Responds to Public Comments on Navy Workplans for Investigation
of Eastern End of Vieques
EPA released responses to public comments on Navy workplans prepared under
the federal Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) for investigations of areas of
possible contamination on the eastern end of Vieques, and community involvement
in the project. EPA and the Navy have made adjustments to the workplans
in response to comments received during a public comment period. EPA will
approve the revised workplans shortly, and the Navy will be responsible
for their implementation.
News Release
Response to Public Comments
October 2003 Public Announcement
October 2003 Community
Interview Questions
Western Sector
The U.S. Navy's property included the Naval Ammunition Support Detachment (NASD), which consisted of approximately 8,000 acres on the western end of Vieques. On April 30, 2001, the Navy transferred this land to the municipality of Vieques, the Puerto Rico Conservation Trust and the U.S. Department of the Interior. The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), commonly known as Superfund, requires that the Navy conduct all necessary investigations and cleanup work to protect human health and the environment from any hazardous substances remaining from past Navy activities on this transferred property. With guidance from EPA and the Puerto Rico Environmental Quality Board (EQB), the Navy is currently investigating seventeen potentially contaminated sites on the western end of Vieques to determine what cleanup actions are needed.
