Burning reportedly ceased in 1988. EPA also will investigate groundwater quality to determine whether remedial activities are needed to protect the aquifer that supplies off-site public wells that serve large numbers of residents in Vega Baja. In the past, substantive exposures are likely to have been experienced by salvage workers but cannot be reliably evaluated and quantified. The proposed soil removal and proposed groundwater investigation and any required followup groundwater remediation should minimize the potential for future exposures and adverse human health effects. The site is located about 1 mile west of State Road No. 160 in the Almirante Norte Ward of the municipality of Vega Baja, Puerto Rico.
Total acreage is unknown.
Several small plots within the site were formerly used for dumping plastic-coated electrical cables, electrical equipment, car batteries, and transformers. The total quantity of waste brought onto the site and the date when activities began are not known. Some wastes were burned, presumably to recover copper, aluminum, and lead. Burning reportedly ceased in 1988. Staff observed the former burn locations, heavy vegetation, farming patterns, terrain features, limited accessibility, and the absence of closeby residences and potentially exposed populations.