(New York, N.Y.) The E.P.A. today suggested adding the Dorado Groundwater Contamination Location in the municipality of Dorado, Puerto Rico to its Superfund National Priorities List of the country's most hazardous waste sites. Sampling at the Location has found chemical contamination that is impacting wells used to supply drinking water to the local communities. Exposure to the solvents, which include tetrachloroethylene and trichloroethylene, can have serious health impacts including, damage to the liver and increase the risk of cancer. To protect public health some wells have been closed either temporarily or permanently due to the contamination.
"Ensuring that people have a safe source of drinking water is essential to protecting public health and is an E.P.A. priority," said Judith Enck, E.P.A. Regional Administrator. "By placing this Location on the Superfund list, the E.P.A. can take action to ensure that the residents of Dorado are drinking clean water and the legacy of pollution is addressed."
The Maguayo and Dorado Urbano public water systems have drinking water wells that serve approximately 67,000 people. Groundwater samples collected by the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority found tetrachloroethylene and trichloroethylene, solvents commonly used in industrial processes, in part of the system. The EPA's investigation has not yet identified the source of groundwater contamination in the public supply wells.
After receiving a letter from the Puerto Rico Environmental Quality Board supporting the inclusion of the Dorado Location on the Superfund, the E.P.A. has determined that a listing offers the best course of action to protect human health and clean up the contamination. The Superfund final designation makes sites eligible for funds to conduct long-term cleanups.
The Superfund plan operates on the principle that polluters should pay for the cleanups rather than passing the costs on to taxpayers. The E.P.A. searches for parties legally responsible for contaminating a site, and holds those parties accountable for cleanup costs.
For Federal Register notices and supporting documents for these final and suggested sites, on the day of publication visit:
http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/current.htm
With the suggestion of this Location to the NPL, a 60-day review period will begin during which E.P.A. solicits public input regarding this action. For instructions to submit comments, go to:
http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/pubcom.htm
Comments can be submitted, identified by Docket number by one of the following methods:
Docket number (EPA-HQ-OLEM-2016-0156) for the Dorado site.
http://www.regulations.gov: Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
Email:
[email protected]
Mail: Mail comments (no facsimiles or tapes) to Docket Coordinator, Headquarters; E.P.A.; CERCLA Docket Office; (Mail Code 5305T); 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW; Washington, DC 20460
Hand Delivery or Express Mail: Send comments (no facsimiles or tapes) to Docket Coordinator, Headquarters; E.P.A.; CERCLA Docket Office; 1301 Constitution Avenue, NW; E.P.A. West, Room 3334, Washington, DC 20004. Such deliveries are only accepted during the Docket's normal hours of operation (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding Federal holidays).
For more information on the NPL Location listing process, visit:
http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/current.htm or contact Ildefonso Acosta, Region two NPL Coordinator, at 212-637-4344,
[email protected]
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