DERP-FUDS Culebra Island Puerto Rico

May 2023

FACT SHEET

DERP-FUDS Culebra, Puerto Rico
Defense Environmental Restoration Program (DERP)
Congressional District: Puerto Rico

1. DESCRIPTION

Culebra is located about 17 miles east of the main island of Puerto Rico. The Culebra property, consisting of Culebra Island and surrounding cayos, was acquired via land transfers, purchases, donations, and leases, and was utilized as a coaling and communications station, for aerial bombing, maneuvers, naval gun, artillery firing, and amphibious training by the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Navy during various periods between 1903 and 1975. All lands were transferred from Navy control prior to 1986 except for 68.83 acres near Flamenco Point.

Program and projects are appropriated under Defense Environmental Restoration Program – Formerly Used Defense Sites (DERP-FUDS). The Culebra property was approved for inclusion in the DERP by an Inventory Project Report (INPR) and Findings and Determination of Eligibility dated May 1991. In July 2005, the INPR was revised to clarify further the military’s use of Culebra. To facilitate the management of cleanup and decontamination activities, the Culebra property was initially delineated into fifteen (15) projects: an Installation Restoration Program (IRP) site, projects to address thirteen (13) Munitions Response Sites (MRS) under the Military Munitions Response Program (MMRP), and a Community Relations project.

Based on historical research and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Site Inspection (SI), the Culebra property has been prioritized for Remedial Investigation for munitions and explosives of concern (MEC) and munitions debris (MD), apart from the area on Culebra Island designated as the Northwest Peninsula (NWP). Per Public Law (PL) 93-166, the NWP cannot be remediated using federal funding; however, that was modified by Fiscal Year (FY) 15 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) language (PL 113-291). Section 317 of PL 113-291 states the Secretary of the Army may expend funds to decontaminate certain public use areas within the NWP of unexploded ordnance (UXO). The specific areas authorized within the NWP are portions of Carlos Rosario Beach, Flamenco Beach, Tamarindo Beach, the campground, and Carlos Rosario Trail. Upon authorization to expend funds to decontaminate the NWP, a MMRP project (MRS 16) was approved and added in June 2016 to include these areas. The intent was to ensure UXO are removed from these areas, thereby allowing their safe use for their current recreational purposes. This authorization does not specify cleanup of other environmental contaminants, including munitions constituents. The remaining acreage of that portion of the NWP controlled by the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico remains the responsibility of the Commonwealth to restrict access and/or provide remediation.

2. FUNDING

Estimated Total Cost $533,451,000
Estimated Total Cost to Complete $467,258,000
Allocation thru FY22 $64,513,000
Allocation for FY23 $1,680,000

 

3. STATUS

  1. The SI was completed in 2007 on areas not within the NWP footprint. The SI recommended twelve of thirteen MRSs to proceed to the Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) phase; 10 sites are on land with 8 having a water component, and 2 sites are totally within the water. Each underwater remedial investigation was conducted in three phases. The first phase consisted of an Environmental Baseline Survey to identify the bathymetric, plant (i.e., seagrass) and coral features of each area to be investigated. Emphasis was placed on identifying Endangered Species Act-listed species and their supporting habitats. The second phase was an electro-magnetic (geophysical) survey to identify possible munitions items or debris that might be present. The third phase was the intrusive investigation of items identified during the second phase and it consisted of excavating and/or disposing of any munitions, subject to listed species considerations.
  2.  During the SI, USACE determined that there was no evidence of either the presence of munitions or environmental contamination from the military’s use within MRS 14. This area achieved Response Complete (RC) in 2009.
  3.  All RI fieldwork (land and water) for all authorized MRSs as well as for the IRP site has been completed.
  4. There are currently two completed MRSs (No Action; MRSs 14 and 17) while the remaining eleven MRSs are scheduled to have Decision Documents (DD) signed between FY23-FY25 with RC scheduled for FY24-FY34 (assumes no constraints on funding). The IRP site is scheduled for completion in FY24 at conclusion of the RI/FS phase. Table 1, “Project List and Current Schedule,” which is provided at the of this fact sheet, provides a list and updated response schedule for each project site.
  5. All actions associated with the Time Critical Removal Action (TCRA) to decontaminate the NWP of Culebra are complete. As a result of the TCRA, a total of 31 munitions that were determined to be UXO were destroyed and removed from the Congressionally authorized areas in the NWP. Over 72,800 pounds of MD was assessed by trained personnel and determined to pose no explosive hazard; following completion of this assessment, the MD was processed and recycled. With completion of the TCRA, the Secretary of the Army has reached the conclusion that the goal of Congress under PL 113-291 for these areas has been met.
  6. USACE has implemented and maintained a robust 3Rs (Recognize, Retreat, Report) Explosives Safety Education Program. The 3Rs Program informs the public of the military’s past use of Culebra, the potential to encounter and dangers associated with munitions, and the actions to take should they encounter or suspect they have encountered a munition. The extensive community outreach incorporated in the 3Rs Program includes holding community meetings, completing mailings to each mailbox holder on Culebra, and having teams on the ground during high-visitor periods to distribute 3Rs Program safety and education materials to hundreds of visitors at arrival points and businesses frequented by tourists.

Table 1: MRS List and Current Schedule

MRS

Area (Acreage)

Category

CERCLA Phase

Fieldwork 

RI/FS Reports (Land/Water) 

Decision Document (Land/Water)

00 - Navy HQ Area

Land (0.92)

IRP

RI/FS

Complete

FY23

FY24

Project Designation "01" - Not Used

02 - Culebra Adjacent Cays - MRS 02

Land/Water (1,005.4)

MMRP 

RI/FS

Complete

Complete/FY23

FY23/FY25

02 – Cayo del Agua (TCRA)- MRS 02

Land (5.34)

MMRP

TCRA

Complete

Complete

FY16

03 - Flamenco Bay Water Area - MRS 03

Water (195)

MMRP 

RI/FS

Complete

FY23

FY25

04 - Flamenco Beach Maneuver Area- MRS 04

Land (51.2)

MMRP 

RI/FS

Complete

Complete

Complete
04 - Flamenco Beach Maneuver Area- MRS 04 Land (51.2) MMRP  RD/RA-C FY25 FY27 FY22

05 - Mortar and Combat Range Area - MRS 05 

Land (1,883.7)

MMRP 

RI/FS

Complete

Complete

FY23

06 - Artillery Firing Area -MRS 06

Land (826)

MMRP 

RI/FS

Complete

FY23

FY25

07 - Culebrita and Cayo Botellla Impact Area-MRS 07

Land/Water (375)

MMRP 

RI/FS

Complete

Complete/FY23

FY23/FY25

07 – Cayo Botella (TCRA)- MRS 07

Land (3.93)

MMRP

TCRA

Complete

Complete

FY16

08 - Cayo Norte Impact Area - MRS 08

Land (306)

MMRP

RI/FS

Complete

FY23

FY25

09 - Soldado Point Mortar and Bombing Area - MRS 09

Land/Water (328)

MMRP

RI/FS

 Complete

FY23/FY23

FY25/FY25

10 - Defensive Firing Area 1- MRS 10

Land (547)

MMRP 

RI/FS

Complete

FY23/FY23

FY25/FY25

11 - Defensive Firing Area 2 - MRS 11

Land (719)

MMRP 

RI/FS

Complete

FY23/FY23

FY25/FY25

12 - Luis Peña Channel- MRS 12

Water (835)

MMRP 

RI/FS

Complete

FY23

FY25
MRS Area (Acreage) Category

CERCLA Phase

Fieldwork Reports (Land/Water) Decision Document (Land/water)

13 - Cayo Luis Peña Impact Areas- MRS 13

Land/Water (864)

MMRP

RI/FS

 Complete

FY23/FY23

FY25/FY25

14 - Airport-MRS 14

Land (416)

No Further Action Indicated, Not Applicable

15- Community Relations   Community Relations Project

16 – Congressionally Authorized Areas within the Northwest Peninsula (USACE references this site as MRS 16 for consistency and record keeping)

Land (31.83)

MMRP

N/A (TCRA)

Complete

Complete

N/A
17- Remaining Lands Land (1,527) MMRP N/A Complete Complete Complete
 

CERCLA- Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act                         

IRP- Installation Restoration Program                                                                                                       

MMRP- Military Munitions Response Program                                                                                           

MRS-Munitions Response Site or "UXO Decontamination Site" for NWP                                           

RI/FS - Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study                                                                                     

TCRA- Time Critical Removal Action                                                                                                             

RD- Remedial Design                                                                                                                                       

RA -C- Remedial Action-Construction                                                                                                         

N/A - Not Applicable as a Decision Document is not Required in this phase.

 

 

DERP FUDS Culebra Island Puerto Rico Map

DERP FUDS Culebra Puerto Rico Map of Southern portion of Northwest Peninsula Public Access Map