The island of Culebra, and its associated islands (cayos or keys), are located 17 miles east of the mainland of Puerto Rico and 9 miles north of the island of Vieques.
The Defense Environmental Restoration Program (DERP) was established by Section 211 of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) of 1986.
Between 1903 and 1975, the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps used Culebra to resupply coal on ships, communications, and training. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) divided the island and cayos into project areas in order to prioritize environmental investigations to address the potential presence of munitions (click the Project Area tab to left to see a map and list). This prioritization did not include the area designated as the Northwest Peninsula since the law that authorized transferring the property from the Navy to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico prohibits the use of federal funds for its cleanup. However, Congress did authorize restoration of some recreational areas within the Northwest Peninsula, specifically, portions of the Carlos Rosario, Tamarindo, and Flamenco beaches; Carlos Rosario Trail; and the Flamenco campground.
Click on the tabs to the left to find more information about the projects and to read documents from previous and current investigations.
Map, (Downloadable version)
List of Projects in Culebra, (Downloadable version)
| PROJECT NUMBER |
PROJECT NAME |
PROJECT TYPE |
PHASE |
| 00 |
US Navy Headquarters/ Maintenance Area |
Non Munitions |
Remedial Investigation/ Feasibility Study |
| 01 |
Not Used |
| 02 |
Cerro Balcón Mortar Range and Adjacent Cayos (Land and Water) |
Munitions |
Remedial Investigation/ Feasibility Study |
| 02 |
Cayo del Agua (Land) |
Munitions |
Remedial Investigation/ Feasibility Study |
| 03 |
Flamenco Bay (Water) |
Munitions |
Remedial Investigation/ Feasibility Study |
| 04 |
Flamenco Lagoon Maneuver Area (Land) |
Munitions |
Remedial Investigation/ Feasibility Study |
| 05 |
Mortar and Combat Range Area (Land) |
Munitions |
Remedial Investigation/ Feasibility Study |
| 06 |
Artillery Firing Area (Land) |
Munitions |
Remedial Investigation/ Feasibility Study |
| 07 |
Culebrita Artillery Impact Area (Land and Water) |
Munitions |
Remedial Investigation/ Feasibility Study |
| 07 |
Cayo Botella (Land) |
Munitions |
Remedial Investigation/ Feasibility Study |
| 08 |
Cayo Norte Impact Area (Land) |
Munitions |
Remedial Investigation/ Feasibility Study |
| 09 |
Soldado Point Mortar and Bombing Areas (Land and Water) |
Munitions |
Remedial Investigation/ Feasibility Study |
| 10 |
Defensive Firing Area 1 (Land) |
Munitions |
Remedial Investigation/ Feasibility Study |
| 11 |
Defensive Firing Area 2 (Land) |
Munitions |
Remedial Investigation/ Feasibility Study |
| 12 |
Luis Peña Channel (Water) |
Munitions |
Remedial Investigation/ Feasibility Study |
| 13 |
Cayo Luis Peña Impact Areas (Land and Water) |
Munitions |
Remedial Investigation/ Feasibility Study |
| 14 |
Airport (Land) |
Munitions |
No Action Required |
| 15 |
Community Relations |
On-Going Communication with Community |
| 16 |
Congressionally Authorized Areas within the Northwest Peninsula (Land) |
Munitions |
Interim Removal Action |
Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study Work Plan_Land_MRS 06, 08, 09, 10, 11, 13_2011_Vol I of II
Environmental Baseline Survey_Work Plan_MRS 03 and 12_2012
Environmental Baseline Study_Work Plan_Water_MRS 09 and 13_2012
Environmental Baseline Survey_Work Plan_Water_MRS 02 and 07_2013
Environmental Baseline Survey Report_Water_MRS 02 and 07_2014
Environmental Baseline Survey Report_Water_MRS 02 and 07_2014
Environmental Baseline Survey Report_Water_MRS 03 and 12_2014
Environmental Baseline Survey Report_Water_MRS 09 and 13_2014
Environmental Baseline Survey_Work Plan_Phase II and III_Water_MRS 09, 13_2014
Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study Phase II and III Work Plan_Water_MRS 09 and 13_2014
Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study Phase II Work Plan_Water_MRS 02 and 07_2015
RI-FS_Phase II Work Plan_Water_MRS 03 and 12_2015
Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study Work Plan Addendum_Land_MRS 02, 04, 05 and 07_2015
Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study Phase III Work Plan_Water_MRS 02 and 07_Nov 2016
Remedial Investigation Report_Water_MRS 09 and MRS 13_2016
Quality Assurance Project Plan - Time Critical Removal Action - Cayo del Agua - MRS 02 - November 2016
Quality Assurance Project Plan - Time Critical Removal Action - Cayo Botella - MRS 07 - November 2016
Quality Assurance Project Plan - Northwest Peninsula - MRS 16 - November 2016
Terrestrial Remedial Investigation Report - MRS 06, 08, 09, 10, 11 and 13 - April 2017
Terrestrial Remedial Investigation Report - Appendix A-Maps - MRS 06, 08, 09, 10, 11 and 13 - April 2017
Remedial Investigation Phase 3 Work Plan - MRS 03 and 12 - October 2018
Time Critical Removal Action - Action Memorandum for Congressionally Authorized Areas within the Northwest Peninsula - MRS 16 - October 2019
Site-Specific Final Report - Time Critical Removal Action (TCRA) - Specific Areas within the Northwest Peninsula - November 2019
Final UFP-Quality Assurance Project Plan - Amended - NW Peninsula - MRS 16 - June 2020