EPA proposes removing Corozal well from National Priorities List

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in 2010 the Puerto Rico Health Department detected volatile organic compounds, including tetrachloroethylene, in the aquifer supplying the Santana community well in Corozal. (atsdr.cdc.gov)

By THE STAR STAFF

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed on Tuesday removing the Corozal Well site from the National Priorities List after meeting groundwater cleanup goals and ensuring long-term protections were in place, according to the agency.

“This proposal shows how the Superfund program achieves results,” EPA Regional Administrator Michael Martucci said in a written statement. “Our work with Puerto Rico ensured that the community of Corozal has clean water and demonstrates the long-term success of the cleanup.”

According to the agency, in 2010 the island Health Department detected volatile organic compounds, including tetrachloroethylene, in the aquifer supplying the Santana community well. The well was closed, and in 2011, a granular activated carbon filtration system was installed. In 2012, the site was added to the National Priorities List.

The concentration of tetrachloroethylene in the raw water extracted from the Santana well has decreased since 2011 and is now below the maximum contaminant level. The agency stated that, with the remediation goals met, no additional actions are required under federal Superfund law.

The proposal was published in the Federal Register and will be open to public comment for 30 days. Public comment will be available online, by mail, or in person at public meetings to be announced by the agency.

The Corozal Well site comprises an area of ​​contaminated groundwater with no identified sources in the Palos Blancos neighborhood, on the border of Corozal and Naranjito. The aquifer impacted the Santana Community well, the only source of drinking water for more than 200 people in that rural area.