By The Star Staff
Isabela Mayor Miguel Méndez Pérez said Wednesday that he filed a complaint with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) because of damages caused by a Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (PRASA) plant discharging wastewater into the sea.
“Yes, this is something very terrible that has been happening for a while,” Méndez Pérez told “En Blanco y Negro with Sandra.” “We saw your complaint and acted quickly. I just left the EPA where I filed a complaint.”
The Carey Camp had denounced the illegal discharges after seeing sea turtles trying to swim through the excrement coming out of a PRASA pipeline.
Last year, the EPA conducted an off-site reconnaissance inspection (RI) at the facility.
The RI report found deficiencies and non-compliance with the Clean Water Act and the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit, according to documents posted by the media outlet.
Méndez Pérez told the media outlet that the problem has been occurring for some time. He said he spoke with officials from PRASA and the EPA to find out how the problem will be monitored. He said the discharges are supposed to go into the deep sea and not the coast after exiting the waste treatment plant.