Cabo Rojo Ground Water Contamination

⚠ Superfund · Cleanup underway

On May 9, 2019, EPA signed the Record of Decision (ROD) that identifies the selected remedy to address the soil and groundwater contamination at the Site.

Location

CityCabo Rojo
CountyCabo Rojo County
StatePuerto Rico
Coordinates18.09072, -67.14832

Contaminants of concern

Contaminated media

Cleanup timeline

  1. Initial Assessment Completed — 12/17/2007
  2. Proposed to the National Priorities List — 10/21/2010
  3. Finalized on the National Priorities List — 03/10/2011
  4. Remedial Investigation Started — 03/10/2011
  5. Final Remedy Selected — 05/09/2019
  6. Remedial Action Started — 03/13/2024
  7. Final Remedial Action Started — Estimated Jun - Aug 2028
  8. Construction Completed — Not Yet Achieved
  9. Deleted from National Priorities List — Not Yet Achieved
  10. Most Recent Five-Year Review — Not Yet Achieved

EPA references

EPA-regulated facilities nearby

Understanding this Superfund site

Cabo Rojo Ground Water Contamination is a federal Superfund site in Puerto Rico. The Superfund program, created by Congress in 1980, addresses sites where hazardous substances have been released or threaten release into the environment. EPA scores potential sites using the Hazard Ranking System; those that score high enough are placed on the National Priorities List.

Current status: Cleanup underway. Active cleanup is underway, meaning EPA has approved a remediation plan and work is in progress. Cleanup timelines vary widely — some sites take decades depending on contamination depth, groundwater involvement, and funding availability.

EPA has identified 5 contaminants of concern at this site, including 1,1-dichloroethene, chloroethene (vinyl chloride), cis-1,2-dichloroethene. Contamination has been detected in groundwater, soil gas, soil.

If you live near this site and have health concerns, your state health department can provide site-specific guidance. EPA maintains a community involvement program for most NPL sites, and site documents — including the Record of Decision, five-year reviews, and public health assessments — are typically available through EPA's Superfund site profile.