All News Releases By Date

EPA to Meet with the Public on the Future of Aguadilla Municipal Landfill

Release Date: 04/17/2007
Contact Information: Richard Cahill (212) 637-3666, [email protected]; Brenda Reyes (787) 977-5869, [email protected]

(San Juan, P.R.) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hold a public meeting in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico on April 18, 2007 to hear what people have to say about the terms of the Agency’s order to the municipality to close its existing landfill.

“The fact is that the Commonwealth has a serious solid waste management problem and we need to address it expeditiously and comprehensively, and every legitimate option has to be explored,” said EPA Regional Administrator Alan J. Steinberg. “While we recognize the need for landfills, some of the landfills are so poorly run the only responsible thing is to close them in order to protect the health of the surrounding communities. Along with landfills, the commonwealth also needs to promote reduction of waste, recycling and waste to energy plants.”

In October 2006, EPA sent a proposed order to the municipality of Aguadilla to close the landfill because, after being operated in an unsafe manner over a long period of time, it poses a potential threat to drinking water sources (both ground water and surface water) and surrounding land and water. The landfill closure proposal calls for the existing landfill to stop receiving wastes, to have appropriate closure measures completed by the spring of 2010 and for post-closure monitoring and maintenance of the landfill.

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) is the federal law that governs solid and hazardous waste management. It is the basis of EPA’s authority in negotiating this proposed order and its terms bind the consenting parties to comply with deadlines for action or face potential financial penalties.

A notice announcing the public meeting was published in the Primera Hora newspaper on April 9, 2007. The April 18 public meeting in Aguadilla will be from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM at the Luis A. Ferre Room, Municipal Government Center Annex, San Carlos Avenue and Garcia Mendez Street. At the meeting, Agency officials will summarize the proposed Order on Consent and provide time for public comments. Copies of the proposed Order are available for review at EPA’s office at Centro Europa Building, Suite 417, Ponce de Leon Avenue in San Juan and at the Municipal Permit Office in the Municipal Government Center Annex in Aguadilla. EPA welcomes written public comments on the proposed Order, which must be received by April 29, 2007 and mailed to the following address:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2
Philip Flax, Presiding Officer
RCRA Compliance Branch
290 Broadway, 22nd Floor
New York, New York 10007-1866

EPA will carefully evaluate and consider all comments. For more information on landfills in Puerto Rico visit; https://www.epa.gov/region02/cepd/solidwaste_in_puerto_rico.html

(07-044)