Defense Infrastructure: Environmental Cleanup of Former Naval	 
Facilities on Vieques (26-MAR-07, GAO-07-552R). 		 
                                                                 
This report responds to Congress's request that GAO determine the
status and estimated costs of environmental cleanup on the island
of Vieques. For decades, the U.S. Navy conducted ship-to-shore	 
bombing exercises and other live-fire training activities on the 
island, which is located off the coast of Puerto Rico. The Navy  
ceased its operations on Vieques in 2003. The Navy has		 
transferred the land to the Municipality of Vieques and the	 
Puerto Rico Conservation Trust for conservation purposes and to  
the Department of the Interior. Although the land has been	 
transferred, the Navy remains responsible for environmental	 
cleanup. The cleanup is being carried out under the Defense	 
Environmental Restoration Program (DERP) that consists of (1) the
Installation Restoration Program, which addresses cleanup of	 
hazardous substances, and (2) the Military Munitions Response	 
Program, which addresses cleanup of munitions.			 
-------------------------Indexing Terms------------------------- 
REPORTNUM:   GAO-07-552R					        
    ACCNO:   A67285						        
  TITLE:     Defense Infrastructure: Environmental Cleanup of Former  
Naval Facilities on Vieques					 
     DATE:   03/26/2007 
  SUBJECT:   Conservation					 
	     Contamination					 
	     Environmental cleanups				 
	     Land management					 
	     Land transfers					 
	     Military facilities				 
	     Munitions						 
	     Program evaluation 				 
	     Cost estimates					 
	     DOD Defense Environmental Restoration		 
	     Program						 
                                                                 
	     EPA National Priorities List			 
	     Vieques (Puerto Rico)				 

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GAO-07-552R

   

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March 26, 2007

The Honorable Charles B. Rangel
House of Representatives

Subject: Defense Infrastructure: Environmental Cleanup of Former Naval
Facilities on Vieques

Dear Mr. Rangel:

This report responds to your request that we determine the status and
estimated costs of environmental cleanup on the island of Vieques. For
decades, the U.S. Navy conducted ship-to-shore bombing exercises and other
live-fire training activities on the island, which is located off the
coast of Puerto Rico. The Navy ceased its operations on Vieques in 2003.
The Navy has transferred the land to the Municipality of Vieques and the
Puerto Rico Conservation Trust for conservation purposes and to the
Department of the Interior. Although the land has been transferred, the
Navy remains responsible for environmental cleanup. The cleanup is being
carried out under the Defense Environmental Restoration Program (DERP)
that consists of (1) the Installation Restoration Program, which addresses
cleanup of hazardous substances, and (2) the Military Munitions Response
Program, which addresses cleanup of munitions.

We obtained information on the status and estimated costs of environmental
cleanup on Vieques from the Department of the Navy. We performed our work
from January through March 2007 in accordance with generally accepted
government auditing standards.

Summary

The Navy has identified 37 potentially contaminated sites on Vieques that
fall under the installation restoration program. The Navy concluded that
no further action was required for 9 of these sites, and the remaining 28
sites are in various phases of the cleanup process. The Navy has allocated
about $18.1 million for the investigation and cleanup of these sites
through fiscal year 2006 and estimates that an additional $15.2 million is
needed to complete cleanup.

The Navy has begun the surface removal of munitions on both the east and
west sides of Vieques under the munitions response program. In fiscal
years 2007 and 2008, the Navy plans to continue surface removal of
munitions on eastern Vieques and to begin subsurface munitions clearance
on beaches on the eastern and western sides and other selected areas on
western Vieques that have been surface cleared. The Navy has allocated
about $35.4 million for the removal and investigation of munitions cleanup
of Vieques through fiscal year 2006, and has programmed an additional
$235.3 million for cleanup. The Navy's cost estimates for munitions
cleanup could change depending on the outcome of the site investigations
and the final reuse plan developed by the Department of the Interior.

Background

On February 11, 2005, in response to a request from the Governor of Puerto
Rico, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) listed Vieques Island on
the National Priorities List (NPL) of seriously contaminated sites. The
areas of Vieques listed on the NPL encompass the western side of the
island, where the Navy stored and disposed of munitions at the former
Naval Ammunition and Support Detachment, and on the eastern side, where
the Navy conducted live-fire training exercises in the eastern maneuver
area, as shown in figure 1.

Figure 1: Former Navy Land on Vieques

In April 2001, the Navy transferred about 5,000 acres of land on the
western side of the island to the Municipality of Vieques and the Puerto
Rico Conservation Trust and about 3,100 acres to the Department of the
Interior. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002^1
required the Navy to close its installations on the eastern end of the
island, and to transfer that land to the Department of the Interior. In
April 2003, the Navy transferred about 14,700 acres on the eastern side of
the island to the Department of the Interior, which combined that acreage
with the 3,100 acres transferred in 2001 to establish the Vieques National
Wildlife Refuge and Wilderness Area under the management of the Fish and
Wildlife Service. The act stipulated that the Department of the Interior
administer 900 acres on the eastern tip of the island, which was the
live-impact area of the former bombing range, as a wilderness area. The
law prohibits public access to this area. The act does not prohibit public
access to the remaining 13,800 acres on the eastern side of the island.
The extent of public access in this area will be governed by the refuge
comprehensive conservation plan, to be prepared by the Fish and Wildlife
Service, which will identify the refuge goals, long-term objectives, and
strategies for achieving refuge purposes.

^1 Pub. L. No. 107-107, S 1049 (2001).

The Navy remains responsible for cleanup of environmental problems on its
former properties. The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation,
and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA), as amended,^2 authorizes cleanup
actions at federal facilities where there is a release of a hazardous
substance into the environment or the threat of such a release. The CERCLA
process generally includes the following phases and activities:
preliminary assessment, site inspection, remedial investigation and
feasibility study, remedial design and remedial action, and long-term
monitoring. (An explanation of these phases is provided in enc. I.) The
Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986^3 added provisions to
CERCLA specifically governing the cleanup of federal facilities and, among
other things, required the Secretary of Defense to carry out the DERP. The
DERP consists of two subprograms: (1) the Installation Restoration
Program, which addresses cleanup of hazardous substances, and (2) the
Military Munitions Response Program, which addresses cleanup of munitions,
including unexploded ordnance and the contaminants and metals related to
the munitions.

Installation Restoration Program

The Navy has identified 37 potentially contaminated installation
restoration sites on Vieques. (Enc. II provides information on each site.)
The status of installation site cleanup on the western and eastern sides
of Vieques is described below.

           o Western Vieques (17 sites). The Navy concluded that no further
           action was required for 9 sites. According to Navy officials, EPA
           and the technical staff of the Puerto Rico Environmental Quality
           Board concurred with the Navy's recommendation for no further
           action at these sites. However, the board's senior management
           deferred final approval until a public hearing was conducted.
           Although a public hearing was held in January 2004, the board did
           not provide the community with a final decision. As a result, the
           Navy is
           currently developing a plan to provide for a public review and
           comment period.

           Remedial investigations are ongoing at the eight other sites. Risk
           assessments for three of those sites are anticipated to be
           completed by the third quarter of fiscal year 2007, and for
           another site in the first quarter of fiscal year 2008. The Navy
           has developed a removal action plan for the four remaining sites
           that is anticipated to be implemented by the fourth quarter of
           fiscal year 2007.

           o Eastern Vieques (20 sites). A preliminary assessment/site
           inspection has been completed for the 20 eastern sites. A soil
           background investigation is ongoing to establish background levels
           for naturally occurring metals in the soils. The background
           investigation, anticipated to be completed by the end of 2007,
           will determine which sites will be recommended for remedial
           investigation and which sites will be recommended for no further
           actions.

^2 Pub. L. No. 96-510 (1980), as amended.

^3 Pub. L. No. 99-499, S 120 and S 211 (1986).

The Navy has allocated about $18.1 million for the investigation and
cleanup of installation restoration sites through fiscal year 2006 and
estimates that an additional $15.2 million is needed to complete cleanup,
as shown in table 1.

Table 1: Navy Cost Estimate for Cleanup of Installation Restoration Sites
on Vieques

Dollars in thousands
Fiscal year     Western Eastern   Total 
2007               $520  $2,351  $2,871 
2008                226   1,993  $2,219 
2009                211   1,691  $1,902 
2010                182     179    $361 
2011                203   1,597  $1,800 
2012 and beyond      92   6,003  $6,095 
Total            $1,434 $13,814 $15,248 

Source: Department of the Navy.

The Navy's cost estimates for installation restoration sites are based on
the type and extent of contamination identified to date and the remedies
it assumes would be adequate to prevent human exposure. Actual costs could
differ, depending on the outcome of the site investigations and the final
selection of remedial actions.

Military Munitions Response Program

The Navy has begun the surface removal of munitions on both the east and
west sides of Vieques. In fiscal year 2007 and 2008, the Navy plans to
continue surface removal of munitions on eastern Vieques and to begin
subsurface munitions clearance on beaches on the eastern and western sides
and other selected areas on western Vieques that have been surface
cleared. The status of munitions cleanup on the western and eastern sides
of Vieques is described below.

           o Western Vieques. A 100-acre surface munitions clearance was
           competed in fiscal year 2003, and surface clearance at the former
           open burn/open detonation site^4 will be conducted in fiscal years
           2007 and 2008.

           o Eastern Vieques. A preliminary assessment/site inspection
           identified approximately 9,000 acres potentially affected by
           munitions and explosives of concern in the former eastern maneuver
           area. Approximately 1,100 acres, which includes the former
           live-impact area, is currently undergoing a time-critical removal
           action to remove munitions from the surface. A total of 290 acres
           (225 acres inland and 65 acres of beaches) have been surfaced
           cleared. The Navy expects to complete surface removal of the
           remaining 810 acres covered by the time-critical removal action by
           2010. The cleanup of the remaining 7,900 acres potentially
           affected by munitions will depend on the results of future site
           investigations and the final comprehensive conservation plan being
           developed by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the Department of
           the Interior.

^4 The open burn/open detonation site was used to destroy excess,
obsolete, or unserviceable munitions.

The Navy has allocated about $35.4 million for the investigation of
munitions cleanup of Vieques through fiscal year 2006, and has programmed
an additional $235.2 million for cleanup, as shown in table 2.

Table 2: Navy Cost Estimate for Munitions Cleanup on Vieques

Dollars in thousands
Fiscal year     Western  Eastern    Total 
2007             $1,538  $20,000  $21,538 
2008              1,000   19,000  $20,000 
2009              1,000   19,000  $20,000 
2010              1,000   19,000  $20,000 
2011              1,000   19,000  $20,000 
2012 and beyond     115  133,643 $133,758 
Total            $5,653 $229,643 $235,296 

Source: Department of the Navy.

The Navy's cost estimates for munitions cleanup are based on the remedies
it assumes would be adequate to prevent human exposure. Actual costs could
differ, depending on the outcome of the site investigations and the final
Comprehensive Conservation Plan being developed by the Department of the
Interior.

Agency Comments

We received technical comments from DOD, which we incorporated as
appropriate.

_____________________________

We are sending copies of this report to the Secretary of Defense and other
interested parties. We will provide copies of this report to others upon
request. In addition, the report will be available at no charge on the GAO
Web site at http:/www.gao.gov.

If you or your staff have any questions on the information discussed in
this report, please feel free to contact me at (202) 512-4523 or
[email protected] . Contact points for our offices of Congressional
Relations and Public Affairs may be found on the last page of this report.
Key contributors to this report were Mike Kennedy, Assistant Director;
Susan Ditto; and Karen Kemper.

Sincerely yours,

Brian Lepore
Acting Director, Defense Capabilities and Management

Enclosures - 2

Enclosure I

                      CERCLA Cleanup Phases and Activities

The CERCLA process generally includes the following phases and activities.

           o Preliminary Assessment (PA). Available information is collected
           regarding contamination, including a search of historical records,
           to confirm whether a potential environmental contamination or
           military munitions hazard could be present and to determine
           whether further action is needed.

           o Site Inspection (SI). This step usually involves a walk around
           the site by an environmental engineer and may involve some limited
           soil and water sampling, including an analysis to determine the
           extent and source(s) of the hazards.

           o Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS). More rigorous
           statistical sampling and analysis is conducted at this phase to
           determine the exact nature and extent of the contamination;
           determine whether cleanup action is needed; and, if so, select
           alternative cleanup approaches. These include removal, limiting
           public contact, determining no further action is warranted, or
           cleaning of the hazardous media (soil, air, or water) on site.

           o Remedial Design/Remedial Action. This phase involves designing
           and constructing the actual cleanup remedies, such as a pump and
           treat facility for groundwater, or removing munitions.

           o Long-term Monitoring. At this phase, parties responsible for the
           cleanup periodically review the remedy in place to ensure its
           continued effectiveness, including checking for unexploded
           ordnance and educating the public.

Enclosure II

                   Installation Restoration Sites on Vieques

Site     Description                       Status    
                                               Navy      CERCLA   Estimated   
                                            proposed no phase-in  completion  
                                              further   progress              
                                              action                          
Western  
Vieques  
05       Former fuel disposal site            X                            
10       Former waste paint and solvents      X                            
            disposal site                                                     
14       Former wash rack                     X                            
15       Former waste transportation          X                            
            vehicle parking area                                              
B        Former wastewater treatment          X                            
            plant                                                             
C        Drainage ditch                       X                            
F        Former septic tank                   X                            
K        Former water well                    X                            
L        Abandoned septic tank                X                            
04       Inactive open burn/open                        RI    1^st quarter 
            detonation area                                        FY 2008    
E        Underground waste oil storage                  RI    3^rd quarter 
            tank                                                   FY 2007    
H        Former power plant                             RI    3^rd quarter 
                                                                   FY 2007    
I        Former asphalt plant                           RI    3^rd quarter 
                                                                   FY 2007    
06       Mangrove disposal site                       NTCRA   4^th quarter 
                                                                   FY 2007    
07       Disposal site                                NTCRA   4^th quarter 
                                                                   FY 2007    
J        Former staging area disposal                 NTCRA   4^th quarter 
            site                                                   FY 2007    
R        Former operations and staging                NTRCA   4^th quarter 
            area                                                   FY 2007    
Subtotal               17                     9         8                  
western                                                                    
Eastern  
Vieques  
01       Camp Garcia landfill                         PA/SI   1^st quarter 
                                                                   FY 2008    
02       Former fuels off-loading site                PA/SI   1^st quarter 
                                                                 FY 2008      
04       Former waste areas of building               PA/SI   1^st quarter 
            303                                                  FY 2008      
05       Former spent battery                         PA/SI   1^st quarter 
            accumulation area                                    FY 2008      
06       Former waste oil and paint                   PA/SI   1^st quarter 
            accumulation area                                    FY 2008      
07       Former waste oil accumulation                PA/SI   1^st quarter 
            area                                                 FY 2008      
08       Former waste oil accumulation                PA/SI   1^st quarter 
            area                                                 FY 2008      
10       Former sewage treatment lagoons              PA/SI   1^st quarter 
                                                                 FY 2008      
12       Former solid waste collection                PA/SI   1^st quarter 
            unit area                                            FY 2008      
A        Former diesel fuel fill pipe                 PA/SI   1^st quarter 
            area                                                 FY 2008      
F        Rock quarry                                  PA/SI   1^st quarter 
                                                                 FY 2008      
G        Former pump station and                      PA/SI   1^st quarter 
            chlorination building                                FY 2008      
            8 ground-scarred areas                       PA/SI   1^st quarter 
                                                                 FY 2008      
Subtotal               20                     0         20                 
eastern                                                                    
Total                  37                     9         28                 

Source: Department of the Navy.

Note: NTCRA means non-time-critical removal action.

(350972)

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