The Vieques Project > Potential Contaminant Sources & Site-Related Contamination > Atlantic Fleet Weapons Training Area

Site-Related Contamination

Atlantic Fleet Weapons Training Area

The Atlantic Fleet Weapons Training Area (AFWTA) site is on Vieques Island in the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.  The site encompasses areas of Vieques Island that have been used by the U.S. Navy for military training (USEPA 2005a).

During the early 1940s, the U.S. Navy acquired approximately 10,000 ha (25,000 acres) on the western and eastern sides of Vieques Island.  From the 1940s until 2003, the U.S. Navy used Vieques Island for military training exercises, which included naval gunfire and aerial bombing.  In 2001, the U.S. Navy transferred ownership of approximately 3,000 ha (7,500 acres) of land on the western side of the island to the municipality of Vieques, the Puerto Rico Conservation Trust, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) (USEPA 2004a).  On May 1, 2003, the U.S. Navy ceased all military operations on and around the island and transferred its property on the eastern side of the island to the USFWS (USEPA 2004a).  The land on the eastern side of the island was then designated as a national wildlife refuge.  Approximately 9,300 civilian Puerto Ricans live in the residential section of the island, which is between the two sections of Vieques previously owned by the U.S. Navy (USEPA 2005a).

Since 2000, the U.S. Navy has been working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) to complete an environmental investigation of the eastern side of the island under the guidelines of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).  Investigations of the western side of the island have been conducted and continue to be conducted by the U.S. Navy and USEPA under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA).  A Federal Facilities Agreement (FFA) is currently being developed between the U.S. Navy, the Puerto Rico Environmental Quality Board, the USEPA, and the U.S. Department of Interior.  Once the FFA is completed and signed by all parties, further investigations on both the eastern and western sides of the island will be conducted under CERCLA guidance (U.S. Navy 2005).

The AFWTA site was proposed to the National Priorities List (NPL) in August 2004 and was placed on the NPL in February 2005 (USEPA 2005b).

The primary pathways for the migration of contaminants from the site to NOAA trust resources and the adjacent marine habitat vary by source area and include groundwater, surface water runoff, and sediment transport.

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Eastern Side of Vieques Island

U.S. Navy facilities on the eastern side of the island are the Atlantic Fleet Weapons Training Facility (AFWTF) and the Eastern Maneuver Area (EMA).  The AFWTF is composed of the Surface Impact Area (SIA), the Live Impact Area (LIA), and the Eastern Conservation Area (ATSDR 2003b).  From 1964 to 2003, the LIA was used for aerial bombing and naval gunfire training.  During that time, the LIA was mostly undeveloped with the exception of targets used for military training (CH2M HILL 2001a).  Before 1978, the SIA was used as a target area for artillery practice (ATSDR 2003b).  Artillery was also fired from the SIA and EMA into the LIA and SIA (CH2M HILL 2005a).  Support facilities for military activities on the eastern side of the island were located at Camp Garcia in the EMA and included waste disposal, sewage treatment, and vehicle maintenance facilities.  The only other developed area within the AFWTF is Observation Post 1, which is in the SIA.  Military training on the eastern side of the island was controlled from Observation Post 1 (NFEC 2003).

Table 2 summarizes the major possible sources of contamination identified on the eastern side of the island at the time this report was prepared.  The sources of contamination are referred to as SWMU & AOC management units (SWMUs) and areas of concern (AOCs).

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Western Side of Vieques Island

The Atlantic Fleet of the U.S. Navy used the Naval Ammunition Support Detachment (NASD) on the western side of the island to receive, store, and issue all ordnance in support of training activities at the AFWTF (CH2M HILL 2000).  Munitions were stored in numerous bunkers throughout the former NASD. Unusable munitions were detonated at SWMU 4 at the western end of the NASD (Program Management Company 2000).  The only other significant developments at the former NASD consist of the main operations area in the northeast portion of the facility, the Mount Pirata military radio antennas in the southwest portion of the facility, and the Relocateable Over the Horizon Radar (ROTHR) facility in the southeastern portion of the facility. The ROTHR facility is part of a surveillance system used to monitor air and maritime traffic (Program Management Company 2000).  The main operations area also included offices, barracks, vehicle and facility maintenance areas, a wastewater treatment plant, and other support facilities.  Some training occurred in the NASD, but explosive munitions were not used during this training (Program Management Company 2000).

Munitions are not currently stored at the NASD and, except operations at the Mount Pirata telecommunication site and the ROTHR facility, no U.S. Navy activities are being conducted at the facility.  The main operations area is no longer in use (CH2M HILL 2001b).

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