Hazardous Waste Cleanup: Caribe General Electric Products, Inc. in Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico
On this page:
- Cleanup Status
- Site Description
- Contaminants at this Facility
- Site Responsibility
Cleanup Status
A Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Facility Assessment (RFA) Report was submitted on May 10, 1989 to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the former Caribe General Electric Products, Inc. (CGE) facility located at State Road 149 Km. 67, Calle Carrion Maduro Final in Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico (the Facility). The RFA Report identified a total of seven solid waste management units (SWMUs) and two areas of concern (AOCs) at the Facility. CGE subsequently performed a RCRA Facility Investigation (RFl) and its results were reported to EPA in March 1993.
Starting in 1997, CGE undertook extensive corrective action activities to address contamination identified at several SWMUs and AOCs at the Facility. The most significant efforts were aimed at addressing remaining soil metals contamination at the former Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), specifically chromium and nickel.
As reported in the April 2001 Documentation Summary Report, CGE conducted additional decontamination and decommissioning efforts at the former secondary containment pits (SWMUs #5 and #6), the settling tank (SWMU #7), and the WWTP trench. As a conservative measure, where bright green staining was found through the entire thickness of the concrete, four cubic feet of soil were removed beneath a portion of the wastewater trench and disposed off-site as F006 hazardous waste. These additional decontamination works were completed in March 2004. Then, in December 2004, CGE implemented additional corrective action efforts along the WWTP trench.
On September 27, 2007, EPA issued a determination for the Facility, which required No Further Action (NFA) under the RCRA Corrective Action Program subject to continued industrial usage of the property as an institutional control (i.e., “Corrective Action Complete with Controls”).
However, in October 2022, CGE submitted to EPA a Remediation Work Plan (RWP) aimed at conducting additional soil remediation activities at SWMU #7 to remove any remaining contamination that exceeded residential soil cleanup levels. As stated in EPA’s September 27, 2007 NFA determination, SWMU #7 still had residual soil contamination with metals such as cadmium, chromium and nickel over residential soil cleanup standards (although below industrial criteria).
EPA reviewed the SWMU #7 RWP submitted by CGE and amended pursuant to EPA comments and approved such plan on July 11, 2023. From October 2 through December 27, 2023, CGE undertook the proposed remediation activities at SWMU #7 in accordance with the RWP approved by EPA. EPA’s November 2022 Regional Screening Levels (RSLs) for residential soil were used by GE as cleanup criteria.
All impacted media with sampling results greater than the residential soil RSLs were removed during this additional remediation effort at SWMU #7. Post-remedial sampling results demonstrated that remaining soil under SWMU #7 and its surrounding area are below residential RSL. In March 2024, CGE submitted a completion report to document the completed final remediation of former SWMU #7.
EPA has determined that such remediation was conducted pursuant to the requirements of the RCRA Corrective Action Program and in accordance with the approved RWP. With the 2023 remediation activities performed at SWMU #7, all AOCs and SWMUs at the Facility identified in the May 1989 RFA, the March 1993 RFI, and EPA’s September 2007 NFA determination, have been addressed and remediated to residential cleanup standards.
Facility Description
The Facility is a 10.7-acre property located in the south-central part of Puerto Rico, in the municipality of Juana Diaz, near the intersection of State Roads 14 and 149. CGE started operations at this site on August 30, 1957, originally leasing the property from the Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company (PRIDCO). Subsequently, in 1987, CGE acquired the property from PRIDCO. Prior to use by CGE, the site was used to grow sugar cane.
Historical GE operations at the Facility included manufacturing electric wiring devices such as switches, receptacles, starters, and relays. Manufacturing of switches containing mercury was discontinued at the facility in 1970. In 1971, CGE began electroplating the manufactured wiring devices at this Facility. CGE discontinued all operations at the Facility in May 2000. From that time, RCRA corrective actions have been implemented at the Facility as appropriate.
Contaminants at this Facility
The contaminants identified at the Facility are directly related to historical operations conducted there. Since starting operations in August 1957, CGE manufactured electric wiring devices such as switches (some containing mercury), receptacles, starters, and relays. CGE discontinued manufacturing mercury-containing switches at this Facility in 1970.
Beginning in 1971, CGE shifted the Facility’s core operational activities to electroplating manufactured electric wiring devices. The main hazardous wastes reportedly generated at the Facility during this period included F006 (sludges from electroplating operations) and D007 (chromium) waste.
Site Responsibility at this Facility
CGE has addressed Facility cleanup with oversight from the EPA, under the authority of CERCLA and RCRA. The former Puerto Rico Environmental Quality Board (EQB) has also participated with EPA in the Site’s investigation, cleanup decision-making and oversight.
Site Repository
Copies of supporting technical documents and correspondence cited in the site fact sheet are available for public review at the following location:
US Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2
Caribbean Environmental Protection Division
City View Plaza II – Suite 7000
No. 48 Rd. 165 KM 1.2
Guaynabo, PR 00968-8069
The inspection of some of the documents cited in the site fact sheet may require a formal request under the United States Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).