USVI Public Records

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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is conducting its fourth five-year review (FYR) of the cleanup plan implemented for the Tutu Wellfield Superfund site, located in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Island. EPA finalized a cleanup plan for the groundwater and soil at the site in a 1996 Record of Decision (ROD); that cleanup plan was constructed and has been operating since 2004. The plan to address the groundwater included containing the source of the groundwater contamination before treating the groundwater. It also included installing recovery wells to contain the contaminants from moving, constructing a central groundwater treatment facility, sampling the groundwater semi-annually to monitor its quality and contaminant migration, and letting the groundwater naturally recover. The soil portion of the cleanup included treating soil vapors, removing and disposing of additional soil if needed, and implementing institutional controls to place limitations on property usage and limit disturbance to impacted soil and bedrock. The sampling conducted since the 1996 ROD was implemented has shown the need to conduct additional actions. EPA signed another ROD in 2021 focused on the USVI Department of Education Curriculum Center property. The design of this ROD is completed but construction has not yet started. EPA PUBLIC NOTICE What is an EPA Five-Year Review? EPA inspects Superfund sites every five years to ensure that cleanups conducted remain fully protective of people’s health and the environment. These regular reviews, which are required by federal law when contaminants remain at a site, include:  Inspecting the site and cleanup technologies;  Reviewing monitoring data, operating data, and maintenance records; and,  Determining if any new regulatory requirements have been established since EPA’s original cleanup decision was finalized. When will EPA’s Five-Year Review Report be available? It is anticipated that the five-year review report will be available at the website noted below in June 2024. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Reviews Cleanup of the Tutu Wellfield Superfund Site The Administrative Record, which includes EPA documents used for selecting the cleanup plan, is available for public review at the information repository listed below. Project information is also available at the website noted below. EPA’s Virgin Islands Office Tunick Building, Room 102 1336 Beltjen Road St. Thomas, USVI EPA Region 2 Superfund Records Center 290 Broadway, 18th Floor New York, NY 10007-1866 Phone: (212) 637-4308 (Call to make an appointment) For more information You may also contact If you have any questions or concerns about the site, please contact: Donette Samuel EPA Community Involvement Coordinator Phone: 212-637-3570 Email: samuel.donette@epa.gov OR Caroline Kwan Remedial Project Manager Phone: 212-637-4275 Email: kwan.caroline@epa.gov For more information on this site, visit: www.epa.gov/superfund/tutu-wellfield *704736* 704736