On Thursday, the United States filed an environmental complaint against Puerto Rico’s Municipality of Toa Alta in the Puerto Rico District Court claiming that the municipality’s solid waste landfill violates the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, as well as an administrative order issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2017.
EPA acting regional administrator, Walter Mugdan, said in a press release, “The Toa Alta landfill poses a significant threat to the health of nearby communities and the local groundwater aquifer, and the municipality should stop disposing of waste there immediately … The many problems at the landfill are well documented and the municipality must take steps to correct them to better safeguard local communities and the environment.”
The filing asked the court to provide relief, including requiring Toa Alta to pay civil penalties for violations of the EPA’s order and an injunction against Toa Alta which would require it to address the problems. The EPA is reportedly “in communication with the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources concerning the problems at this landfill,” and regarding other solid waste management practices in Puerto Rico.
The press release summarized that there are three threats it hopes to remedy with respect to the landfill. The first is that Toa Alta is not preventing liquid mixed with pollutants from escaping and entering the local neighborhoods, surface waters, and the aquifer. Reportedly, slopes in the area around the landfill are likely to collapse endangering landfill workers and homes and residents at the foot of the landfill. Lastly, requirements to place soil on top of the waste at the end of each day have not been followed, leaving the waste exposed to insects and vermin and contributing to disease spread.
“The Landfill’s continued operation and manner of operation endanger public health and the environment,” the plaintiff purported.
