EPA Deletes Corozal Well Superfund Site from National Priorities List

EPA Deletes Corozal Well Superfund Site from National Priorities List

March 4, 2026

Corozal, P.R. - In a step that illustrates another Superfund success, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is deleting the Corozal Well Superfund site, located in the central mountain town of Corozal, Puerto Rico, from the National Priorities List (NPL) - a list of the nation's most contaminated sites. Deletion of this site indicates that all groundwater cleanup goals and long-term protections are successfully in place.

EPA worked closely with state and local partners - who best understand the needs of their communities - to clean up groundwater and restore water quality in rural communities that will help Power the Great American Comeback.

Deleting a site from the NPL is a major milestone in the cleanup process and sends a clear message that human health and the environment are protected and paves the way for redeveloping these properties into community assets.

"This deletion shows how EPA's Superfund program delivers results," said EPA Regional Administrator Michael Martucci. "Our work with Puerto Rico has made sure the Corozal community has clean water, and this step forward demonstrates the long-term success of the Superfund cleanup."

"I welcome EPA Regional Administrator Mike Martucci's announcement and am glad that the community in Corozal can now be confident that their groundwater supply has been certified as safe," said Governor Jenniffer González Colón. "This effort took years but today we see it bear fruit, reaffirming the commitment of the federal component including EPA to the well being of Puerto Rico's citizens. During the earlier stages of our industrialization, regulatory protections were not as well developed as they are now, leading to adverse impacts. The EPA Superfund program has been extremely valuable across Puerto Rico to address those effects and restore our lands and waters. My administration will continue working hand in hand with EPA Region II to carry out this mission."

In 2010, the Puerto Rico Department of Health (PRDOH), sampled and found volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, including tetrachloroethylene, or PCE, in groundwater that supplied a community drinking water system well. In response, PRDOH shut down the contaminated well, and along with EPA, provided residents with alternate sources of drinking water. In 2011, EPA installed a carbon filtration system (Granular Activated Carbon) on the supply well to remove contaminants. Afterwards, in 2012, EPA added the Corozal Well Superfund site to the NPL.

The Corozal Well site consists of a ground water plume with no identified source(s) of contamination, located in Barrio Palos Blancos, Corozal, a rural residential community in interior north-central Puerto Rico. The site straddles the border between the municipalities of Corozal and Naranjito. The groundwater plume affects the Comunidad Santana well, which is the sole source of drinking water for a rural community of more than 200 people. Other community supply wells are located within approximately one mile of the plume.

Sampling at the site, found that the chemical PCE was contaminating a well that supplies drinking water to local residents. Exposure to PCE, a solvent commonly used in industrial processes, can have serious effects on people's health, including liver damage and an increased risk of cancer.

Since 2011, PCE concentration in the raw water extracted from the Santana well has decreased and is currently below EPA's Maximum Contaminant Level.

Background:

The Trump EPA is committed to improving the Superfund program in support of our commitment to invigorating the economy while protecting human health. Returning contaminated lands to productive use faster supports the Trump EPA's core pillars of clean land, air, and water for every American. EPA is laser-focused on modernizing Superfund-to turn unsafe areas into parks, homes, and businesses to help Power the Great American Comeback.

Deleting a site from the NPL illustrates Superfund cleanup success. It signals to communities that no further cleanup is required to protect human health or the environment. Years, and sometimes decades, of complex investigation and cleanup work, has gone into getting sites to where they are today.

While EPA encourages site reuse throughout the cleanup process, deleting a site from the NPL can revitalize communities, raise property values, and promote economic growth by signaling to potential developers and financial institutions that cleanup is complete.

Visit the Corozal Well Superfund site profile page for additional background and site documents.

Learn more about the Superfund cleanup process.

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