To foster community engagement in the cleanup, a comprehensive Community Involvement Program was established in 2000 (several years before Vieques was placed on the National Priorities List [NPL]). The primary goal of the Community Involvement Program is to effectively disseminate progress information to the community and to provide a forum for the public to provide input. The Vieques Community Involvement Program promotes bilingual, two-way communication about the progress of the Navy’s environmental restoration and munitions response activities.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT PLAN
The Navy and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) collaborated with Vieques community members to prepare and implement a Community Involvement Plan (CIP) that outlines how the community will be involved in the cleanup process. It describes the various activities and mechanisms by which the community will be kept informed about the activities and how community members can provide input, ask questions, voice concerns, and receive feedback. The most recent CIP was finalized in 2022 to include input from the community through a questionnaire survey and community feedback at agency-community meetings. The CIP is periodically updated to ensure it remains effective by reflecting current community perspectives, concerns, and needs based on the cleanup status and progress.
Click on a link below to download the Community Involvement Plan:
NEWS AND INFORMATION
Munitions safety is the Navy’s top priority during investigation and cleanup activities on Vieques. As part of the Navy’s commitment to protect the island’s residents and visitors, informational kiosks have been installed at Playa La Chiva (formerly Blue Beach), Playa Pata Prieta, Punta Arenas (formerly Green Beach), Playa Caracas (formerly Red Beach), and Puerto Ferro. The kiosks provide beachgoers with information in English and Spanish about munitions safety.
EMPLOYMENT AND THE ECONOMY
Economic support to the Vieques community is an important part of the Navy’s Community Involvement Program. NAVFAC’s employment initiative involved training and hiring Vieques residents as UXO Technicians. The residents were trained in accordance with the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards and subsequently hired by the munitions removal contractors to assist in the cleanup by cutting vegetation, collecting munitions-related debris, and as heavy equipment and boat operators. To ensure their safety, the trained locals worked alongside experienced UXO Technicians who are former military explosive ordnance disposal personnel. Through this mentorship program, local employees have come to be among the most senior UXO experts, having worked several years in restoration efforts for the benefit of their own community. This investment in the local workforce has significantly benefitted not only the cleanup but also the local economy. Each year, approximately $20M is allocated to the cleanup, with 60% of the workers being Viequenses, an average full-time work force of 60 to 90 people, and over 5 million worked hours
Contacts
For more information about the Navy's Community Involvement Program on Vieques and the Environmental Restoration Program, contact:
NAVFAC ATLANTIC Public Affairs Office
6506 Hampton Blvd.
Norfolk, VA 23508-1278
Telephone: (757) 322-8005
Email: NAVFAC_LANT_PAO@us.navy.mil
Fact Sheets
Click on a document link below to view fact sheets with important information and answers to frequently asked questions about the munitions cleanup in Vieques.
HANDOUTS
JOIN THE VIEQUES RESTORATION ADVISORY BOARD
If you are interested in environmental issues and want to become more involved in your community, consider joining the Vieques Restoration Advisory Board (RAB). For more information about the RAB, please contact:
Kevin Cloe
kevin.r.cloe.civ@us.navy.mil
María Danois
maria.m.danois.civ@us.navy.mil
Click here to download the Vieques RAB Membership Application.
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ÚNASE A LA JUNTA DE CONSEJO PARA LA RESTAURACIÓN DE VIEQUES
Si usted está interesado en temas ambientales y desea involucrarse más en su comunidad, considere unirse al Consejo para la Restauración de Vieques (RAB). Para obtener más información sobre el RAB, póngase en contacto con:
Kevin Cloe
kevin.r.cloe.civ@us.navy.mil
María Danois
maria.m.danois.civ@us.navy.mil
Haga clic aquí para descargar la solicitud de membresía del RAB.
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DOCUMENTS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FOR RAB REVIEW
The Vieques Technical Review Committee (TRC), the predecessor to the RAB, was formed in 2001 to provide a forum for discussing the investigation and cleanup progress. In 2004, the TRC transitioned to the RAB by including more community members in the cleanup process. This group of Vieques residents and government representatives provides a valuable link between the Navy, EPA, Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (PRDNER), United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and the local community, as the investigation and cleanup under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA or "Superfund") of former Navy training areas on Vieques continues.
RAB Meetings are always open to the public. The RAB meets every 3 months. RAB meeting dates are announced on social media, in flyers, and by megaphone trucks in Vieques.
Below are the tentative RAB Meeting/Events Dates for 2025:
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February 12, 2025
May 13 & 14, 2025
August 13, 2025
November 12, 2025