CORALations - EPA - NPDES - Off Road To Punta Soldado
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CORALationsCORALations - EPA - NPDES - Off Road To Punta Soldado
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CORALationsCORALations, Inc FEDERAL NPDES VIOLATIONS Culebra, Puerto Rico, April 26, 2021
Project Lot Numbers: 476-000-007-19 (N) and 476-000-007-26 (S)
Possible owner: Sr. Enrique Romero Collazo, taken from old permit applications associated with 478-000-007-1, also
referred to as 77-476-000-007-01-901 indicating possible dense segregation either pending or cancelled.
Site Location from Puerto Rico Planning Board's website:
PO Box 750 Culebra, Puerto Rico 00775 [email protected]
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CORALations, Inc FEDERAL NPDES VIOLATIONS Culebra, Puerto Rico, April 26, 2021
RIGHT: Aerial photo taken of earth
movement on top of hill, and to
south shore. Road goes to beach.
4/05/2021
TOP: Photo of dirt road up the hillside, taken from north
side of road to Punta Soldado. Estimated over 10m wide.
RIGHT: Photo of road on the north side of the hill, taken
from Bahia Marina road.
4/05/2021 4/19/2021
Yellow arrows indicate direction of erosion and threatened water bodies.
PO Box 750 Culebra, Puerto Rico 00775 [email protected]
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CORALations, Inc FEDERAL NPDES VIOLATIONS Culebra, Puerto Rico, April 26, 2021
Description: Recent earth moving was observed o the road to Punta Soldado, and also from the air. The deforestation/ earth
moving was apparently to make dirt roads. Tracks indicate use by o road vehicles, and a dirt bike was observed on one occasion.
Roads move uphill and to the South West from their access point o the road to Punta Soldado. One currently reaches all the way
to the south facing shore, in the center of a steep valley in the watershed. Large clearings were also observed from the air on the
top of the hills. The older (undated) google earth image below shows the roads have been happening awhile now, and there used to
be another road that met the sea further to the north on the same South West facing coastline. The road work and clearings
encompass two lots. There was limited permit information found online. Hillsides have steep slopes and highly erodible volcanic
soils. No project sign was found indicating permits. Work is taking place on xeric lands, with multi-trunked trees, scrub vegetation
and cactus similar to the vegetation in beautiful dry forest of Guanica. Culebra is currently experiencing severe drought conditions,
with a little over a month before the start of the storm season. Area is on coastline where some areas with same habitat have
been listed by the DRNA as critical habitat, for the Virgin Island tree boa (Epicrates monensis)
Receiving Waters: Where the dirt roads
access o the Punta Soldado road, the
receiving waters for their run-o are Dakity's
salt ats and bay. Dakity’s waters are
Federally listed critical habitat for green sea
turtles (Chelonia mydas) and the Acroporid
corals (A. Palmata and A cervicornis). Dakity
has skeletons, if not living specimens of
these animals today. The same critical habit
designations apply to the waters now
threatened by these roads where one meets
the SW coast, through the center of a steep
valley in the watershed. The sea grass beds
found to the north at Playa Cascajo, are
further listed Resource Category 1, and
considered irreparable if destroyed (1994).
There is also spur and groove reef, near
Cascajo, the primary reef building coral of
which is A palmata. Just to the south on the
same coast is the Luis Peña Channel Natural
Reserve/Marine Protected Area. The coastal
waters know no physical boundaries and
impacts from this road threaten to transport
sediment to the spur and groove reef and the
Resource Cat 1 sea grass beds by Cascajo,
and then on to the waters of Culebra's MPA.
PO Box 750 Culebra, Puerto Rico 00775 [email protected]
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CORALations, Inc FEDERAL NPDES VIOLATIONS Culebra, Puerto Rico, April 26, 2021
PO Box 750 Culebra, Puerto Rico 00775 [email protected]
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CORALations, Inc FEDERAL NPDES VIOLATIONS Culebra, Puerto Rico, April 26, 2021
Caso de ARPE
Caso PEMA
Caso: 2011-033156-AOV-25020
Trámite: Solicitud Autorizacion Ocupacion Verde
Radicación: 2011-09-09
Descripción:
Status: Cancelado
Fecha de Adjudicación: 13-Jan-2012
Dirección: Camino Alhelí, #1, Pta. Soldado, Playa Sardinas Ii, Culebra
Dueño: (BLANK)
X (nad83): 320781
PO Box 750 Culebra, Puerto Rico 00775 [email protected]
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