This document discusses illegal dumps in urban and rural areas of Puerto Rico. Illegal dumps are unregulated landfills that pollute the environment and can spread diseases. They proliferate due to Puerto Rico's large amount of waste generation and population density. The author proposes to survey and map illegal dumps in 21 neighborhoods of Cayey, Puerto Rico to analyze differences between urban and rural areas. The goal is to collect data on dump locations, waste composition, and population density to inform future environmental studies and prevention initiatives.

1. Environmental Impact, Illegal
Dumps in Urban and Rural
Areas
B y : A l e j a n d r a M a r i e D e J e s ú s S o t o
R I S E P r o g r a m ( s u m m e r b r i d g e )

2. Clandestine dump:
*A place elected by some
human individuals to
deposit their solid
waste, with no
environmental
considerations.
*Usually set in natural
depressions or sinks.
Clandestine dump in Hatillo, Puerto Rico
Photo from Atabey Magazine
What is an illegal
dump?

3. • Serious source of environmental
pollution
• Diseases (contamination is related
with our health)
-Respiratory infections
-Intestinal infections
-Dengue fever
-Conjunctivitis
--Many of the diseases are transmitted by organisms such as flies, mosquitoes, rats
and cockroaches
Image from
http://salutarismedicalcenter.blogspot.com

4. • Puerto Rico faces the
threat of illegal dumps
that proliferate due to:
--the large amount of
waste
generated
• According to statements
made at the Eastern
Regional Committee of
the House of
Representatives.
Clandestine dump in Culebra
Photo from Atabey Magazine
What happens to illegal
dumps

5. It was indicated that there is a
population density of 1,712
inhabitants near by square miles
that produce about 3.91 pounds of
solid waste per day in Puerto Rico.
Table from http://www.suagm.edu/une/pdf/ciencias/desperdiciossolidos.pdf
Total waste disposal 69,211 tons per week
Total waste disposal 9, 860 tons per day
Disposal of waste per
person
3.91 pounds per day
Total waste disposal per
person
0.94m2 per person

6. • The illegal dumps pollute the
environment and cause disease
• The Natural and Environmental
Resources Department, Environmental
Protect Agency, in Puerto Rico, has no
records or studies of these places,
personal communication.**
**Mrs. Frances Segarra “Area de contaminación de terrenos”, Natural Resources
Department
There is some information in municipal “Obras públicas”, Cayey
Problem (Why)

7. • There are more illegal dumps in rural
areas than in urban areas.
Image from http://blogplazavieja.blogspot.com/2012_02_01_archive.html
Hypothesis

8. • Survey illegal dumps in the 21 Cayey
neighborhoods, both rural and urban
zones...
Image from http://www.cayey.gobierno.pr/
Specific aims

9. • Locate illegal dumps in the selected areas
 with cooperation of: “Area de control y planificación de
terrenos”, “Planificación y obras públicas” (Cayey
agencies)*
 through community leaders
• Annotate the site according to their geographical position.
• Investigate: How long has the field set?
• Make a list of the trash and debris found at the dump and
classify each one (organic, inorganic, others).
• Measure the space occupied by the field (m2).
• Account for the population of the area near the clandestine
dump using the last census of the United States (see online)
- Formula: population size
surface area
Methodology:
*Staff in Cayey mayor referred me to these agencies for more information

10. • The information
collected:
-- will be graphed and
tabulated, then will be
scanned.
-- will be available on a
website that I will
create.
-- may be included on
a future environmental
research (information
on
the previous slide)
Example 1
Neighborhood
Example 2
Image
http://civil.engr.siu.edu/301I_Ray/he_sw.htm
Amountofillegaldumps

11. • Comparing the amount of illegal
dumps in urban and rural areas.
-- Using graphs and tables
• Make a report of the data found, to
make this information resource for
other environmental studies.
Results: analysis

12. • Campaign to prevent the formation of
more illegal dumps.
• Make a web page to inform the
community about my research.
Through this initiative, the population
will report the existence of
clandestine dumps.
• Notify to Environmental Protect
Agency in Puerto Rico, for them to
take care of the waste management.
Long-term goals

13. Digital tool for reporting illegal dumps
(Initiative of Corporation of Education and
Environmental Conservation, Mother Earth
Atabey)
http://www.miprv.com/herramienta-digital-
para
denunciar-los-vertederos-clandestinos/
Image from www.miprv.com
Other information

14. Autoridad de desperdicios sólidos [internet]. [cited on june 15,
2013]. Available in, http://www.ads.pr.gov/
Cayey Ciudad Verde [internet]. [cited on june 16, 2013].
Available in, http://www.cayey.gobierno.pr/
Departamento de Recursos Naturales y ambientales [internet].
[cited on june 15, 2013]. Available in,
http://www.drna.gobierno.pr/
Personal communication. Mrs. Frances Segarra. “Area de
contaminación de terrenos”, Department of Natural
Resources
The Clandestine Dumps [internet]. (2006) [cited on june 15,
2013]. Available in,
http://losvertederosclandestinos.blogspot.com/
References