Puerto Rico Incinerator Firm Charged with Clean Air Act Conspiracy

A federal grand jury in San Juan, Puerto Rico, indicted Ramón Plaza-Gregory, Ileana Cortés-González, and Mo-Na-Co Biomedical & Environmental Corp. (Monaco) on five counts of violating the Clean Air Act, plus one count of conspiracy to violate the act, according to a U.S. Department of Justice press release dated May 1, 2026.

The charges stem from emissions at Monaco's commercial incinerator in Aguadilla, owned by Plaza-Gregory and operated by both defendants.

The indictment affects air quality in Aguadilla and surrounding areas in Puerto Rico, where the incinerator processed biomedical and environmental waste. Per the Justice Department release, the facility emitted pollutants without required permits or controls, impacting local residents and ecosystems.

Puerto Rico's population of 3.2 million, per U.S. Census Bureau data, includes communities near industrial sites that rely on Clean Air Act protections for public health. The release specifies violations involving hazardous air pollutants, which standard Environmental Protection Agency guidelines link to respiratory issues in exposed populations.

Prior to the indictment, Monaco operated the incinerator without adhering to Clean Air Act standards for emission controls and monitoring, as detailed in the Justice Department release. The new state introduces federal charges that could result in operational shutdowns if convicted, with the case proceeding in the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico.

Arraignments are scheduled within weeks, per standard federal court procedures, though exact dates remain unspecified in the release.

Conviction on these charges triggers maximum penalties of five years in prison per count for individuals and fines up to $250,000 per violation for the corporation, under Clean Air Act statutes cited in the release. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency must now assess the site's compliance, potentially mandating remediation plans within 180 days of any guilty verdict, based on agency enforcement protocols.

Prosecutors from the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division will lead the case, activating interagency coordination that could influence similar facilities across U.S. territories.

The Clean Air Act, enacted in 1970 and amended in 1990, establishes national standards for air quality that the EPA enforces through permits and inspections. This indictment follows a 2024 Justice Department initiative targeting industrial polluters in underserved communities, with Puerto Rico seeing three prior enforcement actions in the past year, per department records.