The Donna Reservoir and Canal System Superfund site located in Hidalgo County, Texas includes the 400-acre reservoir and extends north from the Rio Grande River approximately 17 miles with lateral canals that extend about 5.6 miles to the east and west. The site was listed on the National Priorities List (NPL) in March 2008 due to polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination in sediment and fish. The site is operated by the Donna Irrigation District Hidalgo County Number One, which provides drinking water to the City of Donna and the North Alamo Water Supply Corporation Plant and provides irrigation water for the surrounding predominantly agricultural land. The site was addressed through multiple federal response actions.
To understand the nature and extent of contamination at the site, risks posed to human and environmental health, and the impact of construction activities, Braun Intertec performed sediment and soil sampling at the site. In a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) effort to restore the canal banks, approximately 13,780 cubic yards of PCB contaminated sediment was dredged from the site, dried and treated before being disposed of offsite. Over 23,505 tons of sediment was removed from the canal and taken offsite. Braun Intertec consultants collected pre-and post-construction samples to confirm there was no impact by the construction activities and collected post-dredging samples to verify that the affected material was removed to meet the cleanup standards.
