The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston District, has awarded a contract to SOL Engineering Service LLC for environmental services to include the collection and analyses of water and sediment samples from the federally-maintained Gulf Intracoastal Waterway’s Channel to Victoria Middle Reach.
According to Lisa Finn, an environmental project manager with the USACE Galveston District’s Navigation Branch , the contract requires a chemical screening of sediment from the channel.
“ The Corps routinely conducts chemical analysis on maintenance dredging projects throughout the USACE Galveston District in order to evaluate for a range of analytes including pesticides and metals, ” said Finn.
“Routine testing allows staff to analyze and evaluate shoal material to determine whether unacceptable impacts would result from dredging operations prior to maintenance of the channel.”
According to Finn, through sampling analysis, the Corps is able to review data to make certain we remain in compliance with multiple federal regulations, including the Clean Water Act.
Work is expected to begin in October 2015 and is anticipated to take about six months to complete.