ANAMAR was contracted by Gannett Fleming to provide services to USACE Jacksonville District in support of sampling, testing, reporting, and characterization of dredged material from the Rio Puerto Nuevo, Puerto Rico in accordance with MPRSA Section 103.
Region
Where:
Location:
EPA Region:
EPA Region 2
USACE District:
Jacksonville District
Project Statute
- MPRSA Section 103
The Rio Puerto Nuevo/Rio Piedras River is the main waterway drainage system for the San Juan, Puerto Rico metropolitan area. Its watershed is fully urbanized and covers an area of more than 25 square miles. Frequent and severe flooding affects more than 6,000 families and dozens of major public buildings and facilities located throughout the flood plain. Each flood event exceeding the two-year frequency of re-occurrence event causes damage in the millions of dollars.
The authorized Rio Puerto Nuevo (RPN) Flood Control Project includes a total of 11.2 miles of channel improvements to the existing river and its five tributaries. When complete, the improvements will provide a 100-year flood damage reduction drainage system. Dredging of the RPN, and tributaries is necessary to complete project features. Dredged material is proposed for ocean disposal at the San Juan Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site (ODMDS). As a result, material was required to be evaluated and tested to ensure that it will not adversely affect human health and the marine environment. ANAMAR was contracted to lead this evaluation effort.
The sediments in the project area were notably challenging to sample with vibracore. Refusal was encountered at several stations due to stiff clays or buried logs/rocks. Some locations were relocated after consulting with EPA. Samples containing a stiff clay component were separated and mixed to form a clay composite sample, which also underwent analytical testing.
ANAMAR authored a sediment evaluation report which gained EPA concurrence and allowed for material from the project area to be disposed of in the San Juan ODMDS. This was a crucial step in the execution of the greater RPN Flood Control Project.
