EPA drills new wells for groundwater testing near Donna Reservoir

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency drilled new wells in Texas to test for groundwater contamination in the 400 acre Donna Reservoir, The Monitor, a local newspaper there, reported.

A regional EPA team drilled two 40-foot wells to test for polychlorinated biphenyls, chemicals known to cause cancer upon consumption. Though the sites will not be tested until next month, remedial project manager Rafael Casanova said groundwater contamination is unlikely: the chemicals are more suited to bond with solids.

The Donna Reservoir was declared an uncontrolled hazardous waste site and listed as a Superfund site in 2008. The EPA determined that its waters and fish contained high levels of polychlorinated biphenyls. The source of the chemicals is still unknown, though speculation suggests a buried electrical transformer or other metal contaminant.