WATER QUALITY MONITORING TESTING CONTINUES AT COLLIER-HOGAN WELL SITE

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 26, 2014

CONTACT: DEP Press Office, 850.245.2112, DEPNews@dep.state.fl.us

WATER QUALITY MONITORING TESTING CONTINUES AT COLLIER-HOGAN WELL SITE

~DEP works to ensure groundwater is safe for Collier County residents~

Collier-Hogan well picture.

Secretary Vinyard oversees DEP experts taking water samples at Collier-Hogan well Wednesday

COLLIER COUNTY- The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) continues efforts to ensure groundwater is safe for Collier County residents and the environment. This week, DEP Secretary Herschel T. Vinyard Jr. was on-site to view firsthand the drilling of one of the six groundwater wells being installed by a team of agency experts. Vinyard also had the opportunity to see preparation work for water samples taken at the Collier-Hogan well site. 

“I remain committed to protecting the health and safety of Collier County residents and to maintaining transparency throughout this process,” said DEP Secretary Vinyard. “The information and results gathered by DEP experts today and throughout the week will be shared with the public in an open and expeditious manner.” 

So far, a total of six wells have been installed – four at the Collier-Hogan well site, one at the location former oil well drill site permit 86 and one one-half mile north of the Collier-Hogan well for the purpose of determining background surface water quality. 

DEP’s team of experts will be collecting initial samples from the last of the six wells installed this week, as well as sampling two pre-existing wells at the Collier-Hogan site used for on-site operations. Water samples taken from the eight wells will be sent back to DEP’s lab in Tallahassee for testing. Some results could be ready as soon as next Thursday. 

DEP experts will return to the Collier-Hogan site in July to install an additional well. This permanent deep well will allow for continued water quality monitoring at deeper depths on-site.  The rig necessary to drill this particular well was not readily available, making a second trip necessary. 

To view pictures from this week’s site work, click here.

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