Problems/Comments

At least three sources of diesel fuel leaks from the village dock tank farm and associated piping. Harding Lawson conducted site assessment. Plans include a study and proposal to replace the existing tanks with four 25,000-gallon double walled tanks that would be set inside an earth bermed site at the existing tank location. In the 1990’s, ten above ground fuel tanks were located within a containment berm. Fuel spills were reported to the Department of Environmental Conservation in 1985. In 1991 the Port Graham Corporation (PGC) began excavating three cubic yards of visibly stained soils from three locations. Harding Lawson Associates (HLA) conducted preliminary assessment work in 1992 and reported “Site Visit, Fuel Storage Facility, Port Graham Alaska” May 6, 1992. Test pits were excavated and contamination was noted in the tank farm, along the pipe run west of the pump house and along the pipe run west of the main cannery building. In the November of 1993, HLA reported on “Port Graham Bulk Fuel System Release Investigation” November 29, 1993. The Release Investigation used backhoe test pits and field screening to investigate the tank farm area. Tidally influenced groundwater was encountered in three of the 13 test pits. Hydrocarbon sheen was noted in one of the test pits. The report concluded the diesel and gasoline contamination was present at the tank farm and below the pipeline. The eastern edge of contamination could not be determined because of the location of the cannery building. “In 1997 PGC decommissioned the AST’s, excavated and stockpiled approximately 500 cubic yards of impacted soils from within and in the vicinity of the tank farm and installed new above ground tanks. In 1998, the former Port Graham cannery was destroyed by fire. A new cannery was constructed in 1999 and included the removal of a former fuel pipeline from beneath the destroyed cannery to the dock east of the present cannery. The former fuel pipeline supplied fuel to the former dock and dock facility.” Ecology and Environment prepared “Above Ground Storage Tank Site Assessment” June 2001. The investigation was conducted adjacent to the Port Graham Corporation (PGC) tank farm after the removal of impacted soils from the tank farm. “New cannery construction included building a dike that involved placement of fill material east of the PGC AST farm. The dike is intended to prevent tidal and seismic wave erosion of the AST farm and cannery. As a result of the fill and construction activities, areas east of the existing pump house formerly exhibiting high contamination levels were covered by 9-12 feet of compacted, classified fill.” (E&E 2001) The extent of petroleum impacted soil is unknown along the trace of the former pipeline east of the tank farm to the dock. Unknown quantities of petroleum impacted soils are present at the AST farm, under buildings, under old tanks, under the new tanks, berms and under the roadway, including tideland soils. Several PAH compounds tested at the last sampling exceed current cleanup levels for migration to groundwater. This site will remain as an active site until further assessment work is conducted. Existing infrastructure will prevent complete assessment or remediation.

Action Information

Contaminant Information

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Requirements

No associated sites were found.