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Site Report: Sitka NOB - Area F - Tank Farm No. 2

Site Name: Sitka NOB - Area F - Tank Farm No. 2
Address: Sitka Naval Operations Base; Japonski Island; 0.5 Miles W of Sitka, Sitka, AK 99835
File Number: 1525.38.020
Hazard ID: 1992
Status: Cleanup Complete - Institutional Controls
Staff: IC Unit, 9074655229 dec.icunit@alaska.gov
Latitude: 57.052319
Longitude: -135.358396
Horizontal Datum:WGS84

We make every effort to ensure the data presented here is accurate based on the best available information currently on file with DEC. It is therefore subject to change as new information becomes available. We recommend contacting the assigned project staff prior to making decisions based on this information.

Problems/Comments

The Sitka Naval Operations Base (NOB) consisted of a naval air station, subordinate naval shore activities, radio station, hospital, naval section base, and marine barracks, and was the main Navy floatplane facility in southeastern Alaska during World War II. Current landowners of the former Sitka NOB sites include: Alaska Area Native Health Service; Alaska Department of Education and Early Development; and Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities. The USACE began environmental work at the site in 1991. During the course of the remedial investigations, the site was divided into eleven areas, identified in the Decision Document as: Area A – Power Plant; Area B – Former Army/Navy Service Station; Area C – Water Tower Tank Farm; Area D – Tank Farm No. 1 (Hospital Access Road Tank Farm); Area E – Millerville Housing Area; Area F – Tank Farm No. 2; Area G – Igarotte Housing Area; Area H – Seaplane Dock; Area I – Tank Farm No. 4; Area J – Tank Farm No. 5; and Area K – Tank Farm No. 3. On 9/27/11 the Sitka Naval Operations Base database entry was divided into seven separate records. Original Hazard ID 1992 was renamed from Sitka Naval Operating Base to Sitka NOB - Area F - Tank Farm No. 2, and additional database records were created for Area A - Power Plant; Areas B/C/D/I/J - Frmr Army Navy Service Station, Water Tower TF, TF Nos. 1/4/5; Area E - Millerville Housing; Area G -Igarotte Housing Area; Area H - Seaplane Dock; and Area K Tank Farm No. 3. This site represents: Area F - Tank Farm No. 2. The most significant potential sources of contamination at Area F were the ASTs and USTs at Tank Farm No. 2 and their associated piping. Lead, DRO, and other POL-related constituents were the primary contaminants of concern.

Action Information

Action Date Action Description DEC Staff
4/19/1995 Update or Other Action Phase 1. Randy Rice
9/1/1995 Update or Other Action Community Relations Plan. Randy Rice
7/3/1996 Update or Other Action Risk Assessment workplan. Chris Kent
8/1/1996 Site Characterization Report Approved Phase 2. Chris Kent
3/1/1998 Update or Other Action EE/CA submitted. Chris Kent
8/1/1998 Update or Other Action Feasibility Study submitted. Chris Kent
11/20/1998 Risk Assessment Report Approved Risk Assessment Report Approved this date. Chris Kent
2/23/1999 Cleanup Plan Approved Cleanup levels approved as interim removal action screening levels. Anne Marie Palmieri
11/19/1999 Site Added to Database Petroleum. Anne Marie Palmieri
11/24/1999 Site Ranked Using the AHRM Initial ranking. Anne Marie Palmieri
2/24/2000 Interim Removal Action Approved Interim Removal Action Approved this date. Anne Marie Palmieri
3/30/2001 Update or Other Action Position paper for the use of the 10x rule received this date. Anne Marie Palmieri
7/15/2002 Update or Other Action Public Comment period starts today for 30 days (8/16/02) for groundwater use determination. Anne Marie Palmieri
9/27/2002 Cleanup Level(s) Approved DEC approves the groundwater use determination and the 10X rule for groundwater cleanup levels. Soil cleanup levels will be proposed later and will be based upon fractional organic carbon. Anne Marie Palmieri
2/24/2003 Update or Other Action Report for Area F approved. Anne Marie Palmieri
12/5/2003 Update or Other Action DOT concludes investigation conducted for future road work. Anne Marie Palmieri
1/8/2004 Update or Other Action COE states EE/CA planned FY04 and removal planned for FY05. Anne Marie Palmieri
1/8/2004 Update or Other Action Staff reviews report for Area F; requests that COE perform removal action. Anne Marie Palmieri
5/17/2004 Site Number Identifier Changed Changed Workplan from 01 to X1. Former Staff
6/8/2004 Cleanup Level(s) Approved Soil cleanup levels corresponding with the 10X rule for groundwater approved this date. Anne Marie Palmieri
8/4/2004 Update or Other Action DEC reviews and comments on draft EE/CA for Area F this date. Anne Marie Palmieri
7/15/2005 Cleanup Plan Approved Removal Action plan (dated June 2005) approved this date for the removal of contaminated soils at Area F which belongs to the Indian Health Service. Excavated soil will be treated on-site with a portable thermal unit. Anne Marie Palmieri
9/7/2005 Meeting or Teleconference Held The Corps of Engineers and DEC met at the site to discuss the cleanup currently underway in Area F. Anne Marie Palmieri
5/4/2006 Interim Removal Action Approved Removal Action for Area F approved this date. 6900 cy of petroeum and 400 cy of lead contaminated soil removed and sent to Rabanco's landfill in WA. Several small areas of residual contamination remain, along with an area where free product was found and recovered. The need for additional actions at each are is outlined in the letter to the Corps of Engineers. Anne Marie Palmieri
3/28/2007 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking ETM ranking Anne Marie Palmieri
4/2/2007 Record of Decision John Halverson signed the Declaration of Project Closure Decision and No Department of Defense Action Indicated for CON/HTRW project on this date. Anne Marie Palmieri
4/4/2008 Site Characterization Report Approved USACE ROST report from April 2007 fieldwork approved this date. ROST work was conducted in Area F to determine if contamination is present below the asphalt in the parking lot. Sediment and surface water samples were collected at Area K and groundwater samples were collected across the site. Anne Marie Palmieri
9/29/2008 Site Characterization Report Approved Final Remedial Investigation Report Addendum approved this date. The report summarizes all of the past information (characterization and cleanup) of the site. No significant areas of contamination remain. No Feasibility Study will be prepared. Preferred alternative is "No Action". Anne Marie Palmieri
9/24/2009 CERCLA ROD Approved Decision Document approved this date. Preferred alternative is no action. Anne Marie Palmieri
9/27/2011 Update or Other Action On 9/27/11 the Sitka Naval Operations Base database entry was divided into seven separate records. Original Hazard ID 1992 was renamed from Sitka Naval Operating Base to Sitka NOB - Area F - Tank Farm No. 2, and additional database records were created for Area A - Power Plant; Areas B/C/D/I/J - Frmr Army Navy Service Station, Water Tower TF, TF Nos. 1/4/5; Area E - Millerville Housing; Area G -Igarotte Housing Area; Area H - Seaplane Dock; and Area K Tank Farm No. 3. Mitzi Read
10/21/2011 Cleanup Complete Determination Issued John Halverson signed the USACE Declaration of Project Closure Decision this date. Anne Marie Palmieri
11/17/2011 Institutional Control Record Established Institutional Controls established and entered into the database. Anne Marie Palmieri
11/17/2011 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking A new updated ranking with ETM has been completed for source area 72970 Sitka NOB - Area F - Tank Farm No. 2. Anne Marie Palmieri
10/25/2016 Institutional Control Compliance Review Staff changed from Anne Marie Palmieri to IC Unit. IC compliance review conducted. IC reminder letter issued to the responsible party with a copy mailed to the landowner. Reminder system set to follow-up every five years. Kristin Thompson
4/17/2020 Site Characterization Workplan Approved Staff reviewed and approved a characterization work plan provided by SEARHC intended to identify potential contamination which could impact future land development plans. Fieldwork is scheduled for late spring/early summer 2020. Anne Marie Palmieri
9/4/2020 Site Characterization Report Approved Staff approved the SEARHC site characterization report on this date. A copy of this letter is included in the attachments. Anne Marie Palmieri
11/23/2021 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other As a landowner driven investigation and cleanup, in September 2021, RSE worked with Marble Construction to excavate approximately 2,015 tons of hydrocarbon impacted soil from the area surrounding boreholes BH-10, BH-10S, and BH-10S2 at the subject property. Soil was transported to Bicknell in Juneau for thermal treatment and to Republic Services landfill for disposal. The excavation did not reach the extent of the contaminated soil in all directions, but due to project constraints, the excavation was completed and backfilled. A report detailing this effort should be issued in the near future. An additional work plan which describes the methods for installing approximately 30 soil borings with as many as 10 completed as temporary monitoring wells to further delineate contamination in the proposed hospital building footprint area. RSE will collect soil and groundwater samples from these soil borings and monitoring wells. The data collected will be used to further delineate areas of hydrocarbon impacted soil at the site to support planning efforts for the new hospital construction project. DEC has reviewed both work plans but formal approval DEC approval is not required because the investigation is landowner driven. Evonne Reese
3/16/2023 Institutional Control Update In preparation for the constructions of a new SEARHC hospital and parking lots, a total of 6,669.53 tons of hydrocarbon impacted soil was transported under ADEC approval to Bicknell, Inc in Juneau, Alaska for thermal treatment in November 2022. A large portion of the project site was excavated down to bedrock to meet the MEMCC project structural requirements. Contaminated soil was left in place at the site in the southern and southeastern portion of the project limits at depths of approximately 5 to 20 feet below ground surface. This contaminated soil was later covered with 5 to 10 feet of clean overburden soil. All impacted material at the site was either removed down to bedrock or will be left in place under parking lots. No impacted material underlies the current new hospital building location or within a minimum of approximately 30 feet horizontally of the new hospital location. A site diagram of the excavations, remaining contaminated soil, and future building footprint is attached to this database record. Evonne Reese

Contaminant Information

Name Level Description Media Comments
DRO Between Method 2 Migration to Groundwater and Human Health/Ingestion/Inhalation Soil Some DRO contaminated soil remains at concentrations above the cleanup level below the paved parking lot.
DRO < Table C Groundwater
Lead - Total < Method 2 Most Stringent Soil

Control Type

Type Details
Land Use Plan / Maps / Base Master Plan SEARHC has noted on their as-built drawings for the new building at Area F that contamination is present under the parking lot asphalt.

Requirements

Description Details
Advance approval required to transport soil or groundwater off-site. Standard condition.
Movement or use of contaminated material (including on site) in a manner that results in a violation of the water quality standards is prohibited (18 AAC 70) Standard condition.
Maintenance / Inspection Of Engineering Controls The asphalt "cap" must be kept in place.
Excavation / Soil Movement Restrictions Sampling and appropriate disposal of contaminated soil may be needed if soil is excavated from under the cap or in an area with elevated concentrations.

No associated sites were found.

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State of Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation

P.O. Box 111800
Juneau, AK 99811-1800
Phone: 907-465-5066
Fax: 907-465-5245
TDD: 800-770-8973
Physical Location: 410 Willoughby