Skip to content Skip to content

Site Report: Fort Wainwright (OU-4) FTWW 011 Coal Storage Yard

Site Name: Fort Wainwright (OU-4) FTWW 011 Coal Storage Yard
Address: South of Power Plant, Fort Wainwright, AK 99703
File Number: 108.38.070.01
Hazard ID: 2342
Status: Active
Staff: Tim Sharp, 9074512131 tim.sharp@alaska.gov
Latitude: 64.823698
Longitude: -147.648532
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 Fort Wainwright Coal Storage Yard is located south of the coal-fired cogeneration power plant which is Fort Wainwright’s primary source of heat and electricity. Coal has been stockpiled at the Coal Storage Yard since the 1950’s. From approximately the 1960’s until around 1993, the coal pile was sprayed with waste petroleum products such as diesel, fuel oil, solvents, and lubricants to enhance the coal’s energy content. From about 1997 to 2000, 27 air sparge points and 14 soil-vapor extraction wells were in operation. The system was shut down in 2000 to perform a rebound study. Soil sample results did not identify residual contamination within the source area, and groundwater concentrations did not rebound. The treatment system was decommissioned in 2004. In 2002, diesel range organics (DRO) and gasoline range organics (GRO) were detected in 2 of the 19 soil borings above the remedial goals for the site. Groundwater modeling at the Coal Storage Yard and at the adjacent Building 3564 site was assessed, and based on the contaminant concentrations remaining, it was determined the groundwater contaminants would not pose a risk to the Fort Wainwright water supply wells. Institutional controls at this site include access restrictions (posted signs, deed restrictions on future land use, restrictions on groundwater well installation, restrictions on the use of wells and well use advisories). Previous Five-Year Review findings stated the Coal Storage Yard remedial action goals had been met, and recommended institutional controls be removed. Due to the 2002 sampling event which identified contamination above remedial goals, the institutional controls for this site have been retained and will continue to be assessed annually. The corresponding Army HQAES site number is: 02871.1009.

Action Information

Action Date Action Description DEC Staff
3/18/1994 Site Added to Database File number 108.38.008. Former Staff
5/16/1994 Update or Other Action (Old R:Base Action Code = RPL2 - Site Information Request Letter). Sent PRP-CS Database Notification Letter to Cristal Fosbrook requesting update/confirmation of information concerning the contaminated site. Jeff Peterson
1/4/1995 Site Ranked Using the AHRM Iinitial ranking. Jeff Peterson
1/17/1995 Risk Assessment Report Approved Post-wide Risk Assessment Approach Document received this date. Comments by RM. Document prepared by HLA. Ronan Short
1/23/1995 Site Characterization Report Approved (Old R:Base Action Code = FS - Feasibility Study (General)). Draft FS received this date. FS is for OU4 which also includes Fire Training Pits and the Landfill. Ronan Short
12/13/1995 Update or Other Action Draft Record of Decision submitted for 30 day review. Action proposed is soil and groundwater treatment by SVE and air sparging. Rielle Markey
5/24/1996 Update or Other Action Contract DACA85-93-D-0009, Delivery Order Number 25, Implementation of Community Relations Activities, Draft Final, OU-4, Record of Decision. Rielle Markey
8/1/1996 Update or Other Action Received 2 copies on 8/23/1996 of the unsigned final, Record of Decision for OU-4, Fort Wainwright, Fairbanks, Alaska, from the U.S. Army. Rielle Markey
9/12/1996 Record of Decision Record of Decision, OU-4, Fort Wainwright, Alaska, dated 8/l/1996. Rielle Markey
9/12/1996 Institutional Control Record Established Institutional controls involve access and use limitations that require maintenance of institutional boundaries in an Army GIS database. Action entered by Buck. Rielle Markey
3/26/1997 Update or Other Action Site updated by Shannon and Wilson, based on the Army Defense Site Environmental Restoration Tracking System Worksheet dated 11/8/96. Worksheet indicates 870 ppb benzene, 2550 ppb toluene, and 820 ppb TCE in groundwater and TCE in soil. S&W
7/21/1999 Update or Other Action Treatment system shut off. Monitoring report recommends Remedial Action Design Study July 1999. PCE was found in well AP 6521. Recommend resample of well to verify PCE contamination. Rielle Markey
10/26/2000 Update or Other Action Update from October FFA meeting for Dowl. Treatment system operating, but have blower problems. Soil and GW samples collected in September, report pending. O&M manual needs ADEC review Ann Farris
1/25/2001 Update or Other Action Staff attended RAB meeting on January 23. No comments or concerns were indicated. Ann Farris
7/17/2001 Meeting or Teleconference Held FFA meeting with an update of the groundwater and soil concentrations. The groundwater concentrations are non-detectable, but there was still one soil sample that exceeded DRO and GRO standards. Methylene chloride appeared above clean up levels in three borings and TCE in one boring. Recommendations were to include a contour map including the Base drinking water. wells in the Annual report (due after the October 2001 sampling event) and make sure sentry wells are in the appropriate location. Based on whether the GW monitoring has been adequate, decide whether to more actively treat the hot spot of GRO/DRO. Ann Farris
9/25/2001 Update or Other Action Five Year Review received. Ann Farris
12/12/2001 Institutional Control Record Established 1. All organizations conducting activities on United States Army Alaska (USARAK) controlled land are responsible for complying with established institutional controls (ICs). ICs are administrative, procedural, and regulatory measures to control human access to and usage of property. They are applicable to all known or suspected contaminated sites where contamination has been left in place. 2. These controls have been established to implement the selected remedial actions agreed upon by the U.S. Army (Army), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), and the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC) in accordance with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) as amended by the Superfund Amendment Reauthorization Act (SARA). These controls also apply to remedial actions agreed upon under Two-Party Compliance Agreements. These agreements are concluded between USARAK and ADEC and apply to petroleum/oil/lubricants- (POL) contaminated sites. 3. ICs such as limitations on access, water use, excavations, and property transfers will supplement engineering controls as appropriate for short-term and long-term management to prevent or limit human and environmental exposure to hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants. Specific ICs include, among other things: limitations on the depth and location of excavations, prohibition of or restrictions on well drilling and use of ground water, requirements for worker use of personal protective equipment, site monitoring, and prohibition of certain land uses, types of vehicles, etc. 4. Organizational units, tenants, and support/contractor organizations must obtain an Excavation Clearance Request (ECR) for all soil disturbing activities impacting soils six inches or more below the ground surface. The review process for approval of an ECR begins with the identification of the current status (known or suspected hazardous waste site or “clean” site) of a work location. ECR’s for work in known or suspected hazardous waste sites: a. will include specific limitations and controls on such work; b. will include specific IC procedures, and notification, monitoring, reporting, and stop work requirements; c. may include procedures for management, characterization, and disposal of any soil or groundwater encountered or removed; d. will identify “project managers” for both the unit/contractor requesting the work and DPW Environment Resources. 5. The DPW project manager will conduct on-site inspections of each work site (at which ICs apply) to determine continued compliance with the terms and conditions of the approved ECR. DPW has the authority to revoke ECR approval if the specified terms and conditions are not being met. ECR forms are available at the Customer Service Desks at: a. Building 730 at Fort Richardson; b. Building 3015 at Fort Wainwright; c. Building 605 at Fort Greely. 6. USARAK has negotiated (with USEPA and/or ADEC) decision documents and/or Records of Decision (RODs) that mandate the implementation of ICs USARAK Directorate of Public Works, Environmental Resources Department (PWE), maintains copies of all decision documents and RODs requiring ICs in its real property files. PWE provides regularly updated post maps showing all areas affected by ICs. These maps can easily be accessed by using an approved intranet mapping interface application. Copies of these maps will be available to each directorate, activity, and tenant organization. To ensure the effectiveness of ICs, all organizational units and tenant activities will be informed on an annual basis of ICs on contaminated soils and groundwater in effect near their facilities. 7. ICs are enforceable by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC). Failure to comply with an IC mandated in a decision document or ROD will violate the USARAK Federal Facility Agreement and may result in stipulated fines and penalties. This does not include the costs of corrective actions required due to violation of an established IC. Sharon Richmond
6/4/2002 Update or Other Action Comments on Draft 2001 Annual Report Coal Storage Yard, Fort Wainwright, Alaska. Action entered by Sarah Riddle. Ann Farris
6/7/2002 Update or Other Action EPA made review comments to Draft 2001 Annual Report, Coal Storage Yard, Fort Wainwright, Alaska, dated April 2002. Cc'd comments to P. Buck and A. Farris. Sarah Riddle
7/16/2003 Meeting or Teleconference Held Fort Wainwright Restoration Advisory Board held it's last meeting on July16, 2003. Patrice Buck
1/30/2004 Update or Other Action After looking at the sampling results for the Coal Storage Yard is was agreed by the three parties that further monitoring was not necessary. The systems have been closed down for several years and all the wells have been below cleanup levels for four consecutive sampling events. The Army will prepare a technical memo to document this decision which will be incorporated into the next 5-year review. (Buck) Patrice Buck
8/18/2004 Update or Other Action staff approved decommissioning the remediation system as groundwater has met cleanup levels for 4 consecutive samplings and the system has been shut down for several years. Sharon Richmond
9/29/2006 Update or Other Action Second 5 Year Review signed by all parties. Site recommended for No Further Action. Sharon Richmond
3/14/2008 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking Initial ranking with ETM completed. Sharon Richmond
9/9/2011 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Doyon Utilities CHPP Utility Repair, Addendum to the Post-Wide Sampling and Analysis Plan, Fort Wainwright, Version 1.2, September 2011 Debra Caillouet
9/1/2015 Update or Other Action Transferred to Fairbanks Susan Carberry
12/13/2016 Meeting or Teleconference Held A two day Federal Facilities Agreement (FFA) and Stakeholders meeting was held on December 13 & 14, 2016. The main focus of the meeting was to develop a site discovery and site intake process that would satisfy requirements of the Fort Wainwright FFA, RCRA Permit, and two party agreements. The Army, EPA and DEC committed to a flowchart of the preliminary source evaluation process. Timelines were established for scoping a land use control implementation plan (LUCIP) and developing a contracting schedule for Fort Wainwright contaminated site investigations and remedial actions. Seven sites were proposed for inclusion into the FFA (three party agreement) by the Army and the RPMs documented the assignment of the regulatory path for these sites using a newly developed and agreed to signature form. Dennis Shepard
1/1/2017 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other DEC approved the 2015 Annual Institutional Controls Report, Fort Wainwright, Alaska (August 2016). Dennis Shepard
7/19/2021 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other ADEC provided review comments for the "Draft-Final Fifth Five-Year Review Report, Fort Wainwright Fairbanks, Alaska" to the U.S. Army. The document is the fifth Five-Year Review for Fort Wainwright. The remedies at six Operable Units were evaluated. Erica Blake
8/26/2021 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other ADEC provided responses to comments for the "Draft-Final Fifth Five-Year Review Report, Fort Wainwright Fairbanks, Alaska" to the U.S. Army. The Fifth Five-Year Review document evaluated the protectiveness at six Operable Unit sites. Erica Blake
10/6/2021 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other ADEC provided an acknowledgement of receipt letter for the "Final Fifth Five-Year Review Report, Fort Wainwright Fairbanks, Alaska" (undated) to the U.S. Army. The FYR report describes and evaluates the implementation of performance remedies in place at six Operable Units (OUs) on Fort Wainwright, Alaska (OUs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6). ADEC does not concur with the protectiveness determinations in the final FYR report. Erica Blake
3/18/2022 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other ADEC provided review comments for the "Draft 2022 CERCLA Sites Work Plan Operable Units 1 through 6" Fort Wainwright, Alaska, U.S. Army Garrison Alaska (dated February 2022) to the U.S. Army. The document describes proposed site activities to collect data and evaluate progress towards achieving remedial action objectives (RAOs) at six Operable Unit sites on Fort Wainwright, Alaska (FWA). This work plan is intended for use in conjunction with the "Draft Fort Wainwright Environmental Investigations and Monitoring Postwide Quality Assurance Program Plan Fort Wainwright, Alaska" (dated December 2021). The post wide work plan is still in review and at the time of this review has not yet been approved. Erica Blake
9/5/2023 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking A new updated ranking with ETM has been completed for source area 73320 coal storage yard. Tim Sharp
9/11/2023 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other DEC reviewed the Draft 2022 Institutional Controls (IC) Report, which details the 2022 IC inspections conducted at Fort Wainwright, Alaska (FWA). The purpose of the annual IC inspection is to evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of ICs associated with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) Record of Decision (ROD) source areas and Two-Party source areas on FWA. Tim Sharp
4/8/2024 Institutional Control Periodic Reporting DEC Approved the 2022 IC Report for Fort Wainwright CERCLA and Two-Party Sites on this day. Tim Sharp

Contaminant Information

Name Level Description Media Comments
Tetrachloroethene > Table C SoilGroundwater
Trichloroethene > Table C SoilGroundwater
1,1,1-Trichloroethane > Table C SoilGroundwater
1,1,2-Trichloroethane Other SoilGroundwater
Benzene > Table C SoilGroundwater
Toluene > Table C SoilGroundwater
Ethylbenzene Between Method 2 Migration to Groundwater and Human Health/Ingestion/Inhalation Soil
1,1-Dichloroethene Between Method 2 Migration to Groundwater and Human Health/Ingestion/Inhalation Soil

Control Type

Type Details
Federal or State Agency GIS Database Note
Land Use Plan / Maps / Base Master Plan

Requirements

Description Details
Excavation / Soil Movement Restrictions
Groundwater Use Restrictions
Groundwater Monitoring
Advance approval required to transport soil or groundwater off-site.

There are no documents for this site report.

No associated sites were found.

Missing Location Data

Because the GIS location data for this site has not been entered, we cannot direct you to its position on the map. Click "Continue" to proceed to the Contaminated Sites Web Map or "Close" to return to the site report.
Continue     Close