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Site Report: Lucky Sourdough

Site Name: Lucky Sourdough
Address: 402 Barnette Street; , Fairbanks, AK 99701
File Number: 102.26.001
Hazard ID: 23786
Status: Active
Staff: Janice Wiegers, 9074512127 janice.wiegers@alaska.gov
Latitude: 64.842630
Longitude: -147.722570
Horizontal Datum:NAD27

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

In 1986, excavations by the City of Fairbanks identified petroleum hydrocarbons near the Lucky Sourdough Gas Station. Two 1,000-gallon gasoline tanks were tested and appeared to be leaking upwards of 20 gallons of fuel per day. The gas station was closed in October 1986. The tanks were removed in 1992. An air sparge/soil vapor extraction system was installed to remediate soil and groundwater contamination in 1996 and expanded in 1999. A dual phase extraction system began operating at the site in 2002 and was decommissioned in May 2004. Groundwater contamination extended across Block 65 of the Fairbanks Townsite subdivision. Leaking Underground Storage Tank (LUST) Trust #87-3-5-0-274-5. Located on Lots 1A and 2A, Block 65, Fairbanks Townsite.

Action Information

Action Date Action Description DEC Staff
10/17/1986 Site Visit FI; Tank tightness testing performed by Oceantech found a gallon per hour leak believed to be from fuel lines rather than tanks. Former Staff
10/24/1986 Site Visit FI; Water samples collected by D. Warren on 10/2/86 from Ken Murray Ins. and State Court House showed no detected contamination. A sample from 1306 3rd Avenue contained 2.5 ppb benzene. Unknown if samples were from wells. Former Staff
10/29/1986 Site Visit FI; Oceantech tested firewell at corner of Fifth and Barnette for City of Fairbanks. Losses less than 190 ml/hour. Former Staff
10/1/1987 Leaking Underground Storage Tank Release Confirmed - Petroleum LUST Site created in CSP for source area ID 77959 ADD; Former Staff
10/1/1987 Site Added to Database Former Staff
3/3/1992 Update or Other Action RPL2; ADEC/Peterson sent PRP-CS Database Notification letter requesting PRP update and provide additional environmental information concerning the site. As of "complete date" no response was ever rec'd. Former Staff
4/8/1992 Long Term Monitoring Established MS; Two monitoring wells were installed at site. Test results indicate high levels of contamination. Benzene ranges from 43 ppb in deep well to 85,000 ppb in shallow well. Former Staff
8/12/1992 Update or Other Action UPD; Reviewed by Hung. Former Staff
10/15/1992 Release Investigation SA2; Kalu. Former Staff
10/15/1992 Leaking Underground Storage Tank Corrective Action Underway CAPR; Kalu: FAP(Financial Assistance Program) Former Staff
8/6/1993 Site Visit FI; HUNG did on-site for Kalu to observe pumping test by Nortech. Took 9 photos. Interviewed Cliff Carroll, Project Manager. Noted plastic float that was eaten by solvents after being in ground water one hour. Engineers on site were awaiting driller as pump located at 25 ft. was not low enough. It needed to go down an additional 15 ft. There were two 10,000 gallon tanks to store waste water on-site. Former Staff
9/4/1993 Leaking Underground Storage Tank Cleanup Initiated - Petroleum LCAU; Kalu - Source has been removed. CAP is being developed. Former Staff
6/1/1994 Leaking Underground Storage Tank Corrective Action Underway CAPR; Kalu - reviewed phase II corrective action plan and met with consultant and LindaN (teleconfernce) to review modelling proposal. Proposal was approved by region pending final approval by BonnieF. Former Staff
6/6/1994 Update or Other Action CORR; Wingerter sent letter informing RP of their financial liability under new ADEC cost recovery policy. State is authorized, under Section 9003(h) of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act to take action on this LUST facility. Former Staff
8/15/1994 Leaking Underground Storage Tank Emergency Response IA; Kalu - Prediction models are almost complete and design for on site remediation is underway and near completeion. Former Staff
9/15/1994 Site Visit RECN; Kalu - Site inspection by Consultants (Nortech & ICF Kaiser) to get acquainted with site. Former Staff
11/27/1995 Update or Other Action UPD; Underground portion of SVE/AS system installed in October of 1995, with the mechanical and electrical components to be installed during winter of 95/96 -- system to be operational early 1996. Former Staff
2/8/1996 Leaking Underground Storage Tank Corrective Action Underway CAPR; Reviewed revised work plan, including well locations and well details for the 4 SVE wells, and the 3 AS wells. Expect treatment system to be operational by May of 1996. Former Staff
11/20/1997 Update or Other Action ADEC sends Notification of Intent to Cost Recover Letter to Current Owner: KENNETH A. MURRAY Former Staff
12/21/1999 Site Visit DEC-JBC conducts site visit with PID. No observable readings in basement. Identify excessive vapors exiting ground surface through soil vapor probe, between LS building and adjacent office. JBC contacts consultant to shut down AI wells until it can be shown that there is no threat to the public. Letter written to document request. Additional letter written to request removal of drums from property. Former Staff
2/5/2002 Underground Storage Tank Site Characterization or Assessment 2001 Site characterization report submitted. Report provides a CSM, well search, COC screening, trend analysis for groundwater and recommends installation of a dual phase extraction system. Janice Wiegers
12/31/2003 Update or Other Action Dual phase extraction system (remediation system) was shut down sometime during 2003. Janice Wiegers
1/20/2004 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Workplan dated 12/19/03 approved for end of LUST grant funding. Janice Wiegers
1/28/2004 Update or Other Action Transferred DEC staff lead from John Carnahan Cynthia Pring-Ham
4/16/2004 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Groundwater monitoring report for February monitoring event submitted. Natural attenuation parameters included. The highest concentrations were found on the adjacent downgradient property (benzene at 1850 ppb, GRO at 47 ppm). Based on iron, sulfide, and possibly methane results, natural attenuation appeared to be occurring in the petroleum plume. Indications of natural attenuation were also apparent south of the site in the area affected by the Gaffney Road solvent plume. Janice Wiegers
4/19/2004 Update or Other Action Met with Nortech regarding remaining grant work. Janice Wiegers
6/10/2004 Update or Other Action May 2004 Sampling Results and NFRAP request received. Confirmation soil sampling was completed on the former gas station property. No contaminants exceeded cleanup levels. Indoor air sampling was completed in two downgradient buildings (709 and 715 4th Ave). Benzene did not exceed commercial screening levels developed by the consultant. Groundwater contamination remains high under the city block where the site is located, but appears to be stable and undergoing natural attenuation. Janice Wiegers
7/23/2004 Update or Other Action Maintenance and operation of monitoring wells MW-28, MW-27D, MW-45, MW-44D, MW-30, MW-29D, MW-26, MW-42, and MW-43 transferred to Utility Services of Alaska to be used as monitoring wells for the downtown well field. Janice Wiegers
10/4/2004 Update or Other Action DEC responded to request for NFRAP, indicating that additional groundwater monitoring was needed before the site could be closed. Janice Wiegers
5/6/2005 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other November 2004 Groundwater Monitoring Results report submitted by Nortech for 6 monitoring wells. Benzene and other petroleum contaminants remain above groundwater cleanup levels in MW-32, MW-33, and MW-37. Mann-Kendall trend analysis for data collected since 1998 indicate a decreasing trend across the site. When trend analysis is completed for data collected since 1993, a decreasing trend is not found for ethylbenzene and xylenes in MW-32 and MW-33, which are considered the wells most impacted by the release. Geochemical parameters were also collected that continue to indicate that biological natural attenuation is occurring. Janice Wiegers
5/17/2006 Update or Other Action Lead Staff changed from Johnson to Bauer Shannon Oelkers
11/13/2006 Update or Other Action March 2006 Groundwater Monitoring Results and NFRAP Request submitted by Nortech. Contaminants remain in MW-32 and MW-33, but are not present or below cleanup levels in perimeter and other wells. The plume remains stable with some decreasing concentrations near the plume perimeter. The consultant recommended decommissioning of the AS/SVE system and DP-4, DP-5, DP-6, and DP-8. Also recommended continued sampling of MW-32 and MW-33 every two years. Janice Wiegers
3/29/2007 Update or Other Action January 2007 Groundwater Monitoring Results submitted for water samples collected at MW-32 and MW-33. Mann-Kendall analysis shows trends are mostly decreasing with the exception of ethylbenzene and xylenes in MW-33, where groundwater data indicates a positive trend. Janice Wiegers
3/28/2008 Update or Other Action PM changed from Frechione to Farris Ann Farris
3/28/2008 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking Intitial Ranking Complete for Source Area: 77959 (Autogenerated Action)
3/30/2008 Update or Other Action Farris ranked ETM. Site is nearly ready for conditional closure. EDB sampling needed in two wells and indoor air samples in the winter at onsite building and nearest neighbor. Expect samples will not show new issues and conditional closure could be issued. Ann Farris
7/8/2008 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking Updated Ranking Complete for Source Area: 77959 (Autogenerated Action)
5/12/2010 Update or Other Action Letter sent to Ken Murray requesting sampling for sulfolane from existing monitoring wells on site to determine if spilled fuel may contain this compound. Janice Wiegers
6/29/2016 Update or Other Action Contacted Nortech about status of pending report. Report has been completed and is under review by senior staff. The report will be submitted soon. Janice Wiegers
6/30/2016 Update or Other Action DEC sent letter to Nortech requesting report describing monitoring activities by Auguest 1, 2016. Janice Wiegers
9/8/2016 Update or Other Action Nortech requested deadline extension to September 30th to complete report review with client. Extension approved by DEC. Janice Wiegers
10/14/2016 Update or Other Action Nortech submitted April 2016 groundwater monitoring report. Groundwater samples were collected from MW-32 and MW-33. MW-32 is located in the source area, and MW-33 is located approximately 160 feet downgradient. Samples were analyzed for VOCs and EDB. Benzene was the only contaminant detected above DEC groundwater cleanup levels (5.35 ug/L in MW-33). EDB was not detected in either sample, and was analyzed with Method 8260SIM to ensure a low enough detection level. Mann-Kendall analysis indicated a largely decreasing trend since 1992. Ethylbenzene and xylenes were increasing in MW-33, the downgradient well; however, the trend is decreasing from 1998 to 2016. Janice Wiegers
4/11/2017 Update or Other Action Review of 2016 groundwater monitoring report for comparison to new cleanup levels (promulgated in November 2016) indicate the following are present above current groundwater cleanup levels: benzene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, and 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene. Naphthalene was not detected but the limit of quantification was above the cleanup level. Janice Wiegers
5/8/2017 Update or Other Action Discussed possible path forward with Nortech; set up meeting to discuss evaluation of site for possible closure. Janice Wiegers
11/22/2017 Update or Other Action DEC sent letter requesting additional groundwater monitoring and completion of vapor intrusion evaluation for three buildings. Janice Wiegers
5/9/2019 Update or Other Action Discussed sidewalk improvement project with DOT and possible location of soil contamination associate with this site. Janice Wiegers
10/4/2019 Update or Other Action DEC sent a letter to Alchemy Orthotics & Prosthetics regarding their interest in purchasing this property. DEC noted that groundwater monitoring should continue at least every three years and that some soil contamination may remain, particularly near the groundwater table, and that DEC should be consulted regarding vapor intrusion potential if signicant remodeling was completed. The letter discussed options for continued groundwater monitoring, or closure with covenants on the groundwater plume. Janice Wiegers
6/15/2020 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Approved decommissioning plan for soil vapor extraction and air sparging wells after discussion with the consultant, Nortech, Inc. The property is under new ownership and undergoing some construction activities. The long-term monitoring wells are being left in place. Janice Wiegers
6/18/2020 Potentially Responsible Party/State Interest Letter DEC sent letter to Will Sundberg regarding hazardous substance liability due to purchase of Lucky Sourdough property. The letter referenced the 10/4/2019 letter which described actions needed to continue with site cleanup. Janice Wiegers
6/23/2022 Update or Other Action Reviewed plans by the City of Fairbanks to to reconnect sewer service on 4th Avenue just west of Barnette Street. Contamination is not expected in this area, but if it is found, DEC should be notified. Janice Wiegers
10/6/2022 Update or Other Action DEC sent letter to owner requesting an update on the actions taken at the property by December 1st. DEC is expecting a groundwater monitoring plan and decommissioning report for the remediation system. The letter also requested details regarding any soil movement that may have happened during remodeling efforts. Janice Wiegers
4/28/2023 Update or Other Action Nortech contacted DEC to discuss ongoing monitoring requirements and indicated that the work plan requested by DEC will be submitted in May or June. Janice Wiegers
3/7/2024 Update or Other Action Contacted by owner. Plans are in progress for sampling and providing reports. Janice Wiegers

Contaminant Information

Name Level Description Media Comments

Control Type

Type Details

Requirements

Description Details

No associated sites were found.

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