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Site Report: ARRC Whittier Rail Yard

Site Name: ARRC Whittier Rail Yard
Address: Whittier, Whittier, AK 99693
File Number: 2114.26.005
Hazard ID: 23977
Status: Cleanup Complete - Institutional Controls
Staff: IC Unit, 9074655229 dec.icunit@alaska.gov
Latitude: 60.775874
Longitude: -148.681371
Horizontal Datum:NAD83

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

One 2,500 gallon gasoline tank excavated in 1992. The tank was located on the west side of the dock building. This tank was removed on August 25, 1992 and backfilled on August 26, 1992. Groundwater was not encountered at depths of excavation. The excavation extended 28 ft. by 22 ft. by 15 ft. bgs. 270 cubic yards of soil were removed during the excavation. The excavation was not extended further to determine the extent of potentially impacted soil because of the proximity of high voltage electrical lines, a transformer, and a roadway. Soil samples collected from the excavation contained GRO up to 2,400 mg/kg, benzene up to 4.5 mg/kg, toluene up to 9.6 mg/kg, ethylbenzene up to 14 mg/kg, and xylene up to 110 mg/kg. An PVC gallery was placed in the excavation and it was brought backto grade with clean fill. This site previously included a 10,000 gallon unregulated HOT at Door 2, but that tank is now listed in the CS database, File # 2114.38.016 and is a closed site with no further action

Action Information

Action Date Action Description DEC Staff
11/20/1992 Site Added to Database Former Staff
11/20/1992 Leaking Underground Storage Tank Release Confirmed - Petroleum LUST Site created in CSP for source area ID 77756 Former Staff
11/20/1992 Leaking Underground Storage Tank Cleanup Initiated - Petroleum Former Staff
1/2/1993 Update or Other Action Final Report 1992 Activities Underground Storage Tank Removals and Site characterization, Seward and Whittier, submitted by ENSR to DEC on this date. Grant Lidren
8/3/2005 Update or Other Action File number issued 2114.26.005 (FKA L57.06) Aggie Blandford
8/4/2005 Update or Other Action GIS Position update using information obtained from ARRC Sarah Cunningham
3/16/2007 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking intial ranking completed Bill O'Connell
6/9/2010 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other On this date, ADEC received the Work Plan for Soil Borings and Sampling Whittier Rail Yard, submitted by Clarus and dated May 2010. Three soil borings will be advanced at the former UST location. Two soil samples will be collected from each boring at 5 foot intervals. The soil samples will be collected from the groundwater interface and/or from the highest field screen result. The soil samples will be analyzed for BTEX and GRO. A total of seven soil samples will be analyzed, which includes the duplicate. Grant Lidren
6/16/2010 Update or Other Action ADEC site visit on this date. Grant Lidren
1/6/2011 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other On this date, ADEC received Subsurface Soil Investigation Whittier Rail Yard, submitted by Clarus, dated December 27, 2010. Three soil borings were advanced at the former UST location: one within the footprint of the former gas UST excavation; and two advanced, east and north, downgradient toward the harbor. Two soil samples were collected from each boring at 5 foot intervals. The soil samples were collected from 4ft. bgs, 8.0 ft. bgs, and 11.0 ft. bgs. A total of seven soil samples were analyzed for BTEX and GRO, which includes the duplicate. A soil sample collected from the north bore hole at the 11 ft bgs GW interface, contained benzene at 0.0459 mg/kg, toluene at 7.22 mg/kg, ethylbenzene at 19.3 mg/kg, and GRO at 1,550 mg/kg. All other soil samples were either ND or below cleanup levels. Grant Lidren
8/17/2011 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other On this date, ADEC received the Work Plan for Soil Boring Groundwater Whittier Railyard submitted by RSE. Three soil borings will be advanced and completed as monitoring wells. One boring will be advanced at the UST area and two borings will be advanced downgradient toward the ocean. Two soil samples will be collected per boring plus one duplicate. One sample will be collected from the GW interface and one will be collected from the highest PID reading. One groundwater sample will be collected from each MW plus one duplicate. Grant Lidren
2/1/2012 Update or Other Action On this date, ADEC received the Subsurface Soil and Groundwater Investigation Whittier Rail Yard submitted by RSE, dated January 2012. Three soil borings were advanced and completed as monitoring wells RSE-1, RSE-2, and RSE-3. One boring was advanced at the UST area (RSE-3) and two borings were advanced down gradient toward the ocean (RSE-1 & RSE-2). One soil sample was collected per boring at the GW interface 7 to 9 ft. bgs plus a duplicate. The soil samples did not contain petroleum constituents above ADEC cleanup levels, however a hydrocarbon sheen and odor was noted. Soil screened at RS-3 at a depth of 1 to 3 feet bgs contained a PID reading of 103.1 ppmv and HC odor, but an analytical soil sample was not collected. Groundwater samples collected from the three monitoring wells did not contain contamination above ADEC cleanup levels with the exception of RSE-1, which contained DRO at 1.79 mg/L. Grant Lidren
9/26/2012 Site Characterization Workplan Approved On this date ADEC approved the Work Plan submitted by RSE. The MWs will be sampled and the soil will be sampled Grant Lidren
1/24/2013 Site Characterization Report Approved On this date ADEC received the ARRC Whittier Rail Yard Ground Monitoring Report submitted by RSE, dated January 2013. DRO, the only detectable petroleum constituent, was encountered in RSE-1 at 0.219 mg/L and RSE-3 at 0.232 mg/L. A petroleum sheen was also noted in the RSE-1 purge water. Groundwater was encountered 12.08 to 12.92 feet below top of casing. A soil sample collected 18 inches bgs (adjacent to RSE-3 from an area with an historic elevated PID reading 0 to 3 feet bgs) contained detectable petroleum constituents but below migration to GW cleanup levels. Grant Lidren
10/7/2013 Site Characterization Workplan Approved On this date ADEC approved the Work Plan submitted by FSE. The MWs will be sampled. Grant Lidren
1/21/2014 Site Characterization Report Approved On this date, ADEC received the Groundwater Monitoring Report Whittier Rail Yard submitted by FES dated November 20, 2013. RSE-2 was not sampled due to damage and surface water infiltration. Three groundwater samples collected from RSE-1 and RSE-3 did not contain detectable levels of petroleum constituents. Depth to groundwater was 10.5 and 9.39 ft. bgs in RSE-1 and RSE13 respectively. Groundwater samples were collected during high tide and during a period of rain. Grant Lidren
2/19/2014 Potentially Responsible Party/State Interest Letter PRP letter sent to the ARRC on this date. A copy was sent to RFA Grant Lidren
11/10/2014 Site Characterization Report Approved On this date, ADEC received the Groundwater Monitoring Report Whittier Rail Yard submitted by FES dated October 9, 2014. Depth to groundwater was 12 to 14 feet bgs and appeared to be heavily influenced by tidal activity. Groundwater samples were collected during low tide. Four groundwater samples collected from RSE-1, RSE-2, and RSE-3 did not contain contaminant concentration above ADEC cleanup levels. Grant Lidren
11/17/2014 Cleanup Complete Determination Issued The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC), Contaminated Sites Program, has completed a review of the environmental records associated with the ARRC Whittier Rail Yard site. Based on the information provided to date and the administrative record, the ADEC has determined that the contaminant concentrations remaining on site do not pose an unacceptable risk to human health or the environment. No further remedial action will be required as long as the site is in compliance with established institutional controls. Grant Lidren
11/17/2014 Institutional Control Record Established Institutional Controls established and entered into the database. Grant Lidren
11/18/2014 Update or Other Action On this date, ADEC received the signed CC-IC agreement page from ARRC. Grant Lidren
5/4/2015 Update or Other Action ADEC approved a Monitoring well decommissioning Work Plan on this date. Grant Lidren
8/26/2015 Long Term Monitoring Complete On this date, ADEC received the Well Decommissioning Report Whittier Rail Yard submitted by FES and dated June 24, 2015. The monitoring wells RSE-1, RSE-2, and RSE-3 were decomissioned on June 1, 2015. Grant Lidren
11/16/2015 Institutional Control Compliance Review IC compliance review conducted, staff name changed from Lidren to IC Unit, and set the reminder system to review the site record November 2019. Nathan Maxwell
6/15/2018 Institutional Control Compliance Review IC compliance review conducted. Closure/IC Details updated. Kristin Thompson
2/24/2023 Institutional Control Compliance Review IC compliance review conducted on this date and a reminder letter was issued. The next compliance review will be in 5yrs. Jennifer McGrath

Contaminant Information

Name Level Description Media Comments
GRO > Human Health/Ingestion/Inhalation Soil
Benzene Between Method 2 Migration to Groundwater and Human Health/Ingestion/Inhalation Soil
Ethylbenzene Between Method 2 Migration to Groundwater and Human Health/Ingestion/Inhalation Soil
Toluene Between Method 2 Migration to Groundwater and Human Health/Ingestion/Inhalation Soil
Xylenes (total) > Human Health/Ingestion/Inhalation Soil

Control Type

Type Details
Signed CS Determination

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.
When Contaminated Soil is Accessible, Remediation Should Occur If the remaining contaminated soil becomes accessible, the soil must be evaluated to the satisfaction of ADEC.
Other ARRC will report to ADEC every five years to document land use, or report as soon as they become aware of any changes in land ownership and/or use.
Hazard ID Site Name File Number
1547 Whittier Door 2 Heating Oil Tank 2114.38.016

Missing Location Data

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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
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Physical Location: 410 Willoughby