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Site Report: Napaskiak Former BIA School Day Tanks

Site Name: Napaskiak Former BIA School Day Tanks
Address: Northwest of Z. John Williams School, ~250-300 Feet S of Kuskokwim River, Napaskiak, AK 99559
File Number: 2433.38.004
Hazard ID: 25241
Status: Active
Staff: * Currently Not Assigned, 9072693057 bill.oconnell@alaska.gov
Latitude: 60.707937
Longitude: -161.763034
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

Prior to 1994, numerous historic petroleum spills and leaks from tanks and pipelines have occurred throughout the former BIA School property. Piping and tanks have been removed. BIA also historically buried 55-gallon drums at the site. The drums appeared to have holes cut in them and bungs removed prior to burial. Some of the intact drums contained the markings “MONA LISA.” Project Mona Lisa refers to a 1953 military program that supplied facilities (particularly Aircraft Control and Warning sites) in Alaska. A new school was constructed at the site and opened in 2016.

Action Information

Action Date Action Description DEC Staff
5/27/2002 Update or Other Action Date of Village of Napaskiak Site Reconnaissane report by Oasis. The only soil sample collected 3 ft. beneath 10.5' x 11' soil stain at the utility building, contained DRO at 38,900 mg/kg and Napthalene at 83.4 mg/kg. Keather McLoone
5/27/2002 Site Added to Database A new site has been added to the database (Date adjusted from 10/13/2008 for report/query consistency. (Reese)) Mitzi Read
10/13/2008 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking Initial ranking with ETM completed for source area id: 78559 name: Former Day Tanks Mitzi Read
7/13/2011 Site Characterization Workplan Approved ADEC reviewed the Site Characterization Work Plan Former BIA School Day Tanks Napaskiak, submitted by Oasis, dated July 8, 2011. The site characterization will include drinking water sampling, well point sampling, and soil sampling to evaluate four areas: Area A, the stained area sampled in 2011 (adjacent to the BIA School and Utility Building); Area B, BIA Piping release; Area C, Day Tank cracked piping; and Area D, former AST containment area. The Z. John Williams School DWW will be sampled plus up to three DWWs within a 500 ft. radius. Three WPs will be installed to the north, southeast, and southwest of the site and sampled. Up to 20 primary soil samples and two duplicates will be collected from all four areas, A to D, dependent upon soil impacts. If a soil impact is identified, two soil samples will be collected from the test pit; one from the highest PID reading and one from the base of the excavation. After soil samples are collected, test pits will be stepped out 15 to 20 feet to determine extent of contamination. Work is planned for September 12, 2011. Grant Lidren
9/15/2011 Site Visit On this date, ADEC performed a site visit at the old BIA buildings and sewage lagoon. Grant Lidren
2/21/2012 Site Characterization Report Approved On this date, ADEC received the Site Characterization Report Napaskiak Former BIA School Day Tanks submitted by Oasis dated February 2012. Site activities included: advancement/ sampling of two temporary well points; excavation/ sampling of 25 test pits in four areas of concern(A,B,C,D) w/ SPLP sampling at area C, water sampling two DWWs, and sewage lagoon sludge sampling. The well points contained DRO up to 2.42 mg/L and benzene up to 0.0599 mg/L. The test pit soil samples contained DRO up to 26,100 mg/kg, benzene up to 0.267 mg/kg, ethylbenzene up to 12.3 mg/kg, naphthalene up to 56.4 mg/kg, 1-methylnaphthalene up to 71 mg/kg, and 2-methylnaphthalene up to 95 mg/kg. SPLP extract results of 4.55 mg/L DRO were derived from soil containing 15,600 mg/kg DRO from test area C at 8 feet bgs indicating DRO will leach into groundwater. The DWW samples did not contain detectable levels of contaminants. Sludge samples collected from the sewage lagoon contained a COD average of 1,374 mg/L and BOD average of 44.6 mg/L indicating the sewage solids are still biologically active. Grant Lidren
3/13/2012 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking A new updated ranking with ETM has been completed for source area 78559 Former Day Tanks. Grant Lidren
6/1/2012 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other On this date, ADEC received the Napaskiak Remediation Work Plan submitted by Oasis, dated May 2012. Surface soil will be tilled, starting in June, once every two weeks for a total of nine till events within two landfarm cells. Post treatment samples will be collected after tilling events. The landfarms will ultimately be covered with a geotextile non-woven liner and capped with a minimum of 24 inches of cleanfill. Grant Lidren
9/17/2012 Site Visit On this date, ADEC met with the Chief of Napaskiak and performed a site visit at the landfarm. Reportedly, drums were encountered during excavation activities in June 2012. Grant Lidren
9/26/2012 Update or Other Action On this date, ADEC received an BIA Site Plan Figure. The figure, dated 6/23/72 clearly shows an area marked “Pit filled with 55-gallon drums” in the same approximate area as the current landfarm. Grant Lidren
10/10/2012 Update or Other Action On this date ADEC sent a letter to LKSD asking for further investigation of a potential new source area. New information suggests 55-gallon drums may have been buried in a pit on site. Grant Lidren
11/13/2012 Site Characterization Workplan Approved On this date, ADEC received the Trench Installation for Preliminary Drum Assessment Work Plan submitted by Oasis, dated November 9th. Two trenches will be excavated to the GW interface at 8ft. bgs in an “X” pattern to determine the presence of buried drums. Five soil samples will be collected. Field work is planned for the summer of 2013 Grant Lidren
2/11/2013 Meeting or Teleconference Held Meeting with ERM/Oasis on this date to discuss site issues Grant Lidren
2/22/2013 Update or Other Action On this date, ADEC received the Final Napaskiak Remediation Report submitted by Oasis/ERM dated January 2013. Contaminated surface soil was land farmed - w/ fertilizer added - in place to a depth of 18 inches bgs at two treatment cells: cell A (6,960 ft.2)and cell B (1,400 ft.2). The landfarms were tilled eight times from June to September 2012. Petroleum odor was noted during the tilling events except for the last tilling event completed on September 21, 2012. Non-volatile MI performance soil samples collected in October 2012 contained DRO up to 2,690 mg/kg. Drinking water samples collected from the school wellhouse and the water treatment plant contained DRO up to 0.357 mg/L, which is below the ADEC groundwater cleanup level of 1.5 mg/L. Grant Lidren
6/21/2013 Update or Other Action ADEC contacted LKSD on this date. LKSD discussed school construction with the village and plans to go ahead with constructing the new school at the original proposed site. LKSD agreed that the drum disposal pit area will be evaluated prior to construction activities. Grant Lidren
8/20/2013 Update or Other Action On this date, ADEC approved the Proposed Covers for Landfarms at the Napaskiak School Construction Site and the Final Napaskiak Trench Installation for Preliminary Drum Assessment Work Plan Trench Installation for Preliminary Drum Assessment Work Plan submitted by Oasis, dated August 13, 2013. Two trenches will be excavated to the GW interface at 8ft. bgs in an “X” pattern to determine the presence of buried drums. Five soil samples will be collected. Field work is planned for September 2013. Grant Lidren
1/6/2014 Update or Other Action On this date, ADEC received the Trench Installation for Preliminary Drum Assessment Report submitted by ERM, dated December 2013. Two 50-foot long trenches were excavated to a maximum depth of 8ft. bgs in an “X” pattern to determine the presence of buried drums. The depth of the excavation was limited in some areas due to the presence of drums. Four small additional trenches were installed to delineate the NW, NE, SW, and SE margin of the buried drum pit. The buried drum pit is located below a portion of the eastern half of Landfarm A and is estimated to be 16 feet wide (north to south) and 22 feet long (east to west).The 55-gallon drums, lying on their sides, were 1.5 to 3.0 feet bgs. The drums appeared to have holes cut in them and bungs removed prior to burial. Some of the intact drums contained the markings “MONA LISA.” Project Mona Lisa refers to a 1953 military program that supplied facilities (particularly Aircraft Control and Warning sites) in Alaska.No hydrocarbon staining or odors were noted. Five soil samples plus a duplicate were collected from depths of 3 to 7 feet bgs. Two soil samples were collected from the trenches just below the drums and three soil samples were collected from trench and test pit locations outside the buried drum pit area. The samples were analyzed for VOC, SVOC, PAH, GRO, DRO, RRO, PCB, and lead. Only one soil sample contained DRO above MTG cleanup levels at 250 mg/kg. No other analytes were detect above cleanup levels. However several analytes had elevated MDLs above ADEC cleanup levels. These analytes included: 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene, 1,4-dichlorobenzene, 2,4-dinitrophenol, 2,4-dinitrotoluene, 2,6-dinitrotoluene, 3,3'-dichlorobenzidine (and its salts), dichloroethyl ether, hexachlorobenzene, hexachlorobutadiene, hexachlorocyclopentadiene, hexachloroethane, nitrobenzene, nnitrosodimethylamine, n-nitrosodi-n-propylamine, p-chloroaniline, pentachlorophenol. benzo(a)pyrene and dibenzo(a,h)anthracene, 1,1,2,2- tetrachloroethane, 1,1,2-trichloroethane, 1,1-dichloroethene, 1,2,3-trichloropropane, 1,2-dichloroethane, 1,2-dichloropropane, carbon tetrachloride, dibromochloromethane, ethylene dibromide, methyl bromide, methylene chloride, and vinyl chloride. Grant Lidren
5/21/2014 Potentially Responsible Party/State Interest Letter ADEC sent a PRP letter to the BIA AK Region Director on this date. Fred Vreeman
9/5/2014 Update or Other Action Phone call with LKSD on this date. Bethel services will be contracted to cover land farms in accordance with "Proposed Covers for Landfarms at the Napaskiak School Construction Site" submitted by ERM dated August 15, 2013. LKSD will be coordinating with ADEC prior to field work. Grant Lidren
12/1/2016 Update or Other Action Phone call with LKSD on this date. The new school is completed and opened on October 12, 2016.Landfarm area B has been covered with a geotextile liner and is beneath the school. Additionally, the school is built on pylons and access under the school is prevented by fencing. Land farm Area A, located in front of the school to the west, is capped and currently a construction staging area. Once this area is cleared of construction material and equipment, it will be graded to ensure there is a two foot cap of clean fill. LKSD will notify ADEC when this occurs. Grant Lidren
12/13/2017 Update or Other Action An email from LKSD on this date states, "both land farms were capped with 2’ of fill. At the completion of construction, the contractor staging area was recapped to restore the 2’ cap." Grant Lidren

Contaminant Information

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