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Site Report: Galena AFS/Airport - SS015 South Apron Trichloroethene Area

Site Name: Galena AFS/Airport - SS015 South Apron Trichloroethene Area
Address: South of Cantonment Triangle, Galena, AK 99741
File Number: 860.38.044
Hazard ID: 25906
Status: Active
Staff: Jamie McKellar, 9074515175 jamie.mckellar@alaska.gov
Latitude: 64.734853
Longitude: -156.939166
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

Last Update: November 7, 2017 The South April Maintenance Area (Site SS015) is located at the South Apron in the southeastern portion of the Former Galena (Forward Operating Location) on property owned by the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (ADOT&PF). The site is bordered to the north by the Galena Airport runway, to the east by grassy open space, to the south by a grassy area and flood control dike (South Dyke Road) and Old Town Galena, and to the west by an open paved area. Soil and groundwater investigations were conducted at Site SS015 from 2002-2011. Soil and is contaminated with chlorinated VOCs, primarily trichloroethene (TCE) and perchloroethene/ tetrachloroethene (PCE). Groundwater is contaminated with TCE; the TCE plume is approximately 750 feet long from north to south and is present in groundwater south of the airport boundary, within the northernmost portion of Old Town Galena. The primary source of contamination at Site SS015 is previous releases from above ground storage tank (AST) and maintenance activities. On October 23, 2017, ADEC approved the Record of Decision (ROD) for Site SS015. Selected remedies for the site include soil vapor extraction (SVE), in situ chemical oxidation (ISCO), anaerobic bioremediation/enhanced biogeochemical transformation (EAB/EBT), establishment of a monitoring plan, and land use controls to mitigate potential exposures.

Action Information

Action Date Action Description DEC Staff
5/18/2012 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other DEC received a Draft Remedial Investigation results report for the Site. Dennis Shepard
9/7/2012 Site Added to Database A new site has been added to the database Mitzi Read
10/10/2012 Update or Other Action DEC sent a letter to EPA concerning Risk Assessments (RAs) for Remedial Investigation Sites at Galena. DEC has asked EPA to provide an opinion on risk assessment issues requiring resolution for the remedial investigation sites at Galena. Specific issues of concern are: determination of risk assessment source area and calculation of exposure point concentrations Dennis Shepard
10/22/2012 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other DEC provided review comments for the Remedial Investigation results report for the Site. Dennis Shepard
11/15/2012 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking Initial ranking with ETM completed for source area id: 79327 name: SS015 South Apron Trichloroethene Area Dennis Shepard
2/18/2013 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other DEC received a Draft Final Remedial Investigation results report for the Site. Dennis Shepard
5/8/2013 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other DEC provided review comments for the Draft Final Remedial Investigation results report for the Site. Dennis Shepard
5/23/2013 Meeting or Teleconference Held A comment resolution conference call meeting was held to reach agreement on the final unresolved issues for the Remedial Investigation results report for the Site. DEC comments were adequately addressed and all issues for the report were resolved. Dennis Shepard
7/1/2013 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other A Final version of the Remedial Investigation results report was submitted. Dennis Shepard
8/30/2013 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other DEC received Draft Risk Assessment Data files and figures to review for this Site. The Air Force is preparing both human health and ecological risk assessments for this site, and by previous agreement, DEC review and approval of the data set is a critical first step in the process. DEC provided review comments for Human Health assessment concerns for the Data set on this day. Dennis Shepard
9/17/2013 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other DEC provided review comments for Ecological Risk Assessment concerns for the Draft Risk Assessment Data files and figures provided on August 30, 2013. Dennis Shepard
10/22/2013 Meeting or Teleconference Held The Air Force, its contractor and DEC met in a teleconference meeting to agree on a framework for evaluating vapor intrusion of SS015 in the risk assessment for the site. Groundwater at the site has high concentrations of chlorinated solvents; i.e., up to 910 ug/L of Trichloroethylene (TCE). Vapor intrusion is a potential issue. Dennis Shepard
10/22/2013 Meeting or Teleconference Held The Air Force, its contractor and DEC met in a teleconference meeting to agree on a framework for evaluating vapor intrusion of SS015 in the risk assessment for the site. Groundwater at the site has high concentrations of chlorinated solvents; i.e., up to 910 ug/L of Trichloroethylene (TCE). Vapor intrusion is a potential issue. Dennis Shepard
10/29/2013 CERCLA RI Report Approved DEC approved the Remedial Investigation (RI) results report for the Site. By Agreement with DEC, the RI results report does not contain a Baseline risk assessment. A risk assessment for the Site is being completed under a separate Air Force contract/effort. Dennis Shepard
11/13/2013 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other DEC received a Draft Risk Assessment for Site. Dennis Shepard
12/20/2013 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other DEC provided review comments for the Draft Risk Assessement for the Site. One significant comment concerned the absence of a proposed approach to assess the inhalation exposure potential for a pregnant woman exposed to Trichloroethylene (TCE) during a 21 day early gestation period. Dennis Shepard
4/15/2014 Meeting or Teleconference Held A Technical Project Team meeting was held to meet the Air Force newly selected Performance Based Remediation Contractor for Galena. The 6.5 year remediation contract was awarded to Parsons Governmental Services (Parsons). The contract includes completing the risk assessments, remediation feasibility studies, proposed plans and record of decision for remedial investigations at 10 Sites (FT001, SS006, SS013, SS015, SS019, SS018/AOC023, SS022/B400, DP023/DSWD, OW024/OWS1833, and SS025). Monte Garroutte
9/5/2014 Risk Assessment Report Approved DEC approved the Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessment, South Apron Maintenance Area (Site SS015). The assessment concluded that cumulative carcinogenic risk is greater than the cumulative risk goal of 1 × 10-5 for: Current/future occupational workers, Near-term and long term future residents, exposed to surface soil, indoor air, and potable groundwater. The reported Hazard Index for petroleum hydrocarbon constituents is greater than 1 for each of these receptor groups. Dennis Shepard
6/1/2015 CERCLA FS DEC approved the Feasibility Study Report for South Apron Maintenance Area (Site SS015), Performance-Based Remediation at Galena. The selected alternative consists of soil vapor extraction, bioventing, enhanced anaerobic bioremediation/enhanced biogeochemical transformation, land use controls, and monitored natural attenuation. Dennis Shepard
10/2/2015 CERCLA Proposed Plan DEC approved the proposed plan - Air Force Proposes Alternatives for South Apron Maintenance Area (Site SS015) with Soil and Groundwater Impacts Based on Environmental Investigation Results – Public Comment Invited, Former Galena Forward Operating Location (FOL), Alaska. Dennis Shepard
10/20/2015 CERCLA Proposed Plan A Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) Meeting was held in Galena Alaska. The DEC approved Proposed Plan for the site SS015 was presented during the RAB meeting. Public comment was recorded during the meeting and written comments were solicited in a booklet which contained all three proposed plans being presented (Plans for Sites SS015, SS0222, OW024). Dennis Shepard
5/24/2016 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other DEC provided comments for the Draft Record of Decision for the site. Dennis Shepard
7/28/2016 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other DEC approved the 2016 Site SS015 Treatment Area Verification Sampling Plan. Dennis Shepard
10/26/2016 Meeting or Teleconference Held A restoration Advisory board meeting was held in Galena Alaska to discuss the general and specific status of site investigations and cleanup at Galena. Dennis Shepard
8/4/2017 CERCLA ROD Approved Approval of Record of Decision (ROD) for South Apron Maintenance Area (SS015) Jamie McKellar
8/22/2017 CERCLA Remedial Design/Remedial Action Plan Approved Conditional Approval of Remedial Design and Remedial Action (RD/RA) Work Plan for South Apron Maintenance Area (SS015), pending signing of the Record of Decision (ROD) for this site. Jamie McKellar
8/8/2018 Site Visit DEC conducted a site visit at the Former Forward Operating Location in Galena, AK on August 8-9, 2018. A photo log is available in DEC's electronic file. Jamie McKellar
10/29/2018 Site Visit On October 23, 2018, DEC participated in the Technical Project Team (TPT) meeting with representatives from USAF and ADOT&PF. A site visit with inspections of each site was conducted the following day (10/24/2018) in Galena, as well as a regional advisory board (RAB) meeting with members of the community and other interested parties. Jamie McKellar
4/5/2019 Site Visit On April 2, 2019, DEC staff participated in a Technical Project Team meeting with representatives from USAF, Parsons, CH2M, and ADOT. The TPT meeting was held at the Fairbanks DEC office. On April 3-4, 2019, DEC staff traveled to Galena to participate in meetings with the City Mayor & RAB chair to discuss community concerns about site cleanup; a Proposed Plan meeting for Site DP023, and a community regional advisory board (RAB) meeting to discuss fieldwork completed during the 2018 field season and upcoming 2019 fieldwork. Site visits were also conducted. Jamie McKellar
10/23/2019 Meeting or Teleconference Held On October 22, 2019, DEC participated in the Technical Project Team (TPT) meeting with representatives from USAF and ADOT&PF. A site visit was conducted the following day (10/23/2019) in Galena, as well as a regional advisory board (RAB) meeting with members of the community and other interested parties. Jamie McKellar
10/30/2019 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other REPORT APPROVAL: Final 2018 Performance Monitoring Report for Sites CPL006, CSS002, OW024, SS006/SS019, SS014/SS017, SS015, SS016, SS018, SS022, SS025, ST009, ST010, and FT001, Former Galena Forward Operating Location, Alaska (Parsons, October 2019) Jamie McKellar
9/4/2020 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking A new updated ranking with ETM has been completed for source area 79327 SS015 South Apron Trichloroethene Area. Jamie McKellar
4/21/2021 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other REPORT APPROVAL: 2020 Performance Monitoring Report for Sites CPL006, CSS002, SS006/SS019, SS017, SS015, SS016, SS018, SS022, ST009, ST010, and FT001, Former Galena Forward Operating Location, Alaska (Parsons, April 2021) Jamie McKellar
8/23/2023 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other REPORT APPROVED: Final Remedial Process Optimization Evaluation Report, Former Galena Forward Operating Location, Alaska (Parsons, June 2023) Jamie McKellar
11/15/2023 Site Visit DEC, DOT, USAF, and contractors met at the Fairbanks DEC office on May 2, 2023 for a Technical Project Team meeting. The following day a site visit and Regional Advisory Board (RAB) meeting were held in Galena. Meeting minutes for the TPT and RAB meetings were approved on November 15, 2023. Jamie McKellar

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