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Site Report: Chernofski Harbor Supply & Storage

Site Name: Chernofski Harbor Supply & Storage
Address: Unalaska Island, Mutton Cove & Cutter Pt., Dutch Harbor, AK 99692
File Number: 2661.38.008
Hazard ID: 2634
Status: Active
Staff: Sarah Bernhardt, 9072697527 sarah.bernhardt@alaska.gov
Latitude: 53.404845
Longitude: -167.512706
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

Unsafe debris, HTW, fuel tanks to be removed. Possible POL/PCB in soil. 50 miles SW of Dutch Harbor. Site was used as transfer and defense port. Debris includes docks, coal pile, buildings, communications towers, submarine net, barbed wire, drums, pipelines, batteries, etc. Site encompasses west two miles of Unalaska Island. Most debris is found on north side of island. Site entered by Shannon and Wilson. EPA ID AKN001002528; EPA site name Chernofski Harbor Supply & Storage Site. Update 8/10/2021 - Chernofski FUDS has been separated into two main projects: CON/HTRW and HTRW, which are divided into nine projects for the purposes of contracting and funding operations. The CON/HTRW project includes Project 02 Transformers at Mutton Cove and associated PCB-contaminated soils(closed out); Project 02 Transformers at Mutton Cove (closed out 8/2021); Project 05 Mutton Cove Grease Pit, Batteries, and Paint Cans; Project 07 55-Gallon Drums at Mutton Cove; Project 08 Mutton Cove Aboveground Storage Tanks (ASTs) East; and Project 09 Mutton Cove ASTs – West. HTRW projects include Project 03 Chernofski Harbor Contaminated Soils and Power Poles (associated with facilities Powerhouse 1, Powerhouse 2, Powerhouse 3, Garage, Gas Station, Marine Repair Shop, Motor Repair Shop, and Radio and Radar Station); Project 04 soil contamination at three specific areas (drum location, Transformer 8 PAH contamination and lead-contaminated soil at former building MRRSP-60), and Project 06 Chernofski Harbor Landfill. Project 01 (BD/DR) - Quonset/structures was subsequently considered ineligible under FUDs.

Action Information

Action Date Action Description DEC Staff
7/15/1988 Preliminary Assessment Approved PA action added by Shannon and Wilson, Inc., on 2/19/1997. Based on FUDS Site Summary, PA completed 7/88. S&W-Miner
2/19/1997 Site Added to Database S&W-Miner
7/15/1998 Update or Other Action ADEC received a draft Site Investigation workplan, by Jacobs Engineering, for the Corps of Engineers. Staff reviewed it, met with the Corps and its contractor and agreed upon the overall approach for the site investigation. Limited sampling included to identify potential source areas of concern. John Halverson
5/3/1999 Update or Other Action ADEC received the Final Site Investigation Report Chernofski Harbor, dated February 1998. The report documents site conditions around Mutton Cove (~200 acres of land) and Cutter Point (~5 acres). Collapsed wood frame buildings and Quonset huts were found over most of the area, other debris found includes docks and pilings (deteriorated), communication poles and cables, transformers (empty), above ground tanks, channel buoys, barbed wire, and drums. Twenty one soil and one surface water samples were collected. Six soil samples exceeded method 2 cleanup levels for soil (DRO and PAHs), two others contained lead and chromium above method 2 levels. No PCBs found above action levels. Report recommends method 3 evaluation. ADEC requested further coordination with landowners and SHPO regarding debris (solid waste) issues and resolution on contaminant issues. John Halverson
10/19/1999 Site Ranked Using the AHRM Initial ranking using the Federal Ranking Model. John Halverson
11/22/2004 Update or Other Action EPA reviewed information in the Regional files and based on the review, EPA has determined that no further action is warranted under CERCLA. EPA's no further action decision does not mean that additional environmental response is not necessary under State laws nor does it relieve responsible parties from complying with applicable Alaska regulations at the Chernofski Harbor Supply and Storage site. John Halverson
9/26/2005 Update or Other Action File number issued 2661.38.008. Aggie Blandford
12/1/2016 Meeting or Teleconference Held CS managers participate in the annual FUDS site management action plan meeting. The purpose of the is to collaborate with FUDS management on site progress and prioritization for all of the formerly used defense sites. FUDS prioritization is based on risk, congressional interest, state input and proximity to other sites on the prioritization list. FUDS has increased environmental restoration funding in Alaska for the 2017 and 2018 field seasons to meet National goals for site progress. Darren Mulkey
2/9/2018 Site Characterization Report Approved ADEC approves the 'Final Report, Site Investigation at the Chernofski Harbor - Mutton Cove FUDS, February 2018' in letter dated February 9, 2018. Five Containerized Hazardous Toxic Radioactive Waste (CON/HTRW) sites were investigated in this report. Seven deteriorated transformers were identified at Project Area 02; PCBs were not detected above screening levels, however one sample contained PAHs above screening levels. A grease pit and seven batteries were observed in Project Area 05; a soil sample from a crushed battery contained TCLP lead levels exceeding ADEC and RCRA regulatory levels, and soil within the grease pit contained DRO and RRO above screening levels. Thirty-seven 55-gallon drums were observed in Project Area 07; POL, mercury, and solvent levels were detected above screening levels within the drum areas. Thirteen empty ASTs were identified in Project Area 08 (East); DRO concentrations above screening levels in soil samples were reported at 9 of these ASTs. Ten empty ASTs and one potential UST were identified in Project Area 09 (west); samples in the vicinity of eight ASTs contained COPCs including DRO, RRO, PAHs, mercury, and/or lead. Sammi Castle
3/14/2019 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other On March 14, 2019, ADEC received a "Draft Hazardous Toxic and Radioactive Waste (HTRW) Preliminary Assessment (PA), Site Inspection, and Limited Containerized HTRW (CON/HTRW) Removal Action (RA)." The purpose of HTRW Projects is to gather information associated with the presence or absence of environmental contamination at locations identified in the CERCLA HTRW Preliminary Assessment (PA). These data will be used to inform site decisions regarding the need for further actions at Chernofski. The purpose of CON/HTRW Projects is to conduct a limited removal action to address items and/or debris associated with former military features that were identified in the 2015 Revised Inventory Project Report and the 2017 Site Investigation and to investigate the extent of contamination at tank locations. Rachael Petraeus
7/17/2019 Update or Other Action Site location was updated on this date. Coordinates for this site are used to determine the presence and position of the site on BLM’s ANCSA Conveyed Land web map. Rebekah Reams
12/12/2019 Meeting or Teleconference Held On December 12, 2019, ADEC attended a meeting with USACE and contractors to discuss the preliminary findings of the field work that was conducted over the summer 2019. Rachael Petraeus
4/2/2020 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other On April 02, 2020, ADEC received "Draft HTRW Site Inspection Report Hazardous Toxic and Radioactive Waste (HTRW) Site Inspection Chernofski Harbor Supply and Storage Formerly Used Defense Site (FUDS) F10AK0013, Projects -03 and -06 Unalaska Island, Alaska" dated March 2020 and "Draft Removal Action Report Containerized HTRW (CON/HTRW) Site Investigation and Limited CON/HTRW Removal Action Containerized HTRW (CON/HTRW) Site Investigation and Limited CON/HTRW Removal Action" dated March 2020. Rachael Petraeus
8/12/2021 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other ADEC reviewed the Project Closeout Report - Containerized Hazardous Waste, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste Project #F10AK0013-02, Transformers at Mutton Cove, received on July 22, 2021. The report summarizes the background information and extent of contamination on Chernofski FUDS CON/HTRW Project 02, Transformers at Mutton Cove. The closeout report states that all source removals associated with the CON/HTRW Project 02 have been completed. The 2015 Inventory Project Report (INPR) tasks for Project 02 initially included the removal of transformers, associated utility poles, and residual PCB contaminants in soil at the transformer locations. Twelve FUDS-eligible transformers under Project #2 have been documented and properly removed. Transformer #12, which was not found in previous site visits including 2019, will be re-addressed under a separate project (anticipated Project 07), along with any additional transformers identified. Utility poles were not removed from the Chernofski Harbor property, as they were determined to be an integral part of the cultural landscape. The INPR will be revised to reflect this. Approximately three tons of PAH and PCB contaminated soils were removed from the location of PCB exceedances, Transformer #1, and confirmation soil samples indicated no PCB results above the project action levels (PALs). Remaining Diesel Range Organics (DRO) and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) contaminated soil at Transformer #08 will also be addressed under a separate project. ADEC agrees with the closeout determination for Project 02. This Project Closeout determination may be re-evaluated if additional information becomes available, or previously undiscovered and FUDS-eligible contamination is present. Cascade Galasso-Irish
9/3/2021 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking Initial ranking with ETM completed for source area id: 73610 name: auto-generated pm edit Chernofski Harbor Supply & Storage Cascade Galasso-Irish
9/9/2021 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other ADEC reviewed the draft and final 2021 Site Visit Plan, Chernofski Harbor Supply and Storage, FUDS F10AK0013. The report summarizes the project approach and methods to be followed during the site visit. 2021 Site Investigation activities conducted will evaluate the site conditions prior to mobilization for RA activities in 2022. Projects included in this site visit are: Project TBD Mutton Cove contaminated soil, Transformers 8 and 12 under project TBD (anticipated Project 07), and near-shore locations at Project 08 Mutton Cove ASTs East and West. Four temporary monitoring wells will be installed to characterize groundwater at projects 8 and 9. ADEC notes the site visit plan included site activities at Project 02 which is closed out, and requested the continued work listed under Project 02 to be characterized under separate projects, Project TBD (7) and Project 8. The final report was approved on September 3, 2021 and Site visit activities were conducted in September of 2021. Cascade Galasso-Irish
10/24/2021 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other ADEC received the 2021 Draft Site Visit Report for Chernofski Harbor Supply and Storage, FUDS f10AK0013, Chernofski Harbor, Unalaska, Alaska dated October 2021. Activities consisted of a Cultural Resources evaluation; temporary well point (TWP) installation, development, and sampling and transducer installation at sites Project 09 Gas Station GS-89, Project 09 AST PA09-04, Project 09 AST PA09- 08, and Project 08 ASTs–East Tank Farm; soil sampling at sites Transformers at Mutton Cove and Project To Be Determined (TBD) Mutton Cove Contaminated Soil; and a baseline drone survey. Groundwater was characterized through four TWPs. No groundwater impacts were identified in this sampling event. Cascade Galasso-Irish
12/10/2021 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other ADEC received a revised INPR for the Chernofski Harbor Supply and Storage site which states the categorical exclusion of the Russian Diocese Cemetery and church from FUDs eligibility. Regulatory stakeholders are given 30 days review period to comment on the revised INPR. Cascade Galasso-Irish
3/11/2022 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other ADEC received and approved the Final 2021 Site Visit Report on this date. Cascade Galasso-Irish
5/6/2022 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other ADEC approved the Final 2022 Removal Actions and Investigations Work Plan, Chernofski Harbor Supply and Storage, on this date. The work plan summarizes the planned removal actions (RA) and/or investigation activities at Containerized Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste (CON/HTRW) Projects: 05, 07, 08, and 09; and HTRW Projects 03 and 06. Removal actions (RA) will be conducted at FUDS projects 03, 05, 06, 07 (to include Transformer 8 and MRRSP-60), 08, and 09; investigative activities will be conducted at FUDS projects 03, 05, 06, 08, and 09. This project also includes human health risk evaluation, ecological risk screening, and a background metals evaluation. Cascade Galasso-Irish
9/28/2023 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other DEC received the Draft Removal Actions and Investigations Report for Chernofski Harbor Supply and Storage on May 22, 2023, sent initial comments in July 2023, and attended a comment resolution meeting on September 13, 2023 prior to the finalization of the report. Per the comment resolution meeting, all comments were resolved and the final document is pending. Cascade Galasso-Irish

Contaminant Information

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Control Type

Type Details

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Description Details

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