Skip to content Skip to content

Site Report: NSB Point Lay Warm Storage Area

Site Name: NSB Point Lay Warm Storage Area
Address: Tuttunniaqvik Street, Point Lay, AK 99759
File Number: 425.38.008
Hazard ID: 26373
Status: Active
Staff: Andrea Carlson, 9074515174 andrea.carlson@alaska.gov
Latitude: 69.739900
Longitude: -163.007500
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

NSB representatives identified a drum storage area with hundreds of drums in poor condition in September 2014 in the area of the Warm Storage Building, the Air Force Hangar, and the Air Force Garage. 369 of 568 drums were removed. Containers used to store soil and fuel-impacted water were not yet removed. A site assessment was performed which included 16 borings - four of which were completed as monitoring wells. Soil contaminated with diesel range organics, residual range organics, and arsenic was confirmed above Method One cleanup levels and Total Aromatic Hydrocarbon/Total Aqueous Hydrocarbon exceedances in two of four surface water locations sampled.

Action Information

Action Date Action Description DEC Staff
9/25/2014 Site Characterization Workplan Approved Date of letter sent to formalize conditional approval of work plan sent earlier via email. This plan is entitled Point Lay Warm Storage Area, Site Assessment/Characterization and Removal Work Plan. This document was submitted to begin addressing the additional drums that were discovered during the previous approved characterization effort at the DMS Drum Storage Area site. Approximately 420 drums were identified directly adjacent to the south of the DMS Drum Storage Area site and were initially interpreted as an additional source area but later identified as a separate site. Both properties are owned by NSB but the location of these additional drums is on a pad that was very recently constructed. These drums were observed to be leaking and a spill report submitted to PERP. This version of the document focused on initial characterization efforts to aid in further planning of a removal action to be followed by additional characterization. The overarching intent was to begin addressing the issues while field staff were already present at the site and before demobilizing drill rig. Activities planned include a visual assessment to estimate volume of material to be removed, evaluate drums to determine number that might require testing prior to disposal and/or overpack for transport, identify a staging area for drums, collect surface and subsurface soil samples, install monitoring wells, collect groundwater samples, and collecting surface water samples Keather McLoone
3/25/2015 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Date of receipt of NSB Point Lay Warm Storage Area, Site Assessment and Characterization Report, Draft. Field activities included soil boring advancement, soil sampling, well installation, groundwater sampling, surface water sampling, and waste characterization. Containers used to store soil and water contaminated with fuel were not removed during this effort. Containerized (drums and supersacks) soil was tested and determined to be non-hazardous and is intended to be placed in a new stockpile to be constructed May/June 2015. Wastewater will be treated with an oil-water separator prior to treatment with a GAC and then, according to the report, discharged to the tundra; however, there has been no work plan submitted (or approved) to date discussing that approach and consultant confirmed via email that the water will be characterized before disposal. Soil samples exceeded Method One for DRO and RRO as well as arsenic (Method Two) - all borings were advanced off pad due to liner in pad material. GW exceeded for RRO in one well only. TAH/TAqH also exceeded in that same well, MW-04, as well as two of four surface water locations. Boom was placed to mitigate migration of contamination off pad which is believed to be occurring due to the pad being lined but not bermed. It should be noted that this document indicates that waste manifests are forthcoming. Also, the intended stockpile was not yet constructed. Keather McLoone
4/7/2015 Site Added to Database A new site has been added to the database Mitzi Read
4/14/2015 Potentially Responsible Party/State Interest Letter Keather McLoone
4/21/2015 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking Initial ranking with ETM completed for source area id: 79756 name: Warm Storage Area Keather McLoone
5/1/2015 Update or Other Action Receipt of disc containing revised data tables for the earlier submitted draft report. Keather McLoone
6/9/2015 Update or Other Action Date of receipt of request to approve transport of 320-425 cubic yards of porous gravel material currently on-site contaminated with fuels, lubricants and glycol to landfill to be staged for final disposition at landfill. Requested a copy of the Disposal of Low-Level Petroleum Polluted Soil Approval Request From for a Class III Landfill to be submitted with or before a request for approval to transport to landfill. Keather McLoone
6/12/2015 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Date of document entitled Department of Point Lay Warm Storage Area, Corrective Action Plan. Document includes a comprehensive site assessment summary, a corrective action plan, and planning information for the removal action. Keather McLoone
6/16/2015 Update or Other Action Date of Agviq letter to NSB Landfill Manager requesting approval to dispose of the material to be excavated at the landfill for use as a cap (estimated 425 cubic yards). The letter includes information about contaminant concentrations previously collected in the area to be excavated to demonstrate that they are below regulation limits described in the landfill Operations Plan. GRO up to 1.31 mg/kg, DRO up to 1,020 mg/kg, and RRO up to 10,500 mg/kg. Keather McLoone
11/20/2015 Update or Other Action ADEC approved transport of contaminated gravel in supersacks from the site to the Point Lay DMS DSA for staging. The signed approval form indicates the material is intended for transport to the landfill in Arlington, Oregon. Keather McLoone
2/19/2016 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Reviewed the document titled Point Lay Warm Storage Area Removal Action Report - Draft, dated February 5, 2016. The report documented the treatment and discharge of 156 drums filled with oil and fuel products, and two subsequent excavations aimed at removing impacted gravel from the drum storage area. Contents of the drums were treated with granular activated carbon (GAC) and discharged onsite prior to the excavation of impacted gravel. The excavation commenced in July 2015 and roughly 409 cubic yards of impacted gravel was removed and eventually used for cover material at the landfill. The final excavation was 230 feet long, 25 feet wide, and 18 inches deep (where the drum storage area liner was encountered). Confirmation soil samples were collected from the sidewalls of the completed excavation. Analytical results revealed that concentrations of gasoline range organics (GRO) and diesel range organics (DRO) remained near the northwest corner of the excavation at 140 mg/kg and 1,480 mg/kg, respectively. The ADEC Method One cleanup levels for GRO and DRO are 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg, respectively. An additional 29 cubic yards of gravel was removed from the northwest corner of the initial excavation in December 2015. Confirmation soil samples collected from this excavation did not exhibit contaminant concentrations that exceeded Method One or Method Two cleanup levels. The 29 cubic yards of impacted gravel was transported to the Department of Municipal Services Drum Storage Area (DMS DSA) and is currently stored in one cubic yard super sacks. In a letter sent in February 2016, ADEC requested a work plan by April 1, 2016 for additional suprapermafrost groundwater sampling and surface water sampling. Joshua Barsis
4/1/2016 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Reviewed the document titled 2016 Groundwater and Surface Water Monitoring Work Plan Addendum, dated March 29, 2016. Water samples will be collected from Monitoring Wells MW-01 through MW-04, and from four nearby surface water locations. Joshua Barsis
1/17/2017 Update or Other Action Letter sent to NSB on this day detailing the current status/progress of 22 active contaminated sites, including this site. Joshua Barsis
6/29/2017 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Reviewed the document titled NSB Point Lay Warm Storage Area Groundwater and Surface Water Monitoring Report, dated March 17, 2017. Water samples were collected from Monitoring Wells MW-01 through MW-04, and from four nearby surface water locations. The sample collected from Well MW-03 exhibited a concentration of DRO at 2.13 mg/l, which exceeds the ADEC Table C groundwater cleanup levels. Additionally, the samples collected from Wells MW-01 and MW-04 exceeded the Alaska Water Quality Standards for total aromatic hydrocarbons (TAH) and total aqueous hydrocarbons (TAqH). Recommendations provided in the report include continued groundwater monitoring in 2017. Joshua Barsis
11/20/2017 Update or Other Action Letter sent on this day as a follow up to the last version of this letter, dated January 17, 2017, and as a follow up to a meeting with NSB on November 17, 2017. This letter details the current status/progress of 23 active contaminated sites, including this site. Joshua Barsis
11/16/2018 Update or Other Action Letter sent on this day as a follow up to the last version of this letter, dated November 20, 2017, and at the request of the North Slope Borough (NSB). This letter details the current progress of 24 active contaminated sites, including this site. Joshua Barsis
8/27/2019 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Reviewed and approved the document titled NSB Point Lay Warm Storage Area Groundwater and Surface Water Monitoring Work Plan, dated August 2, 2019. Proposed activities generally include groundwater and surface water monitoring. Joshua Barsis
2/19/2020 Enforcement Action Notice of Violation issued to NSB on February 18, 2020. See file for more information. Joshua Barsis
8/26/2021 Site Characterization Workplan Approved Reviewed and approved requested deviations to approved 2019 work plan sent August 17, 2021. UMIAQ plans to conduct work in September 2021. Lisa Krebs-Barsis
7/17/2023 Site Characterization Report Approved The Point Lay Warm Storage Area Groundwater And Surface Water Monitoring report, submitted in March 2022 was approved. In 2021 NSB collected groundwater samples from MW-01, MW-02, MW-03, and MW-04. Suprapermafrost groundwater samples were analyzed for GRO, DRO, RRO, VOC, and PAH. During the sampling event it was observed that the wells had sediment accumulated in the wells and MW-01 and MW-3 had limited water. In MW-03 DRO was detected in excess of groundwater cleanup levels protective for drinking water. However, groundwater is not used as drinking water on the North Slope. Compared to TAH and TAqH, MW-03 exceeded both surface water quality standards. Four locations, near the monitoring wells, were selected for surface water sampling as well. The surface water samples were analyzed for GRO, DRO, RRO, VOC, and PAH. All sample results, including the sample closest to MW-03 were less than the water quality standards TAH and TAqH. RRO and DRO were detected in SW-02. Results of surface water and suprapermafrost groundwater sampling indicate that contaminants are migrating off site. Lisa Krebs-Barsis

Contaminant Information

Name Level Description Media Comments

Control Type

Type Details

Requirements

Description Details

There are no documents for this site report.

Hazard ID Site Name File Number
25365 NSB Point Lay DMS Drum Storage Area 425.38.006

Missing Location Data

Because the GIS location data for this site has not been entered, we cannot direct you to its position on the map. Click "Continue" to proceed to the Contaminated Sites Web Map or "Close" to return to the site report.
Continue     Close