Skip to content Skip to content

Site Report: Nikolski Tank Farm

Site Name: Nikolski Tank Farm
Address: SW Coast of Umnak Is, Nikolski Bay, Aleutian Is, Nikolski, AK 99638
File Number: 2621.38.003
Hazard ID: 3769
Status: Active
Staff: * Currently Not Assigned, 9072693057 bill.oconnell@alaska.gov
Latitude: 52.939780
Longitude: -168.860751
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

A site reconnaissance was performed in February 2001 at three above ground storage tank (AST) sites in Nikolski, Alaska. The three sites that were investigated included the Nikolski Native Store (Nikolski Tank Farm; Hazard ID 3769; file no. 2621.38.003), the Umnak Power Company (Nikolski Power Plant AST; Hazard ID 26701; file no. 2621.38.006), and the Aleutian School District (Nikolski School ASTs; Hazard ID 26700; file no. 2621.38.005). The Nikolski (Native Store) Tank Farm contained many ASTs. Groundwater was sampled in 2001 for gasoline range organics, diesel range organics, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes. Benzene was above DEC Cleanup levels. Test pits were excavated with a backhoe to groundwater. Groundwater had a sheen. Odor was noted. In 2002/2003 all the tanks were removed, cleaned, cut up, and stacked the corner of Samalga Road and Gravel Road adjacent to the airport. The underlying area was excavated, contaminated soil was taken to the same area as the tanks, and the excavation was back filled with clean material from the local cliffs. Community drinking water well located 1/2 mile south of the main village and the AST tank farms.

Action Information

Action Date Action Description DEC Staff
7/9/2001 Update or Other Action Groundwater collection report date for water collected from 4 test pits downgradient from Store/Power Plant tank farm. Bezene (0.00711) only constituent above criteria. Keather McLoone
4/1/2002 Site Added to Database Petroleum release. Bruce Wanstall
4/1/2002 Site Ranked Using the AHRM Preliminary ranking. Bruce Wanstall
3/2/2004 Update or Other Action Site inventoried through TAPL funded site recon. With loss of TAPL funding to Alaska Energy Authority, ADEC will not be able to continue assessment and remediation work at this site. Alaska Energy Authority has upgraded facility and abandoned old fuel tanks and drums on beach in Nikolski. Mike Jaynes
7/14/2004 Update or Other Action File number issued 2621.38.003 Aggie Blandford
11/28/2006 Update or Other Action Staff reassigned from Pikul to Jaynes. Aggie Blandford
11/29/2007 Update or Other Action Spoke with Deb Caillouet (PM for other Nikolski sites) who indicated that there was really only one tank farm that was decomissioned and the new tank farm built on top. Other 2 locations are individual ASTs rather than AST farms. Keather McLoone
12/13/2007 Update or Other Action Review of site recon. report dated April 2001 - Store/Power Plant Tank Farm - test pits dug in 2001 found DRO concentrations above cleanup levels. BTEX and GRO results below cleanup levels. Single lab samples per location collected at school and "power plant" "tank farms", based on PID results contained DRO only above cleanup level (5,490 mg/kg and 4,010 respectively). These were sampled also for BTEX and GRO and in the case of the school, PAHs. Review of groundwater report dated July 2001 - four test pits were sampled for DRO, GRO and BTEX in the groundwater. Only one benzene result above criteria at 0.00711 mg/L. Keather McLoone
12/13/2007 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking Keather McLoone
10/9/2009 Meeting or Teleconference Held Met with Doug Abbas, with the Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association, who was in Nikolski in September 2009. Doug took pictures of the new tank farm that was built directly on top of the old tank farm. He also took pictures of the cut up tanks from the old tank farm that were placed in a lined and bermed area near the bay. There are a couple of photos of abandoned drums in the community. Doug was able to find one length of pipe that had a point attached and appeared to be slotted, lying near the new power plant, the remaining monitoring well equipment may be stacked near the new tank farm. Two monitoring wells were found near the fenced area by the bay. The two MWs were capped and numbered MW #4 and MW #5. There is also a photo of the 550-gallon tank that belongs to the school district. See photos attached to the G:drive. Other information on Nikolski: The drinking water is from a spring described as a GWUDI (Ground Water Under Direct Influence) of Surface Water, about one mile from the tank farm. In September 2009 Jacobson Engineering went to Nikolski to install a new underground pipeline from the tank farm to the power plant. It is believed the original pipeline line was never in operation because it failed the initial pressure test. Fuel was possibly hauled to the power plant in drums, and the abandoned drums in the photos may be related to that practice. TDX may be the new power plant operator. Pam Clemens
2/16/2012 Update or Other Action Staff changed from Pam Clemens to Linda Nuechterlein. Kristin Thompson
3/9/2015 Potentially Responsible Party/State Interest Letter Letter of state interest sent on this day. Letter included site history and a request for additional information. Joshua Barsis
8/1/2016 Update or Other Action Sent information request letter due back to ADEC on August 15th, 2016. Erin Gleason
8/12/2016 Update or Other Action Spoke with tribal administrator on phone today. They have completed and will return the information request. They have completed some characterization and cleanup work at the site. The work was done by Travis Peterson. They will search for the report and submit it to ADEC. Erin Gleason
8/17/2016 Update or Other Action Received complete information request on 8/15/2016 via email. Erin Gleason
9/23/2016 Update or Other Action Contact Travis/Peterson and requested copies of old work plan, report, and lab data. Wade from TP sent electronic copies. Erin Gleason
11/9/2016 Update or Other Action Sent secondary information request letter to clarify contamination source. Due back 11/15/2016 Erin Gleason
1/26/2017 Update or Other Action Sent work plan request letter to Native Village of Nikolski,due May 1, 2017 Erin Gleason
4/6/2017 Update or Other Action This site originally was composed of three different take farms across the village of Nikolski. They have been separated into three different sites for ease of management. Erin Gleason

Contaminant Information

Name Level Description Media Comments

Control Type

Type Details

Requirements

Description Details

There are no documents for this site report.

No associated sites were found.

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