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Site Report: Sitka Sportsman's Association

Site Name: Sitka Sportsman's Association
Address: 5203-5205 Halibut Point Road, ~5200 Block, Sitka, AK 99835
File Number: 1525.38.026
Hazard ID: 3885
Status: Active
Staff: Stacee Henderson, 9072628202 stacee.henderson@alaska.gov
Latitude: 57.127696
Longitude: -135.383812
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

Sediments contaminated with lead and various polybutylene terephthalates (PBTs) from a shooting range and shipyard. An Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (ADOT&PF) contractor documented elevated lead in clam samples in spring 2002. Follow-up clam sampling by DEC's Division of Environmental Health in August 2002 showed somewhat conflicting data. Additional tissue and sediment sampling may occur. Warning signs have been placed at the site as an institutional control. Cleanup is delayed until the site is no longer a shooting range. Marine sediment samples collected in 2002 had the following maximum concentrations (mg/kg): As: 1,060, Cu: 2,940, Pb: 1,910, Zn: 7,590, TBT: 13, LPAH: 565.7, HPAH: 4,114, PCBs: 75. These data indicated that the samples from the Allen Marine shipyard were contaminated with metals and PAHs. The highest concentrations of metals were on the south side of the railway while the organic contamination was highest on the north side. In 2010, a limited excavation of contaminated sediments was completed. (fka: Starrigavan Bay Sediments)

Action Information

Action Date Action Description DEC Staff
3/25/2003 Site Ranked Using the AHRM Bill Janes
3/25/2003 Site Added to Database Lead contamination. Bruce Wanstall
6/19/2003 Update or Other Action Site data review and risk screening completed by SLR Alaska. Recommend additional sediment sampling. Comments sent to SLR and approval to finalize report. Bill Janes
6/2/2004 Update or Other Action Letter received in Commissioner's Office from Sitka Tribe of Alaska expressing concerns about the site. Bill Janes
6/30/2004 Update or Other Action Response to Sitka Tribe's letter signed by Steve Bainbridge sent this date. Bill Janes
7/13/2004 Update or Other Action Letter sent to Sitka Sportman's Association regarding the use of lead shot. Letter in site folder in G drive. Bill Janes
8/25/2004 Update or Other Action Scouted locations to place shellfish harvest warning signs. Bill Janes
8/31/2004 Meeting or Teleconference Held Met with FS, Sitka Sportsman's Assn., DNR Parks and Sitka Tribe reps. on sign placement locations. Bill Janes
11/8/2004 Update or Other Action Second letter sent to Sitka Tribe in response to their letter to the Commissioner. Letter is on file in the G drive site folder. Bill Janes
12/2/2004 Potentially Responsible Party/State Interest Letter Bill Janes
12/5/2004 Update or Other Action Potentially responsible party letter sent to Allen Marine. Bill Janes
12/16/2004 Institutional Control Record Established Signs placed on the tidelands warning people not to harvest shellfish due to the possibility of PSP and lead contamination. Bill Janes
12/16/2004 Update or Other Action Letter received from SSA stating they will discontinue the use of lead shot. Bill Janes
2/26/2008 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking Initial ranking with ETM completed. Bill Janes
6/2/2010 Update or Other Action DEC staff issued letters to Allen Marine Inc. and Sitka Sportsman Association requesting they update DEC on actions to inhibit and/or cleanup up sediment contamination. The due date for their response is July 30, 2010. Todd Blessing
6/29/2011 Update or Other Action Transferred file from Todd Blessing in Anchorage to Sally Schlichting in Juneau on 6/29/2011 Bianca Reece
6/6/2012 Site Visit Site visit with staff (Elston, Wanstall, & Janes). Erik Norberg
9/11/2013 Update or Other Action Staff changed from Erik Norberg to Denise Elston. Kristin Thompson
3/10/2014 Update or Other Action Spoke with Greg Johnson at Sitka Food Safety and he said that the warning sign is still up and intact. Danielle Duncan
3/12/2014 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Spoke to Richard Smith (Herring Bay PE) and he indicated that the work recommended by Herring Bay PE was completed by Allen Marine in the summer of 2010. Actions that were recommended by Herring Bay PE and completed by Allen Marine are as follows: Hand excavation of 1 in. of contaminated material from the intertidal and proper disposal. Allen Marine provided a letter documenting these activities. Danielle Duncan
8/19/2014 Site Visit Visited the site while in Sitka and verified that the warning sign is still in place. Danielle Duncan
12/19/2014 Institutional Control Update Sent letter to RPs reminding them of their responsibility to maintain the institutional control warning sign(s) and of their on-going liability for the contamination. Danielle Duncan
1/5/2015 Institutional Control Periodic Reporting Rec'd signed IC agreement from both RPs this date. Also rec'd photo documentation that the warning signs are still up and in good condition. Expect to see another round of photo documentation next year. Danielle Duncan
5/4/2015 Site Visit Site visit while in Sitka on other business - verified that the warning sign is in place and in good condition. Danielle Duncan
3/8/2016 Update or Other Action Rec'd photo documentation from the RP that the warning signs are intact. Danielle Duncan
12/19/2018 Update or Other Action Sent a letter today to the responsible parties reminding them of liability and requesting documentation that the warning signs are still in place. Danielle Duncan
1/3/2019 Institutional Control Periodic Reporting Rec'd photos of the warning signage this date indicating that they are still up on site. Danielle Duncan
1/17/2019 Update or Other Action Per the Department of Natural Resources, the Sitka Sportmen's Association has been directed to cease using the location as a shooting range. Danielle Duncan
2/26/2019 Workplan Requested Requested a work plan from both responsible parties and suggested that they work together to save money. Sent certified Nos: 7016 2140 0000 7037 9786 & 7017 2400 0000 6055 2104. Danielle Duncan
3/11/2019 Update or Other Action Spoke to the Sitka Sportmens Association and they are still using the shooting range. Also spoke to Allen Marine and their activities include hauling out boats onto a pad with a sump and pressure washing. They are using tarps and containing as much as possible. Also the river is filling in the ferry dock. Danielle Duncan
3/19/2019 Update or Other Action Per the DNR SSA still does not have authorization to use the site and our instructions to cease use of the tidelands remain. SSA is trying to obtain a city lot to move the range too. In the meantime he has tried to go around our office to appeal the order to cease use. Danielle Duncan
6/20/2019 Meeting or Teleconference Held Teleconference with the Sitka Tribal Association (STA) regarding sampling. Sent pertinent documents to the STA. Danielle Duncan
2/13/2020 Institutional Control Periodic Reporting Received an email confirmation which included photos of the shellfish warning signs on this date. The sign appears to be intact and visible. Evonne Reese
5/27/2020 Site Characterization Workplan Approved The Department has received and reviewed the “Starrigavan Bay Sediment and Shellfish Sampling Quality Assurance Project Plan Sitka, Alaska” dated September 2019, response to comments dated March 03, 2020 and revised report via email May 20, 2020. The Department’s comments have been adequately addressed. The work plan is approved in accordance with 18 AAC 75.335 (d). Rachael Petraeus
3/1/2021 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other On March 01, 2021 ADEC received "Sediment and Shellfish Sampling Report Starrigavan Bay Sitka, Alaska" dated February 2021. The report summarizes investigations of the presence of contamination by collecting clam specimens in nine locations and by collecting sediment samples in six locations. These field activities were performed during July of 2020. Rachael Petraeus
5/11/2021 Update or Other Action May 11, 2021 PM change to Julie Fix. Rachael Petraeus
5/18/2021 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Final revised "Sediment and Shellfish Sampling Report Starrigavan Bay Sitka, AK” report received. Report approval letter sent on 11/24/2021. Julie Fix
2/17/2022 Institutional Control Update Photos of IC signage received from RP. Julie Fix
3/14/2022 Update or Other Action Email from the Sitka Tribe. Courtesy notification of the tribe's plan to create a new site at the Starrigavan estuary and clamming area through the tribal Brownfields Inventory with the Brownfields Tribal Response Program. The tribe is concerned with the elevated levels of arsenic and cadmium found in clams in this area (near the Sitka Sportsman's Association and Allen Marine Shipyard sites) and would like to continue investigating. Updated stakeholders tab with new point of contact information for Sitka Tribe. Julie Fix
3/13/2023 Institutional Control Update Photos of IC signage received from RP. Julie Fix

Contaminant Information

Name Level Description Media Comments
Lead - Total > Site Specific Sediment Criteria Sediment - Marine

Control Type

Type Details
CS Database Notation And Letter To Landowner/RP

Requirements

Description Details
Other Signs placed in the intertidal zone near the trap and skeet club warning of the possibility of PSP and lead contamination in shellfish. None
Periodic Review The warning sign(s) shall be inspected periodically to ensure that they are intact and readable.

No associated sites were found.

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State of Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation

P.O. Box 111800
Juneau, AK 99811-1800
Phone: 907-465-5066
Fax: 907-465-5245
TDD: 800-770-8973
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