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Site Report: AKARNG Gambell Federal Scout Armory

Site Name: AKARNG Gambell Federal Scout Armory
Address: Approx. 1/4 Mile NE of Gambell Airport, Gambell, AK 99742
File Number: 660.38.007
Hazard ID: 4276
Status: Cleanup Complete
Staff: No Longer Assigned, 9074655229 dec.icunit@alaska.gov
Latitude: 63.778339
Longitude: -171.730034
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

Diesel Range Organics in the soil due to historic heating oil spill. The site has sandy gravel soils. Diesel range organics (DRO) in soil is below ingestion/direct contact cleanup levels. The groundwater has DRO at 14 mg/L which exceeds the 1.5 mg/L cleanup level. The community groundwater drinking water well is located 2000 feet to the east on a bluff. Groundwater flows to the northwest - the community groundwater well is unlikely to have been affected. December 2016: Groundwater samples collected and verified the presence of groundwater contamination. The soil contamination has been characterized and the historic heating oil release likely percolated through sandy soils and reached the groundwater table. There is also discontinuous permafrost in the area.

Action Information

Action Date Action Description DEC Staff
8/22/2006 Site Characterization Workplan Approved Site Characterization and Restoration-Related Activities Project, Gambell Federal Scout Armory, Final Work Plan, July 2006 was approved Debra Caillouet
8/25/2006 Site Added to Database Site added to the database. Mitzi Read
7/16/2007 Update or Other Action Comments sent to the AKARNG on the draft Site Investigation report. Debra Caillouet
3/17/2008 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking Initial ranking with ETM completed. Debra Caillouet
5/7/2008 Site Characterization Report Approved The report documents the results of a site investigation (SI) and incorporates acceptable responses to the comments previously provided. The investigation while not completely characterizing the nature and extent of contamination does meet the requirements of 18 AAC 75.335 Site Characterization and is approved. The report recommends further characterization of the soil from three feet below ground surface to the groundwater and characterization of the groundwater at the site. This was unable to be done during the SI because of the lack of a drill rig and excavator. Debra Caillouet
2/3/2010 Meeting or Teleconference Held Staff participated in the Installation Action Plan meeting. Debra Caillouet
11/30/2010 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Staff reviewed and sent comment to the Alaska Army National Guard on the Draft Work Plan for Site Characterization at 21 Alaska Federal Scout Readiness Centers, November 2010, including the Site Specific Plans for Akiak, St. Mary’s and Tuntutuliak. Debra Caillouet
2/28/2011 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Draft Field Sampling Plans for Emmonak, Gambell, Kasigluk, Napaskiak and Stebbins, February 2011 Debra Caillouet
5/23/2011 Site Characterization Workplan Approved Final Work Plan for Site Characterization at 21 Alaska Federal Scout Readiness Centers, April 2011 approved. Debra Caillouet
2/4/2013 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Gambell Federal Scout Readiness Center, Data Gap Investigation Report, January 2013 The investigation defined the areas of the site with soil contamination from diesel range organics (DRO) remaining. Suprapermafrost groundwater has been impacted with DRO but the sample results are questionable. The monitoring wells were not developed prior to sampling. Well installation diagrams do not show the position of the screen relative to the water level. Well installation diagrams are not provided for all wells (GW009), Well purge and sampling sheet for GW07 is missing. The hydrocarbon risk calculator was used to calculate a proposed alternative cleanup level of 11,870 mg/kg for DRO. ADEC has no objection to the use of this soil cleanup level. The report concludes that contaminated groundwater is not migrating off-site recommends no further action for the suprapermafrost groundwater. ADEC does not concur with the recommendations for the suprapermafrost groundwater. Additional sampling using correct well installation and purging procedures is required to determine the extent of groundwater impact and if it is migrating off-site. Debra Caillouet
12/17/2015 Update or Other Action Staff changed to Danielle Duncan and hard file transferred to the Juneau office. Kristin Thompson
12/23/2015 Update or Other Action Should be receiving a work plan for additional site sampling and groundwater sampling. Also scoped for a ROD soon. Danielle Duncan
3/3/2016 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Rec'd the draft site characterization plan this date. Danielle Duncan
3/30/2016 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Sent comments to AKARNG re: draft site characterization plan (SCP). The draft SCP describes the installation of seven (7) groundwater monitoring wells to characterize groundwater contamination and the hydraulic gradient on site. Groundwater in the area is shallow and used for drinking water. Previous studies have adequately characterized soil contamination at the site therefore, no soil sampling will be conducted. Notable comments: Replace all references to the 2010 ADEC Field Sampling Guidance with the updated and finalized March 2016 version available on the ADEC website. Replace “may be collected” with “will be collected” – field duplicates at a rate of 10% are required and a trip blank is required for BTEX analysis. NWPH/VPH is not an ADEC approved method. Replace with EPA Methods 8021B or 8260C and EPA Method 8270D. NWPH/EPH is not an ADEC approved method – results from unapproved methods are not useful in the ADEC decision-making process. All of the proposed monitoring well locations are in the northwest section of the site – either add one or two monitoring wells to the southwest end (specifically near historic wells 11GAMSB007) or move one of the proposed wells from another area. Danielle Duncan
6/27/2016 Site Characterization Workplan Approved Approved the final Site Characterization Plan this date. Danielle Duncan
12/28/2016 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Rec'd the draft Site Characterization Report this date and provided comments. Danielle Duncan
12/28/2016 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking A new updated ranking with ETM has been completed for source area 75242 Spills/Leaks. Danielle Duncan
5/26/2017 Site Characterization Report Approved Approved the site characterization report this date. Groundwater on site is contaminated with diesel range organics and naphthalene above ADEC cleanup levels. Danielle Duncan
11/6/2017 Update or Other Action The Guard plans on finishing internal processes the (feasibility study, preliminary assessment, etc. and prepare a Record of Decision). Danielle Duncan
11/30/2017 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking A new updated ranking with ETM has been completed for source area 75242 Spills/Leaks. Danielle Duncan
12/1/2017 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Rec'd a draft Record of Decision and made comments this date. Soil on site is contaminated with diesel range organics (DRO) up to 600 mg/kg and groundwater on site is contaminated with DRO at 14 mg/L and naphthalene at 0.011 mg/L according to the latest groundwater data. The proposed ACL for DRO contaminated soil is 11,870 mg/kg which was approved by the ADEC in a letter to the Alaska Army National Guard dated February 5, 2013; this cleanup level remains approved. Although the soil on site meets the ACL, the 2016 Site Characterization Report noted the presence of stained soil. According to 18 AAC 75.325(f)(1)(E) Site Cleanup Rules, a responsible person shall “evaluate and perform cleanup of surface soil staining attributable to a hazardous substance.” For this reason, the stained soil must be removed from the site. The cleanup levels for groundwater are the ADEC Table C Groundwater Human Health Cleanup Levels and are hereby approved. Danielle Duncan
7/30/2018 Update or Other Action The USACE is working on a cleanup scope. Danielle Duncan
4/4/2019 Update or Other Action Reviewed the Draft Decision Document that maintains the alternative cleanup level for soil but proposes that the site be considered an arctic zone site according to 18 AAC 75.990(4). The ADEC does not approve the arctic zone determination based on site circumstances. Danielle Duncan
9/6/2019 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking A new updated ranking with ETM has been completed for source area 75242 Spills/Leaks. Danielle Duncan
12/30/2019 Update or Other Action ADEC concurs with the "Decision Document for Federal Scout Readiness Center" dated August 2019. ADEC has signed the decision document and awaits Alaska Army National Guard Signature before formally closing the site. Kara Kusche
8/27/2020 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking A new updated ranking with ETM has been completed for source area 75242 Spills/Leaks. Jessica Hall
8/28/2020 Cleanup Complete Determination Issued Jessica Hall
4/6/2021 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other ADEC approved a work plan for well decommissioning. Jessica Hall
2/11/2022 Site Characterization Report Approved Send RP approval letter for “2021 Monitoring Well Decommissioning Report National Guard Federal Scout Readiness Center”, dated February 2022. Jessica Hall

Contaminant Information

Name Level Description Media Comments
DRO Other Soil ADEC-Approved Alternative Soil CULs 11,870(mg/kg).Approved by ADEC on February 4, 2013.
Naphthalene > Table C Groundwater Porewater 38 µg/L(16GAM02MW02)If supra-permafrost porewater were considered a current or reasonably expected potential future use as a drinking water source, the applicable cleanup levels for porewater at Gambell FSRC would be the ADEC 18 AAC 75.345 Table C Groundwater cleanup levels: 1,500 µg/L for DRO and 1.7 µg/L for naphthalene (ADEC 2018). However, as approved in the USACE 2005 Decision Document Gambell Formerly Used Defense Site F10AK0690, St. Lawrence Island, Alaska, the presence of continuous permafrost which acts as a barrier to contaminant migration, the sporadic presence of supra-permafrost porewater, the poor recharge rates, and occasional salinity from storm surge events indicates that the site groundwater is not suitable as a drinking water source.
DRO > Table C Groundwater Porewater 33,000 µg/L(11GAMGW007)If supra-permafrost porewater were considered a current or reasonably expected potential future use as a drinking water source, the applicable cleanup levels for porewater at Gambell FSRC would be the ADEC 18 AAC 75.345 Table C Groundwater cleanup levels: 1,500 µg/L for DRO and 1.7 µg/L for naphthalene (ADEC 2018). However, as approved in the USACE 2005 Decision Document Gambell Formerly Used Defense Site F10AK0690, St. Lawrence Island, Alaska, the presence of continuous permafrost which acts as a barrier to contaminant migration, the sporadic presence of supra-permafrost porewater, the poor recharge rates, and occasional salinity from storm surge events indicates that the site groundwater is not suitable as a drinking water source.

Control Type

Type Details
No ICs Required

Requirements

Description Details
Advance approval required to transport soil or groundwater off-site.
Movement or use of contaminated material (including on site) in a manner that results in a violation of the water quality standards is prohibited (18 AAC 70)

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
Physical Location: 410 Willoughby