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Site Report: Minto (AVEC) Facility

Site Name: Minto (AVEC) Facility
Address: Firelane Drive, Minto, AK 99758
File Number: 770.38.001
Hazard ID: 715
Status: Active
Staff: * Currently Not Assigned, 9072693057 bill.oconnell@alaska.gov
Latitude: 65.147836
Longitude: -149.353564
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

Fuel oil was discovered in a drinking water supply well (Well #3), in 1989 during repairs to the water pump. Prior to discovery of product in the well the community had been alternating between Well #1, and Well #3 as neither well produced enough water to meet the community’s needs. A draw down test of Well #1 indicated that Well #3 was in the cone of depression of Well #1, and the community was in immediate need of a new water system. A letter in the file describes discovery of a leak in the fuel line connecting the AVEC tanks to the power plant and water treatment plant. This leak was discovered during re-routing of the lines in preparation for the construction of a new water storage tank in 1987. Prior to construction, two test holes were dug in the area proposed for the new storage tank. Soil in the test holes was described as saturated with fuel from 4 feet to the limits of the excavation at 8’. ADEC was not made aware of this contamination until 1991, and no cleanup efforts have been conducted. Also see file 770.07.01. Cause - Likely leaking above ground storage tanks and buried lines. Drinking water aquifer impacted. Drinking Water #300159. Old 10,000 gallon UST and new 15000 gallon above ground tank nearby.

Action Information

Action Date Action Description DEC Staff
5/24/1989 Update or Other Action (Old R:Base Action Code = FI - Field Inspection (General)). Sampled water system and observed oil sheen in water storage tank. Low levels of dissolved hydrocarbons detected (below MCLs). Bill Smyth
9/6/1989 Update or Other Action (Old R:Base Action Code = FI - Field Inspection (General)). Smyth and Dasher bailed Well #3 and found free product. Water samples were taken from circulating water system and Well #1. Well #1 showed trimethylbenzenes, n-butylbenzene and naphthalene. Bill Smyth
11/1/1989 Update or Other Action (Old R:Base Action Code = F - Site Treatment, Soil/H2O). Harding Lawson installed recovery wells. Former Staff
11/8/1989 Interim Removal Action Approved (Old R:Base Action Code = AWS - Alternative Water Supply (General)). Drilling of Well #4. Well not useable due to geochemical problems. Former Staff
11/18/1989 Update or Other Action 27 feet of product was measured in Well #3. Kim DeRuyter
3/8/1990 Update or Other Action (Old R:Base Action Code = FI - Field Inspection (General)). Water samples of Wells #1, 2, and 3. All wells contain purgeable aromatics with up to 1.7 ppb benzene, 8.9 ppb toluene, 8.3 ppb ethylbenzene, 47 ppb xylenes, and other organic compounds. Party performing sampling unknown. Former Staff
3/23/1990 Update or Other Action (Old R:Base Action Code = FI - Field Inspection (General)). Wells 1A and 1B sampled - up to 0.3 ppb benzene, 1.1 ppb toluene, 1.2 ppb ethlybenzene, 7.3 ppb xylenes, and other organic compounds. Party performing sampling unknown. Former Staff
3/27/1990 Site Number Identifier Changed Old Reckey 198931012491. Former Staff
4/23/1990 Site Ranked Using the AHRM Initial ranking. Former Staff
9/18/1990 Update or Other Action Harding Lawson submit a draft groundwater contamination investigation report. Results of a soil boring investigation suggested a 400 by 100’ area of subsurface diesel fuel contamination which encompassed both of the community wells (#1 and #3). The greatest thickness of bedrock with evidence of diesel fuel occurred near the tank storage area next to the AVEC building. The highly fractured and weakened bedrock in this area may permit extensive subsurface migration of fuel. Three of the soil borings were completed as monitoring wells. During HLA’s investigation, diesel fuel was actively accumulating in well #3. It was not clear whether diesel fuel was entering from a level above the water table and migrating downward through the annulus, or whether it has accumulated in the rock at depth and is carried into the casing by groundwater. Petroleum thickness in Well #3 increased from 0.2 foot to 19 feet in less than two weeks. Kim DeRuyter
12/19/1990 Update or Other Action Public Well #4 (PW-4) was drilled near the Tolovana River. The well was completed at a depth of 192 feet and produced over 40 gallons per minute until Calcium carbonate in the water clogged the pump. The quick precipitation of CaCO3 in the water suggested a geothermal zone. Kim DeRuyter
3/18/1991 Update or Other Action Product recovery efforts removed at least 1,000 gallons of product from MW-2, and Well #3 in March. Kim DeRuyter
5/21/1992 Site Ranked Using the AHRM Re-ranked by Laura, previous score = 57. Former Staff
1/14/1994 Update or Other Action (Old R:Base Action Code = RPL2 - Site Information Request Letter). Sent PRP-CS Database Notification Letter to RP requesting update and more environmental information. RP responded with completed information form. Jeff Peterson
1/25/1994 Site Added to Database Former Staff
3/6/2001 Update or Other Action File number updated from 770.02.003 to 770.38.001. Mitzi Read
9/27/2006 Update or Other Action Walt Sandel conducted a site visit to the Village of Minto. He observed weathered fuel in Well #3, but was not able to measure the depth of the fuel. Kim DeRuyter
12/12/2006 Update or Other Action Received a copy of the AEA assessment of the tank farms in Minto. The Assessment outlines numerous deficiencies. A copy was saved to the G:/ Drive. Spoke to Brent Petrie with AVEC. He didn't know of any plans to upgrade the tanks. Kim DeRuyter
12/14/2006 Update or Other Action Reviewed the file, updated the problem statement and wrote up a site summary for future project managers in the event that funding is attained to assess current conditions at the site. Saved a draft request for proposal to the electronic file. Kim DeRuyter
7/27/2007 Update or Other Action Site transferred from Oelkers to Frechione. Shannon Oelkers
4/16/2008 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking Initial ranking with ETM completed. Pam Clemens
12/3/2008 Meeting or Teleconference Held Meeting with CS staff and AVEC 12-3-08. Action added by Pam Clemens. Bill O'Connell
12/4/2008 Potentially Responsible Party/State Interest Letter PRP letter went out 12-4-08 and attached to file. Action added by Pam Clemens. Bill O'Connell
2/16/2012 Update or Other Action Staff changed from Pam Clemens to Linda Nuechterlein. Kristin Thompson
9/19/2018 Update or Other Action Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC) reviewed site files of Alaska Village Electric Corp. sites and sent a letter to the AVEC main office requesting they contact ADEC by October 15, 2018 to schedule a meeting to discuss sites at which they are a responsible or potentially responsible party. Chelsy Passmore
12/20/2018 Meeting or Teleconference Held The ADEC hosted a meeting with the Alaska Village Electric Corporation (AVEC) to discuss the 14 AVEC sites currently on the contaminated sites database. AVEC CEO, and environmental consultant were in attendance as well as ADEC program managers, and site project managers. Individual site status and cleanup needs were discussed for each site, in addition to overall funding sources, level of priority and forward progress at the sites as a whole. Chelsy Passmore
11/4/2020 Update or Other Action Updated latitude and longitude of site. The site is located on C Street and State Street. Road names appear to have changed since the 90's. Janice Wiegers

Contaminant Information

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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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