Site Report: Middleton Island AFS FUDS
| Site Name: | Middleton Island AFS FUDS |
|---|---|
| Address: | Middleton Island, Cordova, AK 99574 |
| File Number: | 2242.38.002 |
| Hazard ID: | 113 |
| Status: | Active |
| Staff: | Kelly Walker, 9074512166 kelly.walker@alaska.gov |
| Latitude: | 59.449000 |
| Longitude: | -146.309000 |
| Horizontal Datum: |
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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
The Middleton Island Air Force Station was established in 1950 as an aircraft control and warning station and consisted of approximately 1,950 acres. The Air Force Station was utilized as a White Alice Communication System (WACS) from 1956 until 1963. The Air Force inactivated the facility and vacated the island in 1963. Subsequent uses include wildlife monitoring activities by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the US Geological Survey. The Formerly Used Defense Site (FUDS ID F10AK015800) has potential operational wastes including fuel oil and transformer oil. The specific contaminants, amounts, date deposited, the extent of contamination, and impacts are unknown. Based on the results of a 11/05 EPA Preliminary Assessment / Site Inspection Report the EPA determined that no further action is warranted under the Superfund Program. Compliance with Alaska regulations has not yet been determined. Archived EPA CERCLIS site name: Middleton Island; EPA ID: AKN001002631. Sampling planned for August 2014 under the Native American Lands Environmental Mitigation Program (NALEMP). See related site: Middleton Island NALEMP (Hazard ID 26278 / file no. 2242.38.003).
Action Information
| Action Date | Action | Description | DEC Staff |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/12/1982 | Site Added to Database | Fuel oil and transformer oil contaminant. | Former Staff |
| 11/27/1992 | Site Ranked Using the AHRM | Insufficient comments provided to allow proper audit of scores. SW Usage and Exposure, and Environmental/Recreation Area values changed. Value assigned to question #5 regarding Air Exposure Index Value is questionable. | Former Staff |
| 5/11/2000 | Site Ranked Using the AHRM | Changed Environmental/Recreation value from 0 to 2 because site is within the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. This value may be higher. | Former Staff |
| 12/26/2000 | Site Number Identifier Changed | Changed Workplan to X9 from 09 to reflect a military site. | Former Staff |
| 8/9/2001 | Update or Other Action | Staff inspected the island with representatives from several organizations. The Audubon Society is interested in assisting the USGS in purchasing a parcel on the island from a private landowner. The lot was previously used by the Air Force as a White Alice Communication Station. For the last 25 years the USGS has sponsored a bird research program on the subject lot. One of the radar towers has been converted into a rookery and observation lab for Kittiwakes and Pelagic Cormorants. There is concern about the potential contaminant issues complicating a property transfer. Staff explained that with a willing and able responsible party, an agreement could be drafted to limit environmental liability for purchasers. Representatives from the Nature Conservancy and Chugach Alaska Corporation were also on the trip. | Jeff Brownlee |
| 4/8/2002 | Site Ranked Using the AHRM | Changed Environmental/Recreation Value from 5 to 0 based on the fact that contaminated areas land ownership is not USFWS nor any other designated parkland type. | Former Staff |
| 4/9/2002 | Site Ranked Using the AHRM | Changed surface water environments from 3 to 2 as no evidence has been documented of stress to fish, wildlife or plantlife that is strongly suspected due to the presence of hazardous substances at the site. | Jeff Brownlee |
| 1/23/2006 | Update or Other Action | DEC received a copy of a Preliminary Assessment/Site Inspection report prepared by Weston Solutions for EPA. EPA determined no further action is required under the Federal Superfund Program. Limited sampling was done for CERCLA hazardous substances and asbestos containing material. Lead, PCBs and two SVOCs were detected above background levels. | John Halverson |
| 9/25/2006 | Update or Other Action | File number issued 2242.38.002. | Aggie Blandford |
| 8/18/2014 | Update or Other Action | File transferred to DePalma in Fairbanks on 8-18-2014 | Annie Ariel |
| 9/4/2014 | Update or Other Action | Project site file transfer received. | Keri DePalma |
| 1/13/2016 | Interim Removal Action Approved | DEC Approved the Work Plan, Abandoned Air Force Petroleum Pipeline Removal and Site Characterization, Middleton Island, Alaska. The objectives of the Middleton Island Petroleum Pipeline Removal and Site Characterization project are to remove and dispose of approximately 9,100 linear feet (LF) of aboveground 4.5- inch diameter steel pipeline and approximately 150 LF of adjoined 2.5-inch diameter aboveground that traverse a portion of the island. An additional project objective is to characterize soil beneath and along the pipelines for petroleum, oil, and lubricant (POL) contamination. The general approach for the pipeline removal is to drain and containerize any remaining fluids in the lines, cut the pipelines into manageable sections, stage the sections near the barge landing area at the north end of the island, and transport piping off island for recycling or disposal. The general approach for the soil characterization is to use a combination of field screening and analytical sampling to determine if soil underlying and adjacent to the pipeline is contaminated with POL and/or lead at concentrations that exceed applicable DEC cleanup levels. | Monte Garroutte |
| 12/1/2016 | Meeting or Teleconference Held | CS managers participate in the annual FUDS site management action plan meeting. The purpose of the is to collaborate with FUDS management on site progress and prioritization for all of the formerly used defense sites. FUDS prioritization is based on risk, congressional interest, state input and proximity to other sites on the prioritization list. FUDS has increased environmental restoration funding in Alaska for the 2017 and 2018 field seasons to meet National goals for site progress. | Darren Mulkey |
| 12/21/2018 | Update or Other Action | In email correspondence with Andrea Elconin of USACE, she stated that this site is scheduled to start the RI/FS in 2026 and start removal actions in 2029 | Kevin Fraley |
| 4/9/2021 | Update or Other Action | GPS coordinates of ADEC site changed to reflect the contamination on ANCSA conveyed land. New coordinates reflect location near a former building 50 yards east of the fuel line (N 59.449, W 146.309) which had DRO levels exceeding ADEC clean-up levels. Prior coordinates of the site reflected the location of the WACS facility. | Ginna Quesada |
| 1/14/2025 | Exposure Tracking Model Ranking | Initial ranking with ETM completed for source area id: 71093 name: auto-generated pm edit Middleton Island | Kelly Walker |
Contaminant Information
| Name | Level Description | Media | Comments |
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Control Type
| Type | Details |
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Requirements
| Description | Details |
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There are no documents for this site report.
| Hazard ID | Site Name | File Number |
|---|---|---|
| 26278 | Middleton Island NALEMP | 2242.38.003 |