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Site Report: USCG Ketchikan Base

Site Name: USCG Ketchikan Base
Address: 1 Mile South Tongass Hwy., Revillagigedo Island, Ketchikan, AK 99901
File Number: 1516.38.011
Hazard ID: 1184
Status: Active
Staff: Michael Hooper, 9074515174 michael.hooper@alaska.gov
Latitude: 55.332447
Longitude: -131.624725
Horizontal Datum:NAD83

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

Petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated soils in unknown quantity. Contamination source due to overfilling of the above-ground storage tank and UST on north side of barracks, and leaking fuel lines between the two. GRO, metals, and PCBs in soils. 4/4/00 Update - Contaminated sediments present in marine environment. CERCLIS ID # AK8690360492. Ongoing monitoring with test pits. Site Assessment submitted by Shannon Wilson to ADEC July 1991. ADEC sampling to be conducted 10/93. Originally leakage from a contaminated heating oil tank with contaminated soil discovered during tank removal. CAP was approved with revisions on 9/6/91. In addition, trace amounts of chlorinated solvents were identified. A CERCLA PA was done July 1992. 4/4/00 - Contaminated sediments being addressed by Coast Guard under the name "Ketchikan Marine Railway." On December 16, 2022, DRO contamination was found during a preconstruction sampling effort. The extent of the contamination is unknown.

Action Information

Action Date Action Description DEC Staff
3/12/1991 Update or Other Action EPA/CERCLIS Action: Site Discovery ID # AK8690360492 Bruce Wanstall
7/1/1991 Update or Other Action (Old R:Base Action Code = SA1 - Phase I Site Assessment (General)). Soil remediation and sampling plan recommendations Former Staff
6/17/1992 Preliminary Assessment Approved Wastes have been disposed of into soil and surface water at the site. Soil at the base is continuously washed by precipitation. Surface water has potential for contamination via drainage from soil which may pose a threat to sensitive environments in the region and to human targets through food chain contamination. Former Staff
12/1/1992 Site Characterization Report Approved (Old R:Base Action Code = SI - Site Investigation). VOCs no longer present in significant concentrations at the sampling locations. SVOC detection is fairly uniformly distributed for the area. PCBs present in shallow soil samples at Sampling Area B. Sampling Areas A,B,E and F showed elevated levels of heavy metals. Former Staff
7/11/1993 Update or Other Action EPA/CERCLIS Action: Site Inspection. Bruce Wanstall
7/22/1993 Site Added to Database Former Staff
7/28/1993 Site Ranked Using the AHRM Site ranked by Anchorage staff. Dennis Harwood
7/8/1994 Interim Removal Action Approved (Old R:Base Action Code = REM - Removal / Excavation). Dredging to take place in harbor adjacent to military base for removal of metals. Former Staff
7/14/1994 Update or Other Action (Old R:Base Action Code = RAPR - Remedial Action Plan Review (CS)). Former Staff
2/29/2000 Update or Other Action EPA/CERCLIS Action: Site Reassessment Bruce Wanstall
4/4/2000 Update or Other Action Technical memo, photo, and site diagram sent from Coast Guard. Bill Janes
4/21/2000 Update or Other Action Teleconference with Bob Deering of Coast Guard. Planning to cap residual contaminated sediments. We need to work with CG on this as capping may not be necessary. Removal action already completed. Bill Janes
4/12/2001 Meeting or Teleconference Held With Tessa Muehllehner to discuss results of screening level ecological risk assessment. Tessa will check with CH2M Hill to see if the data set can be used to do risk modeling or if additional sampling is required. I will check to see if we can make an ecological risk management decision at this point based on size (approximately 1 acre). Bill Janes
4/26/2001 Update or Other Action Tessa has decided there are enough data gaps to merit additional sed and mussel sampling. No funding right now. I will check back with her in mid October 2001 to see if funding was received new federal fiscal year. Bill Janes
12/18/2001 Update or Other Action Project tickler review - no action at this time. Bill Janes
1/23/2002 Update or Other Action Teleconference with Tessa - Funding received for ecological risk assessment. Site visit/scoping planned for 2/11/02. Underwater video survey in April. May be a battery dump. Navy divers coming up in June to conduct a battery recovery. Full sampling at waterfront will be conducted by CH2M Hill. Bill Janes
2/11/2002 Update or Other Action Site visit and ecological risk scoping meeting in Ketchikan. Bill Janes
4/17/2002 Update or Other Action Site tickler update - No action this time. Bill Janes
4/29/2002 Update or Other Action Project tickler update - Emailed Tessa inquiring about eco RA project. Bill Janes
5/15/2003 Update or Other Action Draft sediment risk evaluation received. CH2M Hill contractor for Coast Guard. Bill Janes
8/1/2003 Update or Other Action Request to RP for update on petroleum contaminated soil stockpile at Point Higgins facility. Soils from the Ketchikan base are supposedly at the Pt. Higgins stockpile. Bruce Wanstall
11/20/2003 Risk Assessment Report Approved Ecological risk assessment and limited human health evaluation. ICs needed to limit Coast Guard personnel from harvesting off the dock. Long term monitoring needs to be put in place. Ecological risks minimal. Bill Janes
5/12/2004 Update or Other Action File number assigned and entered into the Fileroom DB and CS DB. Alyce Hughey
4/7/2008 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking Initial ranking with ETM completed. Anne Marie Palmieri
2/3/2009 Update or Other Action DEC/DHSS comments on the 11/08 work plan were provided to the USCG this date. Submitted work plan was developed for long-term monitoring of sediment contamination. DEC and DHSS request additional characterization determining that long-term monitoring is not appropriate and additional cleanup may be necessary. Anne Marie Palmieri
2/20/2009 Meeting or Teleconference Held Meeting with USCG and EPA. Anne Marie Palmieri
12/10/2009 Meeting or Teleconference Held Meeting held with USCG, EPA, and DEC -- EPA and DEC stressed that proposed work is insufficient and a complete RI/FS of the entire facility is needed. Anne Marie Palmieri
12/14/2009 Update or Other Action Draft RI/FS work plan (version 2) submitted. This work plan is still insufficient. The USCG had Jacobs develop this work plan prior to the 12/10/09 meeting and thus it did not incorporate the points brought up in that meeting. Anne Marie Palmieri
1/13/2010 Update or Other Action DEC provides comments on the 12/14/09 work plan. DEC also comments on the Jacobs responses to to the DEC comments (dated 2/3/09) on the work plan (version 1); Jacobs provides these responses on 1/7/10. Anne Marie Palmieri
7/23/2010 Update or Other Action Jacobs submits responses to 1/13/10 DEC comments on 7/12/10. On 7/23/10, DEC acknowledges acceptability of the majority of comment responses and provides additional direction to USCG. Anne Marie Palmieri
8/9/2010 Meeting or Teleconference Held Scoping meeting for RI/FS work plan, version 3. Anne Marie Palmieri
8/31/2010 Update or Other Action Draft RI/FS work plan (version 3) submitted. Anne Marie Palmieri
9/21/2010 Meeting or Teleconference Held Meeting with Jacobs and EPA - comment resolution for 8/31/10 RI/FS work plan Anne Marie Palmieri
10/6/2010 CERCLA RI Plan Approved RI/FS work plan approved this date. Field work to occur in October 2010. Anne Marie Palmieri
11/8/2010 Meeting or Teleconference Held Meeting held w/Jacobs so that they can give an update on the Sept/Oct field activities for the RI/FS. Anne Marie Palmieri
3/14/2011 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other CS staff reviewed the "pre-draft" report for the 2010 sampling event and provided comments to the USCG. Anne Marie Palmieri
5/17/2011 Update or Other Action Staff approved a limited removal action work plan this date to excavate a small volume of tailings between the marine ways rails so that boats could be moved up the rails safely. Anne Marie Palmieri
6/8/2011 Site Visit A site visit was conducted by Anne Marie Palmieri and Marty Brewer. Anne Marie Palmieri
5/4/2012 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other A work plan was approved this date to allow for the removal of contaminated sediments at the marine railways to ensure that boats can move up the rails safely. The removal will be conducted the week of May 7th. The contaminated sediment will be disposed of appropriately based upon the sample results. Water from the sediments will be collected, sampled, and disposed of as well. Samples will be collected of remaining material. A report will be submitted in a few months. Anne Marie Palmieri
8/22/2012 Meeting or Teleconference Held A meeting was held with USCG, Jacobs, and the USACE. Anne Marie Palmieri
3/6/2013 Meeting or Teleconference Held regularly scheduled monthly coordination meeting Anne Marie Palmieri
4/3/2013 Meeting or Teleconference Held regularly scheduled monthly coordination meeting Anne Marie Palmieri
5/9/2013 Site Visit CS staff visited the site with the USCG, Jacobs and USACE. Site cleanup levels and the future homeporting project were discussed. Anne Marie Palmieri
6/5/2013 Meeting or Teleconference Held regularly scheduled monthly coordination meeting Anne Marie Palmieri
9/4/2013 Meeting or Teleconference Held regularly scheduled monthly coordination meeting Anne Marie Palmieri
10/3/2013 Meeting or Teleconference Held regularly scheduled monthly coordination meeting Anne Marie Palmieri
10/29/2013 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other CS provided comments on the Sediment Cleanup guidance for the marine ways this date. Anne Marie Palmieri
12/5/2013 Meeting or Teleconference Held A meeting was held this date with USCG and Mortenson about issues related to the new homeporting construction project. Anne Marie Palmieri
12/11/2013 Meeting or Teleconference Held regularly scheduled monthly coordination meeting Anne Marie Palmieri
1/22/2014 Meeting or Teleconference Held monthly coordination meeting Anne Marie Palmieri
2/5/2014 Meeting or Teleconference Held monthly coordination meeting Anne Marie Palmieri
3/26/2014 Meeting or Teleconference Held The regular monthly coordination meeting was held this date. Anne Marie Palmieri
4/1/2014 Meeting or Teleconference Held CS staff met with USCG and Mortenson to discuss issues with the homeporting construction project. Anne Marie Palmieri
4/15/2014 Meeting or Teleconference Held CS staff met with Jacobs and USCG to discuss the marine ways site and how to determine cleanup levels. Anne Marie Palmieri
5/1/2014 Site Visit CS staff met with USCG, Jacobs, and Mortenson about issues at the homeporting project. Anne Marie Palmieri
5/29/2014 Update or Other Action CS staff provided a letter to the USCG and Mortenson regarding disposal requirements for various soil stockpiles from the homeporting construction process. This letter was the result of many discussions with Jacobs and the USCG. Anne Marie Palmieri
6/19/2014 Update or Other Action Staff concurred with a proposal to place soil from the lower base area with naturally-occurring elevated concentrations of arsenic at the former small arms firing range. The soil will be capped with imported local shot rock. Anne Marie Palmieri
6/19/2014 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Staff provided comments to the USCG on a proposal for sediment toxicity testing for the inter-tidal and sub-tidal areas. A work plan will be forthcoming and fieldwork is anticipated to occur in August. Anne Marie Palmieri
6/24/2014 Meeting or Teleconference Held CS staff met with USCG and Jacobs regarding their proposed toxicity approach towards the marine sediments. Anne Marie Palmieri
7/22/2014 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other CS staff reviewed the draft biota sampling report and provided comments to the USCG and Jacobs. Anne Marie Palmieri
8/4/2014 Site Characterization Workplan Approved CS staff approved a workplan for biota sampling on this date. Anne Marie Palmieri
8/21/2014 Meeting or Teleconference Held regularly scheduled monthly coordination meeting Anne Marie Palmieri
10/28/2014 Meeting or Teleconference Held DEC participated in a meeting with the USCG and Jacobs to discuss the preliminary results of the sediment toxicity study. Anne Marie Palmieri
3/4/2015 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other DEC provided comments on the draft toxicity study report. Anne Marie Palmieri
5/15/2015 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other DEC approved the non-time critical removal action work plan on this date. This removal addresses a reoccurring situation where sediment near the rails of the marine ways needs to be removed. Anne Marie Palmieri
9/3/2015 Meeting or Teleconference Held CS staff (Palmieri and Wu) participated in a meeting with the USCG and Jacobs Engineering regarding cleanup levels, remedial action objectives, and the process for how to proceed forward with the site. The USCG will develop a risk evaluation to feed into the Feasibility Study. Anne Marie Palmieri
6/28/2016 Meeting or Teleconference Held DEC met with the USCG regarding all USCG contaminated sites. The Ketchikan Base project has been stalled since Sept. 2015 due to USCG funding/contractual issues. The issues should be resolved in the next few months. Anne Marie Palmieri
5/9/2017 Interim Removal Action Approved Staff approved the Final Long-Term Maintenance Sediment Removal Work Plan on this date. The work plan covers annual removal of sediment near the marine ways for operational reasons. The USCG must provide a letter report documenting the cleanup and disposal of sediment and water. The approval is in effect for 5 years or until a ROD is signed. Anne Marie Palmieri
9/14/2017 Cleanup Level(s) Approved DEC approved a tech memo which outlined cleanup levels for sediment at the Ketchikan Base. Cleanup criteria are based on bulk sample concentrations, potential toxicity by bioavailability, and ecological testing. Anne Marie Palmieri
2/19/2019 CERCLA FS The CERCLA Feasibility Study for the four operable units at the site was approved on this date. Anne Marie Palmieri
5/14/2019 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Staff provided comments on a draft Proposed Plan on this date. Anne Marie Palmieri
9/17/2019 Risk Assessment Report Approved DEC approved the Ecological Risk Evaluation for the Subtidal Sediment Area of Concern on this date. This evaluation was developed using site-specific sediment and biota data, toxicity bioassays, diving survey records, and standard risk-assessment literature values. Using a traditional multiple lines of evidence approach, the risk to the ecological community in the subtidal area from the site contaminants of concern was determined to be low. Anne Marie Palmieri
1/21/2020 CERCLA Proposed Plan The USCG provided the final Proposed Plan to DEC on this date. The public comment period is set for 1/22 - 2/20, and a public meeting is scheduled for 2/4 from 2-5pm at the Ketchikan library. Anne Marie Palmieri
2/4/2020 Meeting or Teleconference Held CS Staff attended the Proposed Plan public meeting on this date. Anne Marie Palmieri
1/14/2021 Update or Other Action Provided comments on DRAFT Record of Decision under CERCLA. Michael Hooper
6/17/2021 CERCLA ROD Approved Approved the Record of Decision for the four AOCs at Ketchikan base. Contaminated soils will be managed through a combination of targeted excavation and in-site treatment. Contaminated sediments will be managed through a combination of excavation and land use controls. See database attachments section for final record of decision. Michael Hooper
7/20/2021 Update or Other Action Approved Sediment management plan for plan construction projects in AOC2 and AOC4. Potential impacts to contaminated sediment are minimal and best practices will be implemented. Michael Hooper
5/25/2022 Update or Other Action Reviewed Environmental Work Plan detailing how contamination will not be disturbed as part of the fast response cutter improvements occuring at the USCG Ketchikan Base Wharf. Formal ADEC approval is not needed as impacted sediments are below ACLs. Sediments are to be redeposited in place. Michael Hooper
1/23/2023 CERCLA PA ADEC approved a combined PA report evaluating 65 USCG Units within District 17 (Alaska), excluding Base Kodiak, for potential PFAS releases related to the use of AFFF. Six potential release locations were identified at four sites: Air Station Sitka, Loran C - Attu Island, Port Clarence Loran Station, and Loran C Station - Sitkinak. These locations were recommended for Site Inspection (SI). Nick Waldo
11/14/2023 Site Visit Conducted Site Visit with USCG CEU, USCG Base Ketchikan Environmental, USCG Contractors. The Implementation of the Record of Decision was the main topic of discussion. Michael Hooper
4/19/2024 Interim Removal Action Approved Approved long term maintenance work plan for Marine Railways AOC. Sediment will be excavated from the railways on an as-needed basis. Sediment will be dewatered and sampled for TCLP metals prior to out of state disposal. The USCG on-site Environmental Specialist will serve as the QEP for this project with DEC Approval of a third party QEP waiver. Michael Hooper
8/14/2024 Update or Other Action Reviewed and provided comments on Draft Remedial Design Work plan addressing implementation of the 2021 ROD. Michael Hooper

Contaminant Information

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Control Type

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Description Details

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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
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