Site Report: FAA Middleton Island

Site Name:	FAA Middleton Island
Address:	Middleton Island, ~80 Miles SSW of Cordova, Cordova, AK 99574
File Number:	2242.38.001
Hazard ID:	1545
Status:	Active
Staff:	Kelly Walker, 9074512166 kelly.walker@alaska.gov
Latitude:	59.460136
Longitude:	-146.305357
Horizontal Datum:	NAD27

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.

Site Chronology
IC / Closure Details
Documents
Associated Sites

Problems/Comments

FAA Middleton Island station remediation and cleanup work is ongoing. Areas of Concern (AOCs) at FAA Middleton include the Tactical Air Navigation (TACAN), Former Housing Area (FHA) Buildings 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, and 602, the Air Traffic Control Beacon Indicator (ATCBI), Burn Pit, FHA Bulk Fuel Tank/Burn Pad, FHA Building 300/Shop, FHA Building 600/Engine Generator, and 2007 Pipeline Removal Areas. Current work focuses on delineation of soil contamination at the FHA Building 300, FHA Building 600, and 2007 Pipeline Removal Area. During the 2023 field season, contaminated soils were excavated from Building 300 and Building 600, with additional delineation needed to the west of Building 300 and to the East of Building 600. Contaminated soils were also excavated from the 2007 Pipeline Excavation Area, with additional delineation needed in the vicinity of Buildings 103 and 104. Contaminants of concern include volatile organic compounds (VOCs), gasoline range organics (GRO), diesel range organics (DRO), residual range organics (RRO), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

Action Information

Action Date	Action	Description	DEC Staff
10/22/1996	Meeting or Teleconference Held	DEC/FAA meeting of 10/22/96: ADEC is waiting for decommissioning assessment. Expect in-place contamination associated with tanks and with piping.	Eileen Olson
4/1/2002	Site Added to Database	DRO.	Elizabeth Stergiou
4/1/2002	Update or Other Action	Staff toured 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 eliminate environmental liability from the purchaser. Representatives from the Nature Conservancy and Chugach Alaska Corporation were also on the tour.	Jeff Brownlee
4/1/2002	Update or Other Action	Requested and received previously unsubmitted Final Release Investigation Report dated January 2001 and 2000 Groundwater Sampling dated January 2002.	Eileen Olson
4/3/2002	Site Ranked Using the AHRM	Worked with DB administrator to re-rank site: changed groundwater use value from 0.4 to 0.8.	Eileen Olson
4/4/2002	Update or Other Action	Summarized site concerns for ADEC Contaminated Sites management in response to stakeholders' concerns.	Eileen Olson
4/8/2002	Site Ranked Using the AHRM	Changed Environmental/Recreation area score from 5 to 0 because the FAA property is not technically on land designated as the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, although the refuge surrounds the FAA land, and Chugach Alaska Corporation land use restrictions reflect the fact that land conveyed to that corporation is within the refuge.	Eileen Olson
9/18/2002	Update or Other Action	Sent letter requesting surface water and groundwater monitoring with a schedule of monitoring to be submitted by March 31, 2003 and the monitoring to be complete by June 30, 2003.	Elizabeth Stergiou
2/8/2007	Update or Other Action	Site file transferred to Lisa Maserjian in Anchorage CS office.	Colin Craven
3/12/2007	Exposure Tracking Model Ranking	Initial ranking. Site broken up into the following subsites: Former Quarters, NW Landill, ATCBI Facility, and VORTAC Facility.	Lisa Maserjian
5/9/2007	Update or Other Action	Receive Draft Site Investigation Report for work performed summer 2006. Work included 105 soil borings, groundwater sampling, surface water and sediment sampling. Report uses the Hydrocarbon Risk Calculator as a Method 4 option for sites that did not meet Method 2 cleanup levels. Larry Accomb was contracted for this section of the report.	Lisa Maserjian
2/13/2009	Update or Other Action	See Middleton Isl Site Summary document in S:\Groups on Fairbanks\SPAR\CS\Contaminated Site Files (38)\2242 Middleton Island for recent file work.	Daniel Fremgen
9/20/2012	Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other	Approved the final injection well closure report documenting the permanent closure of floor drains at Building 609. Building 609 had three floor drains, two of which do not meet the definition of Class V Injection Wells because they discharge above the ground surface. Floor drain #1, located in the engine generator room, discharged directly to the subsurface soil beneath the building. The drain was filled with clean material and capped with concrete. Results for the sample collected from below the bottom of the floor drain show diesel range organics, residual range organics, arsenic, and chromium above the cleanup level.	Melody Debenham
11/19/2012	Update or Other Action	Received letter from the EPA Underground Injection Control (UIC) program documenting that the floor drain at Building 609 is now listed as permanently closed in the UIC program file with the condition that additional investigation activities will be required when the building is decommissioned.	Melody Debenham
8/19/2014	Update or Other Action	Site transfered from Fred Vreeman to Keri DePalma	Keri DePalma
8/5/2015	Site Characterization Workplan Approved	On July 20, 2015, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) received a Draft Work Plan Groundwater Monitoring, Middleton Island FAA Station. The work plan describes the project approach and methods to be used to assess the present state of groundwater contamination at the VHF Omni-directional Range, Housing Area, and Air Traffic Control Beacon Interrogator areas of concern. DEC provided FAA with comments on the draft work plan on July 31. DEC received a satisfactory response to comments and approved the work plan on August 4, 2015.	Joy Whitsel
12/16/2016	Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other	On November 21, 2016, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) received a Draft 2016 Groundwater Monitoring Report for Middleton Island Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Station, Middleton Island, Alaska. The report describes groundwater sampling activities and results at three areas of concern: Air Traffic Control Beacon Interrogator (ATCBI); Former Housing Area (FHA); and Very High Frequency (VHF) Omni-directional Range (VOR). DEC requested minor clarifications and/or edits to the text.	Joy Whitsel
1/1/2017	Site Characterization Report Approved	DEC approves the groundwater monitoring report. The report describes groundwater sampling activities and results at three areas of concern: Air Traffic Control Beacon Interrogator (ATCBI); Former Housing Area (FHA); and Very High Frequency (VHF) Omni-directional Range (VOR). Analytical results of groundwater indicate DRO remains at concentrations greater than the DEC groundwater cleanup levels at the ATCBI and the FHA. Benzene, ethylbenzene, 1-methylnaphthalene, 2-methylnaphthalene, and naphthalene were detected at concentrations greater than DEC groundwater cleanup levels at the VOR. Additionally, lead was detected at one well at the VOR at a concentration greater than the associated DEC groundwater cleanup level; however, the analytical results for lead did not meet quality assurance criteria. Therefore, lead remains a potential COC at the VOR.	Joy Whitsel
6/29/2018	Update or Other Action	In correspondence between the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) project manager and the DEC project manager, the FAA contract for a remedial investigation (RI) to address remaining data gaps at the Middleton Island sites has not yet been awarded. The FAA expects the RI work to be awarded soon, and to start planning for fieldwork during the summer 2019 season. DEC will need to follow up with the FAA on the timeline for when this work will be conducted.	Erica Blake
5/13/2019	Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other	DEC approved the 2019 FAA Middleton Island Release Investigation Work Plan. Work to be conducted includes UVOST RI at the ATCBI, TACAN, Bulk Tank/Burn Pad, Buildings 100-102, Building 104, Building 105, Building 300, Building 600, and Building 602. GW monitoring will occur at the ATCBI, Burn Pit, VOR, and FHA areas of concern.Soil borings will also be conducted at most AOCs.	Kevin Fraley
9/16/2020	Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other	Approved 2019 Release investigation report. ADEC agrees with the recommendation for further remedial action at the ATCBI and FHA Buildings 300 & 600, and additional monitoring to occur at the VOR and FHA Bulk Fuel Tank/Burn Pad. No further action was recommended for remaining AOCs.	Michael Hooper
6/9/2021	Update or Other Action	Lat/long changed to represent contamination on ANCSA conveyed land. Old CSP coordinates were 59.436984 -146.324094. Updated Lat/long represent location of Bulk Fuel Tank. Verified with satellite imagery and figures from FAA_Middleton_GWM-RI_Final_Report.pdf	Ginna Quesada
9/7/2022	Exposure Tracking Model Ranking	Initial ranking with ETM completed for source area id: 81218 name: Former Housing Area Building 102	Sarah Mutter
9/12/2022	Exposure Tracking Model Ranking	Initial ranking with ETM completed for source area id: 81219 name: Former Housing Area 104	Sarah Mutter
9/12/2022	Exposure Tracking Model Ranking	Initial ranking with ETM completed for source area id: 81220 name: Former Housing Area Building 602	Sarah Mutter
9/26/2022	Update or Other Action	DEC reviewed eight areas of concern (AOCs) for closure as requested by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the FAA Middleton Island site, located on Middleton Island in the Gulf of Alaska: TACAN, Burn Pits, FHA Building 100, FHA Building 101, FHA Building 102, FHA Building 104, FHA Building 105, FHA Building 602.	Sarah Mutter
2/27/2023	Site Characterization Workplan Approved	DEC has completed review and approved the Middleton Island Soil Removal Work Plan for the FAA. This work plan details the removal action and soil sampling to be conduction during the 2023 field season. Removal actions will occur at Building 300/Shop, Building 600/Engine Generator and at four location at the 2007 Pipeline Removal Area. A background soil concentration study for arsenic will also be conducted.	Kelly Walker
10/30/2024	Exposure Tracking Model Ranking	Initial ranking with ETM completed for source area id: 81448 name: TACAN	Kelly Walker
10/30/2024	Exposure Tracking Model Ranking	Initial ranking with ETM completed for source area id: 81449 name: Former Housing Area Building 100	Kelly Walker
10/31/2024	Exposure Tracking Model Ranking	Initial ranking with ETM completed for source area id: 81450 name: Former Housing Area Building 105	Kelly Walker
10/31/2024	Exposure Tracking Model Ranking	Initial ranking with ETM completed for source area id: 81451 name: Former Housing Area Building 101	Kelly Walker
10/31/2024	Exposure Tracking Model Ranking	Initial ranking with ETM completed for source area id: 81452 name: Burn Pit	Kelly Walker
10/31/2024	Exposure Tracking Model Ranking	Initial ranking with ETM completed for source area id: 81453 name: Building 300	Kelly Walker
11/1/2024	Exposure Tracking Model Ranking	Initial ranking with ETM completed for source area id: 81454 name: Building 600/Former Engine Generator	Kelly Walker

Action Date

Action

Description

DEC Staff

10/22/1996

Meeting or Teleconference Held

DEC/FAA meeting of 10/22/96: ADEC is waiting for decommissioning assessment. Expect in-place contamination associated with tanks and with piping.

Eileen Olson

4/1/2002

Site Added to Database

DRO.

Elizabeth Stergiou

4/1/2002

Update or Other Action

Staff toured 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 eliminate environmental liability from the purchaser. Representatives from the Nature Conservancy and Chugach Alaska Corporation were also on the tour.

Jeff Brownlee

4/1/2002

Update or Other Action

Requested and received previously unsubmitted Final Release Investigation Report dated January 2001 and 2000 Groundwater Sampling dated January 2002.

Eileen Olson

4/3/2002

Site Ranked Using the AHRM

Worked with DB administrator to re-rank site: changed groundwater use value from 0.4 to 0.8.

Eileen Olson

4/4/2002

Update or Other Action

Summarized site concerns for ADEC Contaminated Sites management in response to stakeholders' concerns.

Eileen Olson

4/8/2002

Site Ranked Using the AHRM

Changed Environmental/Recreation area score from 5 to 0 because the FAA property is not technically on land designated as the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, although the refuge surrounds the FAA land, and Chugach Alaska Corporation land use restrictions reflect the fact that land conveyed to that corporation is within the refuge.

Eileen Olson

9/18/2002

Update or Other Action

Sent letter requesting surface water and groundwater monitoring with a schedule of monitoring to be submitted by March 31, 2003 and the monitoring to be complete by June 30, 2003.

Elizabeth Stergiou

2/8/2007

Update or Other Action

Site file transferred to Lisa Maserjian in Anchorage CS office.

Colin Craven

3/12/2007

Exposure Tracking Model Ranking

Initial ranking. Site broken up into the following subsites: Former Quarters, NW Landill, ATCBI Facility, and VORTAC Facility.

Lisa Maserjian

5/9/2007

Update or Other Action

Receive Draft Site Investigation Report for work performed summer 2006. Work included 105 soil borings, groundwater sampling, surface water and sediment sampling. Report uses the Hydrocarbon Risk Calculator as a Method 4 option for sites that did not meet Method 2 cleanup levels. Larry Accomb was contracted for this section of the report.

Lisa Maserjian

2/13/2009

Update or Other Action

See Middleton Isl Site Summary document in S:\Groups on Fairbanks\SPAR\CS\Contaminated Site Files (38)\2242 Middleton Island for recent file work.

Daniel Fremgen

9/20/2012

Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other

Approved the final injection well closure report documenting the permanent closure of floor drains at Building 609. Building 609 had three floor drains, two of which do not meet the definition of Class V Injection Wells because they discharge above the ground surface. Floor drain #1, located in the engine generator room, discharged directly to the subsurface soil beneath the building. The drain was filled with clean material and capped with concrete. Results for the sample collected from below the bottom of the floor drain show diesel range organics, residual range organics, arsenic, and chromium above the cleanup level.

Melody Debenham

11/19/2012

Update or Other Action

Received letter from the EPA Underground Injection Control (UIC) program documenting that the floor drain at Building 609 is now listed as permanently closed in the UIC program file with the condition that additional investigation activities will be required when the building is decommissioned.

Melody Debenham

8/19/2014

Update or Other Action

Site transfered from Fred Vreeman to Keri DePalma

Keri DePalma

8/5/2015

Site Characterization Workplan Approved

On July 20, 2015, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) received a Draft Work Plan Groundwater Monitoring, Middleton Island FAA Station. The work plan describes the project approach and methods to be used to assess the present state of groundwater contamination at the VHF Omni-directional Range, Housing Area, and Air Traffic Control Beacon Interrogator areas of concern. DEC provided FAA with comments on the draft work plan on July 31. DEC received a satisfactory response to comments and approved the work plan on August 4, 2015.

Joy Whitsel

12/16/2016

Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other

On November 21, 2016, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) received a Draft 2016 Groundwater Monitoring Report for Middleton Island Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Station, Middleton Island, Alaska. The report describes groundwater sampling activities and results at three areas of concern: Air Traffic Control Beacon Interrogator (ATCBI); Former Housing Area (FHA); and Very High Frequency (VHF) Omni-directional Range (VOR). DEC requested minor clarifications and/or edits to the text.

Joy Whitsel

1/1/2017

Site Characterization Report Approved

DEC approves the groundwater monitoring report. The report describes groundwater sampling activities and results at three areas of concern: Air Traffic Control Beacon Interrogator (ATCBI); Former Housing Area (FHA); and Very High Frequency (VHF) Omni-directional Range (VOR). Analytical results of groundwater indicate DRO remains at concentrations greater than the DEC groundwater cleanup levels at the ATCBI and the FHA. Benzene, ethylbenzene, 1-methylnaphthalene, 2-methylnaphthalene, and naphthalene were detected at concentrations greater than DEC groundwater cleanup levels at the VOR. Additionally, lead was detected at one well at the VOR at a concentration greater than the associated DEC groundwater cleanup level; however, the analytical results for lead did not meet quality assurance criteria. Therefore, lead remains a potential COC at the VOR.

Joy Whitsel

6/29/2018

Update or Other Action

In correspondence between the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) project manager and the DEC project manager, the FAA contract for a remedial investigation (RI) to address remaining data gaps at the Middleton Island sites has not yet been awarded. The FAA expects the RI work to be awarded soon, and to start planning for fieldwork during the summer 2019 season. DEC will need to follow up with the FAA on the timeline for when this work will be conducted.

Erica Blake

5/13/2019

Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other

DEC approved the 2019 FAA Middleton Island Release Investigation Work Plan. Work to be conducted includes UVOST RI at the ATCBI, TACAN, Bulk Tank/Burn Pad, Buildings 100-102, Building 104, Building 105, Building 300, Building 600, and Building 602. GW monitoring will occur at the ATCBI, Burn Pit, VOR, and FHA areas of concern.Soil borings will also be conducted at most AOCs.

Kevin Fraley

9/16/2020

Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other

Approved 2019 Release investigation report. ADEC agrees with the recommendation for further remedial action at the ATCBI and FHA Buildings 300 & 600, and additional monitoring to occur at the VOR and FHA Bulk Fuel Tank/Burn Pad. No further action was recommended for remaining AOCs.

Michael Hooper

6/9/2021

Update or Other Action

Lat/long changed to represent contamination on ANCSA conveyed land. Old CSP coordinates were 59.436984 -146.324094. Updated Lat/long represent location of Bulk Fuel Tank. Verified with satellite imagery and figures from FAA_Middleton_GWM-RI_Final_Report.pdf

Ginna Quesada

9/7/2022

Exposure Tracking Model Ranking

Initial ranking with ETM completed for source area id: 81218 name: Former Housing Area Building 102

Sarah Mutter

9/12/2022

Exposure Tracking Model Ranking

Initial ranking with ETM completed for source area id: 81219 name: Former Housing Area 104

Sarah Mutter

9/12/2022

Exposure Tracking Model Ranking

Initial ranking with ETM completed for source area id: 81220 name: Former Housing Area Building 602

Sarah Mutter

9/26/2022

Update or Other Action

DEC reviewed eight areas of concern (AOCs) for closure as requested by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the FAA Middleton Island site, located on Middleton Island in the Gulf of Alaska: TACAN, Burn Pits, FHA Building 100, FHA Building 101, FHA Building 102, FHA Building 104, FHA Building 105, FHA Building 602.

Sarah Mutter

2/27/2023

Site Characterization Workplan Approved

DEC has completed review and approved the Middleton Island Soil Removal Work Plan for the FAA. This work plan details the removal action and soil sampling to be conduction during the 2023 field season. Removal actions will occur at Building 300/Shop, Building 600/Engine Generator and at four location at the 2007 Pipeline Removal Area. A background soil concentration study for arsenic will also be conducted.

Kelly Walker

10/30/2024

Exposure Tracking Model Ranking

Initial ranking with ETM completed for source area id: 81448 name: TACAN

Kelly Walker

10/30/2024

Exposure Tracking Model Ranking

Initial ranking with ETM completed for source area id: 81449 name: Former Housing Area Building 100

Kelly Walker

10/31/2024

Exposure Tracking Model Ranking

Initial ranking with ETM completed for source area id: 81450 name: Former Housing Area Building 105

Kelly Walker

10/31/2024

Exposure Tracking Model Ranking

Initial ranking with ETM completed for source area id: 81451 name: Former Housing Area Building 101

Kelly Walker

10/31/2024

Exposure Tracking Model Ranking

Initial ranking with ETM completed for source area id: 81452 name: Burn Pit

Kelly Walker

10/31/2024

Exposure Tracking Model Ranking

Initial ranking with ETM completed for source area id: 81453 name: Building 300

Kelly Walker

11/1/2024

Exposure Tracking Model Ranking

Initial ranking with ETM completed for source area id: 81454 name: Building 600/Former Engine Generator

Kelly Walker

Contaminant Information

Name

Level Description

Media

Comments

Control Type

Type

Details

Requirements

Description

Details

There are no documents for this site report.

No associated sites were found.

Missing Location Data

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Site Report: FAA Middleton Island

Site Chronology

IC / Closure Details

Documents

Associated Sites

Problems/Comments

Action Information

Contaminant Information

Control Type

Requirements

Missing Location Data

State of Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation