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Site Report: Hughes Power Plant Pipeline

Site Name: Hughes Power Plant Pipeline
Address: Hughes Power Plant, Hughes, AK 99745
File Number: 810.38.002, 810.57.001
Hazard ID: 1601
Status: Active
Staff: Kelly Walker, 9074512166 kelly.walker@alaska.gov
Latitude: 66.046130
Longitude: -154.258242
Horizontal Datum:

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

On October 5, 1992, the City of Hughes, Ralph Williams, contacted ADEC regarding a suspected release of diesel fuel within an underground fuel line system owned and operated by the City of Hughes. They speculated that because of the high rate of fuel consumption over the summer and autumn, a fuel leak may be occurring somewhere underground. The underground lines run from the 10,000-gallon fuel tank to the generator building, city office, and washeteria. The only drinking water well for the community is within 50 feet of one of the buried fuel lines. A new power plant and tank farm were constructed in 2005. A site visit conducted on May 17, 2006 revealed that the old tank farm and generator plant had been abandoned in place. The new facility is located on an elevated gravel pad further from the river, and was not impacted by the May 13, 2006 flood.

Action Information

Action Date Action Description DEC Staff
4/6/2004 Site Added to Database Suspected release of diesel fuel. Deborah Williams
4/6/2004 Site Ranked Using the AHRM Preliminary ranking. Deborah Williams
6/10/2005 Site Ranked Using the AHRM Reranked the site and changed the Release Information to a 1 because even though there is no soil sample results indicating a release, it is suspected and there is documented contamination of the groundwater serving as a drinking water source. Deborah Williams
5/18/2006 Update or Other Action PM accompanied State Emergency Response Center and PERP staff on a visit to the site in response to flood damage sustained on 5/13/06. The village tank farm and generator building had been abandoned in place. New facilities have been constructed on an elevated pad further from the river. PM will attempt to get more information regarding the status of this site of the abandoned facilities when the initial response to the flooding is completed. Kim DeRuyter
7/27/2007 Update or Other Action Site transferred from Oelkers to Frechione. Shannon Oelkers
4/15/2008 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking Initial ranking with ETM completed. Bill O'Connell
12/18/2008 Brownfields Award Brownfields staff received the Phase I and Limited Phase II Environmental Site Assessment for the Former Generator Buildings and Tank Farm in Hughes, Alaska dated August 2008. FY 2009 State of Alaska Capital Improvement Project (CIP) funds $11,985 awarded to Hughes Village Council for an Environmental Management Plan on Hughes Old Generator Building & Tank Farm. NTP # 18902815029.The Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council (YRITWC) hired BGES, Inc. to conduct a phase I and limited phase II site assessment of the City of Hughes' footprint of the former generator building, abandoned generator building, large underground storage tank, the State of Alaska former school tank farm, and the pipeline that connects the tank farm to the former generator building. Hand borings were advanced in the vicinity of the former power plant, a prefabricated building and the tank farm. Soil screening and confirmation soil sampling was conducted in an effort to delineate the contamination. One boring was advanced to 8 feet bgs in the tank farm area. Contaminants greater than ADEC cleanup criteria was identified by analytical samples collected from soils beneath the tank farm, beneath the drain spot on the east exterior of the prefabricated building, and within the footprint of the former power plant. Contaminants of concern identified during the investigation include DRO, RRO, GRO, benzene and 1,3,5 trimethylbenzene (7.95 mg/kg which is below ADEC cleanup level of 23 mg/kg.) Hand boring could not be advanced in the area to the east of the tank farm or along the old fuel pipeline because of the presence of a roadway that had highly-compacted soil. The community water well is approximately 30 feet bgs and is very close to the contaminated areas. Beneath the tank farm contamination is likely to exceed 6 feet bgs. Deborah Williams
9/1/2009 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other DEC hired SLR to complete an Environmental Management Plan to determine what actions would be necessary to move this site towards the proposed reuse of the property. According to the report, there are several complete exposure pathways because soil contamination is present in the top 15 feet of soil. Groundwater contamination is unknown at the site. The consultant stated that contaminated soil should be excavated from the Former Generator Building site; the Abandoned Generator Building; the Former Fuel Dispenser Island at the City Tank Farm; the aboveground Pipeline; and the School Tank Farm area. The consultant estimates that the total volume of contaminated soil that is required to be excavated would be 860 cubic yards. John Carnahan
12/21/2011 Update or Other Action Consultation request sent to USFWS regarding proposed cleanup activities at site to ensure no endangered or threatened species would be adversely affected, and no critical habitat would be adversely modified. Melinda Brunner
12/21/2011 Update or Other Action Letter dated 12/21/2011 sent to State Historic Preservation Office requesting concurrence that proposed cleanup activities at this site would affect no historic properties. Melinda Brunner
12/22/2011 Update or Other Action Concurrence received from the USFWS on 12/22/2011 that no endangered or threatened species would be adversely affected by the proposed cleanup of the site. The USFWS also concurred that no critical habitat would be adversely modified by the proposed cleanup of the site. Melinda Brunner
1/25/2012 Brownfields Award FY 2012 SOA funds $22,828 awarded to Hughes Village Council for a CAP on Hughes School & Community Tank Farm and Hughes Power Plant Pipeline. NTP# 18400212038 approved on this date. Cascade Galasso-Irish
1/30/2013 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Brunner reviewed and approved the document entitled, "Site Cleanup, Hughes Former Generators, Hughes, Alaska, ADEC File Nos. 810.38.002 and 810.57.001" dated November 2012. The report states that approximately 340 cubic yards of petroleum-impacted soil was removed from the sites of the Abandoned Generator Building and Former Generator Building Footprint in Hughes by the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council (YRITWC) in 2012. The soil was transported to a landfarm created next to the Hughes landfill for storage and treatment. Analytical sampling confirmed that soil was left in place with contaminant (i.e. diesel-range organics, gasoline-range organics, volatile organic compounds, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, and polyaromatic hydrocarbons) concentrations above DEC cleanup levels. A letter approving the report was sent to YRITWC. Melinda Brunner
1/30/2013 Update or Other Action Brunner sent a letter to Wilmer Beetus of the City of Hughes transmitting two copies of the document entitled, “Corrective Action Plan, Hughes School and Community Tank Farm, Hughes, Alaska, Hazard ID: 2645,” dated May 2012. Melinda Brunner
1/30/2013 Update or Other Action Brunner sent a letter to Wilmer Beetus of the City of Hughes asking that the City contact DEC by February 28, 2013 about a workplan describing when, how and by whom the contaminated soil generated during the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council's 2012 cleanup and stored in a landfarm located next to the Hughes landfill would be managed. Melinda Brunner
2/21/2013 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking A new updated ranking with ETM has been completed for source area 72579 leaky pipeline. Melinda Brunner
8/5/2015 Update or Other Action Record evaluated - site transferred to program manager Vreeman for further evaluation, follow up with RP, and reassignment. Fred Vreeman
4/26/2016 Update or Other Action Site reassigned for PRP Research, evaluation of cleanup requirements, and follow up by project manager Fred Vreeman

Contaminant Information

Name Level Description Media Comments

Control Type

Type Details

Requirements

Description Details

There are no documents for this site report.

Hazard ID Site Name File Number
2645 Hughes School & Community Tank Farm 810.38.003, 810.57.001

Missing Location Data

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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