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Site Report: Fort Wainwright (OU-3) Birch Hill Tank Farm FTWW-055

Site Name: Fort Wainwright (OU-3) Birch Hill Tank Farm FTWW-055
Address: North End of CANOL Road, Northwest Corner of Post, Fort Wainwright, AK 99703
File Number: 108.38.002.04
Hazard ID: 1685
Status: Active
Staff: Carly Jensen, 9072697558 carly.jensen@alaska.gov
Latitude: 64.862090
Longitude: -147.657160
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

The Birch Hill Tank Farm is within Operable Unit 3 (OU3) and located on the northern part of the main cantonment of Fort Wainwright, Alaska. The Tank Farm operated for 50 years as a fuel storage facility storing, arctic grade diesel fuel, aviation gasoline (AvGas), and jet fuel (JP-4) for Fort Wainwright and Eielson Air Force Base (EAFB). Contamination at this site is primarily from standard maintenance and operation activities such as; overfilling of tanks, leaky pipelines, and valves. Two churches and two subdivisions border the western perimeter of the Birch Hill Tank Farm site. The churches and homes within the subdivisions are on supplied water; groundwater in the area is not used as drinking water. A small-scale air sparge (AS)/soil-vapor extraction system (SVE) was installed in 1996, and was successful in removing hydrocarbons and recovering light non-aqueous phase liquid (LNAPL). However, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes (BTEX), 1,2-dichloroethane, and 1,2-dibromoethane (EDB) remain in the groundwater above the Record of Decision (ROD) remedial action goals (RAGs) and above the DEC cleanup levels. The site is in long-term status and groundwater monitoring occurs annually, typically in the spring, to monitor contaminant plume migration and trends at the site. The corresponding Army HQAES site number is: 02871.1032. Lead around the aboveground storage tanks (ASTs) was identified in the soil in the early 1990s in an area referred to as Remedial Area 1A. Due to the physical nature of the lead contamination at Remedial Area 1A, the lead investigation at the Birch Hill Tank Farm site was transferred to Operable Unit 5 (OU5). Information specific to the lead investigation and cleanup can be found in the database under DEC Site File Number: 108.38.071.01 Fort Wainwright (OU-5) Birch Hill Tank Farm Lead FTWW-096 (Hazard ID: 4214).

Action Information

Action Date Action Description DEC Staff
10/15/1988 Preliminary Assessment Approved Short reported BTEX report. Ronan Short
7/15/1992 Update or Other Action (Old R:Base Action Code = SI - Site Investigation). C-plan team visit by Eds (Bruneau and Meggert). Former Staff
9/30/1992 Site Added to Database Benzene and more. Former Staff
10/15/1992 Update or Other Action (Old R:Base Action Code = CORR - Correspondence (General)). Comments on OU3 Management Plan sent. Rielle Markey
11/1/1992 Update or Other Action (Old R:Base Action Code = CORR - Correspondence (General)). Follow-up fax for Community Relations Plan to Cristal. Rielle Markey
12/14/1992 Meeting or Teleconference Held Conference call was held to discuss remaining issues with Diane, Marie, Cristal, and Greg. Most issues for final Management. Plan were resolved. Important ones were sampling methods, purposive and random sampling. Rielle Markey
3/26/1993 Update or Other Action Sites in files 108.38.006 and 108.38.040 are now included in this file. Former Staff
9/21/1993 Update or Other Action (Old R:Base Action Code = RECN - Site Reconnaissance (CS)). E&E doing sub-surface soil drilling and sampling using Hydraulic solid stem auger drill: "Little Beaver" within tank containment dikes. Tanks are now empty and Terminal is not in use. Removal of tanks is anticipated in FY96. Ronan Short
4/6/1994 Update or Other Action (Old R:Base Action Code = RI - Remedial Investigation). Draft RI for OU3 received 4/6/94. Comments by Rielle 5/18/94. Primary comments were ARARS section not inclusive of State Regulations and Statutes. Nature and Extent of Contamination incomplete. Ronan Short
5/16/1994 Update or Other Action (Old R:Base Action Code = RPL2 - Site Information Request Letter). Sent PRP-CS Database Notification Letter to Cristal Fosbrook requesting update/confirmation of information concerning the contaminated site. Jeff Peterson
6/3/1994 Update or Other Action Draft RA for OU3 received 6/3/94. Comments will be discussed at June 30- July 1 RPM Meeting in Seattle. ADEC does not concur with 'no risk' conclusions by E&E report: no future aquifer use by residents! Also, COE fuel ID method does not have low enough MDLs. Ronan Short
9/13/1994 Update or Other Action (Old R:Base Action Code = SI - Site Investigation). Interim report: Modeling of GW flow and Contaminant Transport at FTWW, Alaska by CRREL, UAF, UNH and USGS received. Document presented at RPM meeting on 9/14/94. Ronan Short
9/13/1994 Update or Other Action (Old R:Base Action Code = SI - Site Investigation). Interim report: Geological and Geophysical Investigations of the Hydrogeology of OU3. Prepared by CRREL: Dan Lawson et al. Presented at RPM meeting on 9/14/94. Ronan Short
10/31/1994 Update or Other Action (Old R:Base Action Code = RI - Remedial Investigation). Draft Final RI/RA received this date via inserts to draft version. Ronan Short
12/23/1994 Site Ranked Using the AHRM Initial ranking. Jeff Peterson
1/17/1995 Risk Assessment Report Approved Post-wide Risk Assessment Approach Document received this date. Comments by RM. Document prepared by HLA. Ronan Short
2/17/1995 Update or Other Action (Old R:Base Action Code = SI - Site Investigation). Compiled Work Plans for GW Analysis Tasks at FWW. Draft workplans for proposed activities summer 1995- CH2MHill. Includes USGS, CRREL, UAF Water Resources. Ronan Short
2/27/1995 Site Characterization Report Approved (Old R:Base Action Code = FS - Feasibility Study (General)). Draft Final FS redline version received this date with incorporated comments. E&E Inc. teleconference set-up for 3/8/95 with EPA RPM Yu-ting-Liu. Ronan Short
4/21/1995 Proposed Plan Draft Final Proposed Plan received this date for OU3. Preferred alternative is soil washing for lead contaminated soils and AS/SVE for petroleum contaminated soils. Public Meeting held 4/25/95 at Noel Wien Library. Ronan Short
5/16/1996 Update or Other Action OU-3, Design Verification Study (Draft Work Plan). Rielle Markey
6/3/1996 Update or Other Action Record of Decision, OU-3. Two (2) documents received 6/3/1996. Conditional document in file/library. Rielle Markey
6/6/1996 Record of Decision Final Record of Decision, Operable Unit 3, Fort Wainwright, Alaska, dated January, 1996, received 6/10/1996. Rielle Markey
9/3/1996 Update or Other Action Final Work Plan, Design Verification Study, OU-3, Fort Wainwright, Alaska, Contract Number DACA85-95-D-0010, Delivery Order Number 4, document date 9/3/1996, two copies of this document received by DEC. Rielle Markey
3/26/1997 Update or Other Action Site updated by Shannon and Wilson, based on the Army Defense Site Environmental Restoration Tracking System Worksheet dated 11/8/96. The worksheet indicates 1700 ppb benzene in groundwater. Downgradient wells are contaminated. S&W
1/3/2001 Update or Other Action The free-product collection system was started in late December 2000. Modeling of the hydrogeology and downgradient contaminant migration is ongoing. Water still supplied to the churches. Ann Farris
1/25/2001 Update or Other Action Staff completed a site visit of the product recovery system on January 23. The system is experiencing iron-fouling and not collecting much product. Recommendations for adjustments are forthcoming from the contractor. Ann Farris
1/25/2001 Meeting or Teleconference Held Meeting with Army and EPA on January 24 indicates the ESD for OU3 is not completed yet. Still at issue is the CAMU for the milepost soils. EPA considers that these soils RCRA-waste because two TCLP analyses were above regulatory limits. Ann Farris
1/25/2001 Update or Other Action ADEC, EPA, and Army agreed to begin investigations on the Bentley Trust property. Plan is to install 2-4 wells in the bedrock aquifer. DCA and EDB primary concern and believed to be traveling through the bedrock aquifer and surfacing in the alluvial aquifer at the base of the hill. Ann Farris
4/25/2001 Update or Other Action Spill occurred at the product recovery system. Spill Response handled it. Corrective actions are to include a liner, weekly checks of the overfill float switch, correcting the wiring of the system for float on the holding tank to shut down system separate from OWS tank. Ann Farris
6/1/2001 Update or Other Action Staff completed a site visit of the product recovery unit with spill response personnel. We approved the corrective actions that were made and agreed to restarting the system. A report documenting the corrective actions and the startup operations was requested and expected within a month of startup. An electrical ground still needed to be installed before the system could be started, but this was expected to happen today. Ann Farris
7/9/2001 Update or Other Action Site renamed from "FTWW (OU-5) West QtrMaster Fuel' to "FTWW (OU-3) Birch Hill Tank Farm." The two were duplicate sites and the Birch Hill name kept from Reckey 199231X135402. Former Staff
9/11/2001 Meeting or Teleconference Held FFA meeting in Seattle to discuss groundwater monitoring update, product recovery system status, ESD status, and treatment system status. 2000 Monitoring report summarizes monitoring results. ESD is not moving along. Army agreed to generate a document that will include all of their evidence that the MP soils were contaminated from a UST system. This document will be submitted to EPA for a final ruling on the UST exemption from RCRA. Ann Farris
9/25/2001 Update or Other Action Five-Year Review Plan Received. Ann Farris
12/12/2001 Institutional Control Record Established 1. All organizations conducting activities on United States Army Alaska (USARAK) controlled land are responsible for complying with established institutional controls (ICs). ICs are administrative, procedural, and regulatory measures to control human access to and usage of property. They are applicable to all known or suspected contaminated sites where contamination has been left in place. 2. These controls have been established to implement the selected remedial actions agreed upon by the U.S. Army (Army), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), and the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC) in accordance with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) as amended by the Superfund Amendment Reauthorization Act (SARA). These controls also apply to remedial actions agreed upon under Two-Party Compliance Agreements. These agreements are concluded between USARAK and ADEC and apply to petroleum/oil/lubricants- (POL) contaminated sites. 3. ICs such as limitations on access, water use, excavations, and property transfers will supplement engineering controls as appropriate for short-term and long-term management to prevent or limit human and environmental exposure to hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants. Specific ICs include, among other things: limitations on the depth and location of excavations, prohibition of or restrictions on well drilling and use of ground water, requirements for worker use of personal protective equipment, site monitoring, and prohibition of certain land uses, types of vehicles, etc. 4. Organizational units, tenants, and support/contractor organizations must obtain an Excavation Clearance Request (ECR) for all soil disturbing activities impacting soils six inches or more below the ground surface. The review process for approval of an ECR begins with the identification of the current status (known or suspected hazardous waste site or “clean” site) of a work location. ECR’s for work in known or suspected hazardous waste sites: a. will include specific limitations and controls on such work; b. will include specific IC procedures, and notification, monitoring, reporting, and stop work requirements; c. may include procedures for management, characterization, and disposal of any soil or groundwater encountered or removed; d. will identify “project managers” for both the unit/contractor requesting the work and DPW Environment Resources. 5. The DPW project manager will conduct on-site inspections of each work site (at which ICs apply) to determine continued compliance with the terms and conditions of the approved ECR. DPW has the authority to revoke ECR approval if the specified terms and conditions are not being met. ECR forms are available at the Customer Service Desks at: a. Building 730 at Fort Richardson; b. Building 3015 at Fort Wainwright; c. Building 605 at Fort Greely. 6. USARAK has negotiated (with USEPA and/or ADEC) decision documents and/or Records of Decision (RODs) that mandate the implementation of ICs USARAK Directorate of Public Works, Environmental Resources Department (PWE), maintains copies of all decision documents and RODs requiring ICs in its real property files. PWE provides regularly updated post maps showing all areas affected by ICs. These maps can easily be accessed by using an approved intranet mapping interface application. Copies of these maps will be available to each directorate, activity, and tenant organization. To ensure the effectiveness of ICs, all organizational units and tenant activities will be informed on an annual basis of ICs on contaminated soils and groundwater in effect near their facilities. 7. ICs are enforceable by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC). Failure to comply with an IC mandated in a decision document or ROD will violate the USARAK Federal Facility Agreement and may result in stipulated fines and penalties. This does not include the costs of corrective actions required due to violation of an established IC. Sharon Richmond
7/3/2002 Meeting or Teleconference Held FFA meeting the week of June 24-28th: ESD conditions agreed to by all 3 parties and is in the finalization process. Army completing an aquifer pump test and tracer test this summer to further evaluate the bedrock aquifer. Ann Farris
9/3/2002 Institutional Control Record Established When the OU3 ROD was signed it established ICs for this site, which include: a database with a tracking mechanism that identifies all land areas under restriction and an SOP that identifies the specific restrictions for each site. That SOP, which is updated periodically, is ADEC's files and the admin record. Ann Farris
1/21/2003 Update or Other Action Product recovery efforts are ongoing in the bedrock aquifer. Tracer study and pumping tests were completed in 2002. Reports are pending. Ann Farris
1/23/2003 Meeting or Teleconference Held FFA meeting was held on the 22nd. Received Tracer Study and aquifer pump test report. Product recovery system is still operating. Geophysical investigation, including seismic work and ground-penetrating radar are ongoing to better understand the fractured rock aquifer on the hill and contaminant transport off the hill and off post. Ann Farris
3/5/2003 Meeting or Teleconference Held Birch Hill Focus Meeting. Discussion of an end point for the investigation at the hill and an operating strategy for the product recovery system. The tracer study and aquifer testing that was completed in 2002 resulted in a change in the conceptual site model (a portion of flow in the bedrock aquifer may be going to the east off the hill). Decisions were made to do two more tracer studies, one with the system operating and one without the system operating, to determine the natural flow and if the system can capture the tracer. We plan to evaluate the thaw channel sparge system and the truck fill stand SVE/sparge system for a rebound study at the April FFA. CH2MHill is going to revise the Birch Hill groundwater model to be a finite element model and include data from the 2002 tests. CRREL is doing more seismic work to further characterize the bedrock. Question is still out there about the need for more deep bedrock wells on the hill. Ann Farris
4/23/2003 Meeting or Teleconference Held April FFA Meeting. Tracer study 2003 injected fluoroscein in well 7596 on April 1 and no dye was detected in any of the pumping wells or monitoring wells as of yet. Decision was made to turn off the recovery system this summer and do a small-scale rebound study. This will occur after additional, deeper monitoring wells are installed hopefully in July. The wells will serve to delineate vertical contaminant concentrations, measure vertical gradients, and look at the lithology and fracture system deep. The idea is that the tracer moved vertically beneath the monitoring array. Thaw channel and Bldg. 1173 sparge/SVE systems will continue to operate. The truck fillstand zones 1 and 3 will be shut down, but zone 2 will continue to operate. Ann Farris
5/22/2003 Meeting or Teleconference Held Staff attended a meeting with Army and EPA personnel regarding the remediation efforts at Fort Wainwright Operable Unit 3. We agreed to installation of two deep wells placed in the bedrock aquifer before July 9th in order to aid in the interpretation of the geophysical work, investigate vertical groundwater and contaminant transport, and begin to look at the fracture network in the source areas. The next meeting is July 14-15th. Ann Farris
7/16/2003 Meeting or Teleconference Held Fort Wainwright Restoration Advisory Board held it's last meeting on July16, 2003. Patrice Buck
9/17/2003 Meeting or Teleconference Held Staff attended a meeting with Army personnel regarding the Fort Wainwright Birch Hill site characterization. Two additional deep wells will be drilled this fall, one on Birch Hill and another in the thaw channel at the base of the hill that is believed to be a major transport mechanism for off-site contaminant migration. Borehole geophysics will be completed to help place multilevel sampling ports in the wells. This information will be used to develop a contaminant transport model of the bedrock aquifer. Ann Farris
12/18/2003 Update or Other Action Staff reviewed at sampling plan for the Birch Hill Tank Farm site at Fort Wainwright. The plan describes a special sampling event to occur in January 2004 to evaluate potential increasing trends in groundwater contaminant concentrations. Staff approved this plan. Ann Farris
5/20/2004 Meeting or Teleconference Held Staff attended a Fort Wainwright Federal Facilities Agreement meeting regarding Operable Unit 3. The focus was on the Birch Hill Tank Farm and the ongoing efforts to understand the fate and transport of DCA, EDB, and benzene, which have the potential to impact downgradient drinking water wells. The hydrogeologic site model has been refined based on extensive geophysical work and results of a aquifer pump test and tracer test. The flow is significantly impacted by fractures on the hill. Different fracture scenarios as defined by the geophysical results will be tested in the contaminant transport model. Those simulation results will be presented at a September meeting and will aid in determining if the groundwater monitoring network is adequate, how to operate the remedial systems, and a exit strategy. Ann Farris
9/16/2004 Meeting or Teleconference Held Staff attended OU3 Federal Facilities Agreement meeting. Air sparge/soil vapor extraction (AS/SVE) systems have been shut off at the Birch Hill truck fill stand and Valve Pit B; both sites are being evaluated for rebound. Operation of AS/SVE systems have been reduced in some zones at Buildings 1173 and 1144, Valve Pit A, and the Central header. The Eight Car Header and Thaw Channel systems are still fully operational. The product recovery system at the Birch Hill source area is also undergoing a rebound study. The AS/SVE system at the Railcar Off-Loading Facility has been expanded. Groundwater monitoring is ongoing at all of these and the Fairbanks Pipeline sites. Results of the geotechnical study at the Birch Hill tank farm further refined geological structures and permafrost bodies affecting groundwater flow through the fractured bedrock and alluvial aquifers. These data were used to develop a hydrologic model, which indicates that groundwater flow is primarily south off the hill and then to the west through a thaw channel, but there is some element of flow toward the east in some places. Participants decided to place at least two more bedrock and alluvial aquifer wells to the east of the site based on these results. Sharon Richmond
3/1/2005 Site Characterization Workplan Approved Staff reviewed and approved the Draft 2005 Work Plan for operable Unit 3, Fort Wainwright, Alaska. Biodegradation parameters in groundwater will be measured and bidegradation rates will be estimated. Sharon Richmond
5/24/2005 Site Characterization Report Approved Staff approved the OU3 Permafrost Resistivity Investigation. This effort was intended to map permafrost bodies that might affect groundwater flow paths from the previous Birch Hill Tank Farm. Sharon Richmond
5/24/2005 Site Characterization Report Approved Staff approved the OU3 Permafrost Resistivity Investigation. This effort was intended to map permafrost bodies that might affect groundwater flow paths from the previous Birch Hill Tank Farm. Sharon Richmond
8/2/2005 Meeting or Teleconference Held Site visit to tank farm, Valve Pit A, and ROLF. DEC and DPW staff investigated a report of a buried drum pile located near Birch Hill Ski Area. Drums appeared to be very old and contain dirt. Army DPW was aware of the pile and believes that the drums were used as barricades in historical training activities. Sharon Richmond
8/11/2005 Site Characterization Workplan Approved A draft work plan for characterizing lead contaminated soil was approved. Sharon Richmond
11/8/2005 Meeting or Teleconference Held ADEC attended regularly scheduled FFA meeting with EPA, Corps, Army, and consultants to discuss OU3. The Birch Hill History and Summary Report will be finalized to support a Technical Infeasibility Waiver request. The product recovery system rebound study and semi-annual groundwater monitoring will continue. Treatment systems at the Truck Fill Stand, Thaw Channel, and Frmr Bldg 1173 will be shut down for a rebound study. Semi-annual groundwater monitoring at all areas will continue.Two bedrock wells and an alluvial well were installed along Canol Rd. to investigate DCA migration south of the tank farm. DCA was below cleanup levels in these wells. Sharon Richmond
11/16/2005 Update or Other Action Although the Army manages lead contamination in soil at the Birch Hill Tank Farm as part of OU5, DEC decided to not create a separate site in our database because lead contaminated soil is located on the same property as FTWW (OU3) Birch Hill Tank Farm. Lead contamination actions and milestones will be tracked as part of this site. Soil sampling was conducted in the summer of 2005 to get a better estimate on the quantity of lead-contaminated soil present. Lead concentrations in surface and subsurface soil ranged between 6.81 and 14,500 mg/kg. Approximately 3,000 cubic yards of soil will require disposal or treatment. Fesibility studies regarding risk-based cleanup levels and/or different remedial methods will be conducted. This information was discussed at the Nov 15-16 FFA meeting. Sharon Richmond
12/21/2005 Update or Other Action Staff reviewed a technical memorandum describing decommissioning of the AS/SVE systems that operated at Valve Pits B & C. Both systems had been shut down for several years; Contaminant concentrations did not increase during the rebound study. Long term groundwater monitoring will continue. The systems were decommissioned in June 2005. Parts from Valve Pit C will be used to expand the Eight-Car Header treatment system and parts from Valve Pit B will be reused at the Neely Rd. POL site. Sharon Richmond
3/1/2006 Proposed Plan Draft 2006 Work Plan for OU3 approved. Rebound studies will continue or begin in a number of areas. In areas where AS system will remain operational, oxygen uptake will be monitored after temporary system shutdown. Groundwater will be monitored for contaminants and indicators of biodegradation. Sharon Richmond
3/1/2006 Meeting or Teleconference Held Staff attended the regularly scheduled FFA meeting February 15-16, 2006. Sharon Richmond
2/5/2007 Meeting or Teleconference Held CS staff attended the Federal Facilities Agreement meeting for OU3 in Dec 2006. THe Birch Hill Summary Report is undergoing the final stages of review. This document will support a request for a Technical Impracticability Waiver for fuel contamination in the bedrock aquifer on Birch Hill. The TI Waiver would not release the Army from its obligation to address and/or monitor soil and/or groundwater contamination elsewhere on Birch Hill. Staff also attended the Installation Action Plan Workshop in January 2007. Groundwater monitoring at Birch Hill will continue. Sharon Richmond
10/8/2007 Update or Other Action The Corps of Engineers submitted a Technical Memorandum describing several repairs and modifications that were made to the fence surrounding this site. A gate that was in poor condition was replaced with a section of fence; a gate and section of fence that were damaged by intruders were also repaired. The Army has increased security in the area. Sharon Richmond
6/11/2008 Meeting or Teleconference Held CS staff attended the OU3 Federal Facilities Agreement meeting. EPA provided training for Optimization of Long Term Monitoring Programs. It is likely that this type of approach will be integrated into this site's long-term management plan. Wells destroyed during construction of Lazelle Estates will be replaced. Meeting attendees visited the site to confirm proposed well locations. Sharon Richmond
11/13/2008 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking Initial ranking with ETM completed for source area id: 72663 name: auto-generated pm edit Fort Wainwright (OU-3) Birch Hill Tank Farm Sharon Richmond
4/17/2009 Site Characterization Workplan Approved review/approve 2009 field Tech Memo work plan addendum for GW monitoring Sharon Richmond
5/26/2009 Update or Other Action The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) received the 2008 Monitoring Report for OU3 on May 15, 2009. The report presents the results of the groundwater monitoring at the Birch Hill Tank Farm, Railcar Offloading Facility and the Milepost 2.7 and 3.0 source areas. The report also present the results of Long Term Monitoring Optimization and the recommendations for future monitoring. Debra Caillouet
8/11/2009 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other DEC has no objection to the implementation of the 2009 Decommissioning Work Plan Addendum, Birch Hill Product Recovery and Valve Pit A Zone 4 Treatment System, Operable Unit 3 Operation and Maintenance, Fort Wainwright, July 2009 Prior to submitting a work plan for the decommissioning of the additional systems noted in Section 2.5, please prepare a rebound study report for the six systems noted to document that there is no longer a need for treatment to meet cleanup goals. Debra Caillouet
9/24/2009 Update or Other Action A work plan for decommissioning part of the pipeline that is parallel to Dennis Road was approved Debra Caillouet
8/17/2010 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other 2010 OU3 Work Plan, Operable Unit 3 Operation and Maintenance, Fort Wainwright, August 2010 approved. Debra Caillouet
9/14/2010 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other The 2009 Monitoring Report was approved. Debra Caillouet
6/13/2011 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other comment sent on 2010 Draft Monitoring Report, Operable Unit 3, Fort Wainwright, May 2011 Debra Caillouet
6/13/2011 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other comment sent on 2010 Draft Monitoring Report, Operable Unit 3, Fort Wainwright, May 2011 Debra Caillouet
6/13/2011 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other 2011 Draft Work Plan, Operable Unit 3, Fort Wainwright, June 2011 Debra Caillouet
7/20/2011 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other 2011 Work Plan, Operable Unit 3, Fort Wainwright, June 2011 The work plan incorporates acceptable response to previously supplied comment. ADEC has no objection to the implementation of the proposed work. Debra Caillouet
10/21/2011 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other 2010 Monitoring Report, Operable Unit 3, Fort Wainwright, October 2011 Debra Caillouet
10/21/2011 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other 2010 Monitoring Report, Operable Unit 3, Fort Wainwright, October 2011 Debra Caillouet
5/30/2012 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Draft 2011 OU3 Monitoring Report Debra Caillouet
6/8/2012 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other 2012 Work Plan Addendum, Decommissioning of the AS/SVE Treatment Systems, Operable Unit 3, Fort Wainwright, May 2012 Debra Caillouet
9/12/2012 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Final 2011 Monitoring Report, Operable Unit 3, Fort Wainwright, Alaska, August 2012 Debra Caillouet
9/28/2012 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other 2012/2013 Work Plan Operable Unit 3, Fort Wainwright, Alaska September 2012 Debra Caillouet
5/8/2013 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Draft 2012 Monitoring Report, Operable Unit 3, Fort Wainwright, April 2013 Debra Caillouet
2/9/2015 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Final 2013 Monitoring Report, Operable Unit 3, Fort Wainwright Alaska, December 2014 Debra Caillouet
8/20/2015 Site Visit Site visit with US Army, EPA, DEC. to several of the tank pads. Tanks are removed and characterization work is underway to facilitate cleanup of tank pads. US Army RPM informed ADEC that cleanup of pipelines will be a separate effort. US Army proposed and EPA agreed Lead in Soil from paint could be cleaned up under 18 AAC 75 and did not need to follow CERCLA process. Fred Vreeman
12/13/2016 Meeting or Teleconference Held A two day Federal Facilities Agreement (FFA) and Stakeholders meeting was held on December 13 & 14, 2016. The main focus of the meeting was to develop a site discovery and site intake process that would satisfy requirements of the Fort Wainwright FFA, RCRA Permit, and two party agreements. The Army, EPA and DEC committed to a flowchart of the preliminary source evaluation process. Timelines were established for scoping a land use control implementation plan (LUCIP) and developing a contracting schedule for Fort Wainwright contaminated site investigations and remedial actions. Seven sites were proposed for inclusion into the FFA (three party agreement) by the Army and the RPMs documented the assignment of the regulatory path for these sites using a newly developed and agreed to signature form. Dennis Shepard
1/1/2017 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other DEC approved the 2015 Annual Institutional Controls Report, Fort Wainwright, Alaska (August 2016). Dennis Shepard
7/28/2017 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other DEC Approved the Final 2017 Monitoring Well Decommissioning Work Plan, Fort Wainwright, Alaska. The work plan identifies inactive and/or damaged monitoring wells within the Fort Wainwright operable units and 2 party sites that are considered appropriate for decommissioning. Dennis Shepard
11/16/2017 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other DEC approved the Final 2016 Monitoring Report Operable Unit 3 (OU-3) Fort Wainwright, Alaska, dated August 2017. Annual groundwater monitoring occurred at three sites; Birch Hill Tank Farm (Hazard ID 1685), Railcar Offloading Facility (Hazard ID 1678) and Milepost 2.7/3.0 Sites (Hazard ID 1673). Erica Blake
11/20/2017 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Sent approval for the Final Birch hill tank farm (ASTs) data gaps analysis report. Dennis Shepard
8/13/2018 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other DEC approved the 2018 Birch Hill Groundwater Investigation Work Plan, Operable Unit 3, Fort Wainwright, Alaska (August 2018). Dennis Shepard
10/8/2018 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other DEC approved the 2017 Monitoring Report, Operable Unit 3, Fort Wainwright, Alaska, dated October 2018. The document describes remedial activities conducted at Operable Unit 3 (OU3) during 2017. Three areas were investigated; Birch Hill Tank Farm, Railcar Off-Loading Facility and the Milepost Sub-Areas. The 2017 activities included annual groundwater sampling within the Birch Hill Tank Farm and Railcar Off-Loading Facility, and institutional control inspections conducted in all OU3 areas, including the Fairbanks-Eielson Pipeline (FEP) sites. Annual monitoring at Operable Unit 3 is expected to continue. Erica Blake
8/1/2019 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other DEC approved the Final 2019 CERCLA Sites Work Plan Operable Units 1 through 6 (Dated July 2019). DEC provided a conditional approval on April 15, 2019 so the contractor could begin the 2019 groundwater sampling in advance of finalizing this work plan addendum. Review comments for the draft version of the document was provided on April 26, 2019. The document was prepared to help guide the site activities, data review, and reporting tasks for work conducted at Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) sites on Fort Wainwright, Alaska (FWA) during the 2019 field season. The U.S. Army Garrison (USAG) Alaska CERCLA sites associated with this Work Plan include Operable Units (OUs) 1 through 6. Erica Blake
8/29/2019 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other DEC approved the Final 2018 Monitoring Report, Operable Unit 3, U.S. Army Garrison Alaska (dated August 2019). The document describes results of 2018 groundwater monitoring work conducted at Operable Unit 3 (OU3) at Fort Wainwright, Alaska (FWA). The three sites investigated with this report are; Birch Hill Tank Farm, Pipeline Milepost 2.7/3.0 and the Rail Off-Load site. An institutional control (IC) inspection was conducted at all the OU3 sites in 2018, no major IC issues were found. Annual groundwater monitoring is expected to continue in 2019. Erica Blake
9/27/2019 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other DEC approved the Final Groundwater Investigation Report, Fairbanks Fuel Terminal, U.S. Army Garrison Alaska Dated September 2019. The FFT data gaps investigated in this report, as prescribed by the FWA Fourth Five Year Review, included assessment of remaining non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPL) in the groundwater beneath the Former AST 316 Tank Berm, delineation of ethylene dibromide (EDB) groundwater contamination, and further characterization of permafrost and groundwater flow at the western edge of the FFT near the FWA Post boundary. At the Former AST 316 Tank Berm, soil borings were undertaken, and fuel constituent contamination was present at most borehole locations. Monitoring wells were installed and sampled, and while groundwater Contaminants of Concern (COC) exceedances were found in most wells, NAPL was not present. EDB was not detected in any of the four new wells installed to the east of the area of known contamination, although EDB exceedances were found in existing wells farther to the west, thus effectively delineating the eastern extent of contamination of this COC. Finally, at the western edge of the FFT near the FWA Post boundary, soil borings field screened for contaminants and temporary wells revealed that contaminant migration was not occurring, and that recent land use changes had not resulted in the thawing of permafrost in the area. Kevin Fraley
7/28/2020 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other DEC approved the Final 2020 CERCLA Site Work Plan Operable Units 1 through 6 Fort Wainwright, Alaska (dated July 2020). The document was prepared to guide site activities, data review, and reporting tasks for work conducted at Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) sites on Fort Wainwright, Alaska (FWA). CERCLA sites covered by this work plan include Operable Units (OUs) 1 through 6. All six OUs will also be included in the annual institutional controls (IC) inspection. Erica Blake
8/7/2020 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) completed a review of the "2019 Groundwater Monitoring Report Operable Unit 3 (OU3) Fort Wainwright, Alaska (July 2020)" provided by Fort Wainwright Alaska on May 11, 2020. The document describes 2019 groundwater sampling events, evaluates contaminant trends and updates the Long Term Monitoring Optimization (LTMO) analysis Recommendations were to update the LTMO analysis with the 2020 analytical results to continue optimizing the well network at the Railcar Offloading Facility, and to consider an evaluation at the Fairbanks-Eielson Pipeline Milepost Source Areas (Remedial Area 3) aquifer (which has low recharge) to determine if the site meets the requirements for an exemption of groundwater cleanup. Sara Marshall
2/11/2021 Offsite Soil or Groundwater Disposal Approved ADEC approved the transport of 275 gallons of purge water generated from seven sites (Bldg 3570, Bldg 5010, Former Bldg 3564, Former Bldg 2250, OU5 WQFS, OU5 EQFS and OU3 Fairbanks Fuel Terminal) on Fort Wainwright, Alaska from the Fort Wainwright hazardous waste facility (Building 3489) to U.S. Ecology in Grand View, Idaho for treatment and disposal. Erica Blake
2/26/2021 Update or Other Action DEC approved the Explanation of Significant Differences, Operable Unit 3, Fort Wainwright, Alaska (dated November 2020). This Explanation of Significant Differences (ESD) adopts the 2018 DEC cleanup levels for 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene [56 micrograms per liter (µg/L)] and 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene (60 µg/L) as remedial action objectives for OU3 sites. Erica Blake
6/15/2021 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other ADEC provided review comments for the "Draft 2021 CERCLA Sites Work Plan Operable Units 1 through 6, Fort Wainwright, Alaska" (dated May 2021) to the U.S. Army. The document describes proposed site activities to collect data and evaluate progress towards achieving remedial action objectives (RAOs) at the six Operable Unit (OU) sites on Fort Wainwright, Alaska (FWA). In addition to sampling activities, institutional control (IC) inspections will be conducted. Erica Blake
6/21/2021 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other ADEC provided responses to comments for the "Draft 2021 CERCLA Sites Work Plan Operable Units 1 through 6, Fort Wainwright, Alaska" dated May 2021 to the U.S. Army. Review comments were provided on June 15, 2021, and responses were received and reviewed June 21, 2021. A final version of the work plan has been requested, upon receipt of the final ADEC will be able to provide approval. The document is a work plan with proposed site activities to collect data and evaluate progress towards achieving remedial action objectives (RAOs) at six Operable Unit (OU) sites (OU1 through OU6) on Fort Wainwright, Alaska. Erica Blake
7/19/2021 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other ADEC provided review comments for the "Draft-Final Fifth Five-Year Review Report, Fort Wainwright Fairbanks, Alaska" to the U.S. Army. The document is the fifth Five-Year Review for Fort Wainwright. The remedies at six Operable Units were evaluated. Erica Blake
7/30/2021 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other ADEC provided approval for the "Final 2021 CERCLA Sites Work Plan Operable Units 1 through 6, U.S. Army Garrison Alaska" (dated July 2021) to the U.S. Army. The document describes site activities to collect data and evaluate progress towards achieving remedial action objectives (RAOs) at six Operable Unit sites on Fort Wainwright, Alaska (FWA). Erica Blake
8/26/2021 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other ADEC provided responses to comments for the "Draft-Final Fifth Five-Year Review Report, Fort Wainwright Fairbanks, Alaska" to the U.S. Army. The Fifth Five-Year Review document evaluated the protectiveness at six Operable Unit sites. Erica Blake
9/8/2021 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other ADEC provided comments for the "Draft 2020 Monitoring Report Operable Unit 3, U.S. Army Garrison Alaska" (dated August 2021) to the U.S. Army. The document describes results of site activities conducted in 2020 within Operable Unit 3 (OU3) on Fort Wainwright, Alaska (FWA). Two sites (Fairbanks Fuel Terminal and Railcar Offload Facility) were sampled and had annual IC inspections conducted. The Fairbanks-Eielson Pipeline (FEP) milepost (MP) 2.7 and 3.0 just had an annual IC inspection conducted. Erica Blake
10/6/2021 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other ADEC provided an acknowledgement of receipt letter for the "Final Fifth Five-Year Review Report, Fort Wainwright Fairbanks, Alaska" (undated) to the U.S. Army. The FYR report describes and evaluates the implementation of performance remedies in place at six Operable Units (OUs) on Fort Wainwright, Alaska (OUs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6). ADEC does not concur with the protectiveness determinations in the final FYR report. Erica Blake
10/8/2021 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other ADEC provided responses to comments for the "Draft 2020 Monitoring Report Operable Unit 3, U.S. Army Garrison Alaska" (dated August 2021) to the U.S. Army. Responses to review comments were received October 5, 2021 and accepted. ADEC requested a final version of the report be provided for a comment backcheck prior to providing an approval letter. Erica Blake
10/14/2021 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other ADEC provided approval for the "Final 2020 Monitoring Report Operable Unit 3, U.S. Army Garrison Alaska" (dated October 2021) to the U.S. Army. The report describes sample results from groundwater monitoring activities conducted in 2020 within Operable Unit 3 (OU3) sites. The institutional controls (ICs) were also inspected. Erica Blake
12/15/2021 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking A new updated ranking with ETM has been completed for source area 72663 Fort Wainwright (OU-3) Birch Hill Tank Farm. Erica Blake
3/18/2022 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other ADEC provided review comments for the "Draft 2022 CERCLA Sites Work Plan Operable Units 1 through 6" Fort Wainwright, Alaska, U.S. Army Garrison Alaska (dated February 2022) to the U.S. Army. The document describes proposed site activities to collect data and evaluate progress towards achieving remedial action objectives (RAOs) at six Operable Unit sites on Fort Wainwright, Alaska (FWA). This work plan is intended for use in conjunction with the "Draft Fort Wainwright Environmental Investigations and Monitoring Postwide Quality Assurance Program Plan Fort Wainwright, Alaska" (dated December 2021). The post wide work plan is still in review and at the time of this review has not yet been approved. Erica Blake
5/24/2022 Offsite Soil or Groundwater Disposal Approved ADEC approved transport of approximately 132 gallons of purge water generated from long-term monitoring activities conducted in 2021 (OU2 DRMO Yard - Two-Party Site, OU3 Fairbanks Fuel Terminal, OU4, and OU6) from Fort Wainwright Building 3491 to U.S. Ecology in Grand View, Idaho for treatment and disposal. Erica Blake
10/27/2022 Long Term Monitoring Workplan or Report Review ADEC approved the Final 2021 OU3 Monitoring Report. The annual IC inspections and 5 year groundwater monitoring schedule and well selections will continue as the report recommends. Tim Sharp
9/11/2023 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other DEC reviewed the Draft 2022 Institutional Controls (IC) Report, which details the 2022 IC inspections conducted at Fort Wainwright, Alaska (FWA). The purpose of the annual IC inspection is to evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of ICs associated with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) Record of Decision (ROD) source areas and Two-Party source areas on FWA. Tim Sharp
9/15/2023 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other DEC completed a review of the Draft 2022 Monitoring Report for Operable Unit (OU) 3. The Army conducted annual groundwater monitoring, natural attenuation evaluations, long-term monitoring optimization (LTMO), and institutional control (IC) inspections at the Fairbanks Fuel Terminal (FFT) and Railcar Offloading Facility (ROLF) sites. Though the Fairbanks-Eielson Pipeline (FEP) milepost (MP) 2.7 and 3.0 sites are only sampled on a 5-year basis, with the next sampling event planned for 2024, the Army also inspects ICs at the FEP sites annually. Recommendations in the report are to continue the sampling program with no changes. Tim Sharp
2/22/2024 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other DEC completed a review of the Draft 2024 CERCLA Sites Work Plan for Operable Units 1-6. The work plan details proposed site activities to collect data and evaluate progress towards achieving remedial action objectives (RAOs) at six Operable Unit (OUs) sites on Fort Wainwright, Alaska (FWA). In addition to sampling, institutional controls inspections will be conducted at all six OU sites. This work plan is intended for use in conjunction with the Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) included in the document as Appendix A, and includes additional sampling as part of preparation for the Sixth Five Year Review, to be accomplished in 2025. Tim Sharp
2/27/2024 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other DEC Approved the Final 2022 Monitoring Report for OU3 on this date. Tim Sharp
4/8/2024 Institutional Control Periodic Reporting DEC Approved the 2022 IC Report for Fort Wainwright CERCLA and Two-Party Sites on this day. Tim Sharp
5/21/2024 Long Term Monitoring Workplan or Report Review DEC approved the 2024 CERCLA Sites Work Plan on this date. Tim Sharp
6/10/2024 Institutional Control Periodic Reporting DEC reviewed and supplied comments on the Draft 2023 Institutional Controls (IC) Report, which details the 2023 IC inspections conducted at Fort Wainwright, Alaska (FWA). The purpose of the annual IC inspection is to evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of ICs associated with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) Record of Decision (ROD) source areas and Two-Party source areas on FWA. Tim Sharp

Contaminant Information

Name Level Description Media Comments
BTEX Between Method 2 Migration to Groundwater and Human Health/Ingestion/Inhalation GroundwaterSoil
DRO > Table C SoilGroundwater
GRO > Table C SoilGroundwater
1,2-Dibromoethane Between Method 2 Migration to Groundwater and Human Health/Ingestion/Inhalation GroundwaterSoil
1,2-Dichloroethane Between Method 2 Migration to Groundwater and Human Health/Ingestion/Inhalation GroundwaterSoil

Control Type

Type Details
Federal or State Agency GIS Database Note
Land Use Plan / Maps / Base Master Plan

Requirements

Description Details
Excavation / Soil Movement Restrictions
Groundwater Monitoring
Groundwater Use Restrictions
Maintenance / Inspection Of Engineering Controls
New Construction Restrictions
Advance approval required to transport soil or groundwater off-site.

No associated sites were found.

Missing Location Data

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