Site Report: ARRC Ship Creek Rail Yard Seep
| Site Name: | ARRC Ship Creek Rail Yard Seep |
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| Address: | Whitney Road & A Streets, Anchorage, AK 99501 |
| File Number: | 2100.38.033 |
| Hazard ID: | 172 |
| Status: | Active |
| Staff: | Michael Hooper, 9074515174 michael.hooper@alaska.gov |
| Latitude: | 61.224671 |
| Longitude: | -149.883425 |
| Horizontal Datum: | WGS84 |
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We make every effort to ensure the data presented here is accurate based on the best available information currently on file with DEC. It is therefore subject to change as new information becomes available. We recommend contacting the assigned project staff prior to making decisions based on this information.
Problems/Comments
In 1986, a petroleum sheen was noted from a seep, upriver of storm drain outfall 5, discharging into Ship Creek. A failed water separator was known to contribute to the contamination. The seep area and stormdrain outfall 5 are downgradient from the ARRC rail yard. The ARRC rail yard is covered with numerous tracks and maintenance related shops and general repair buildings. The track and yard areas are used for through traffic, assembling railroad cars into trains, fueling activites, and for storage and handling of freight and maintenance of rolling stock. In 1989, water and soil samples collected contained petroleum contamination. Some contaminated soil was removed/transported to Alaska Soil Recycling (ASR) and some free product was recovered. Additionally, a collection gallery was installed with a total length of 86 feet and orientated in an east to west direction. The gallery is composed of 36 inch diameter CMP with a vertical manhole recovery point in the center. Reportedly, absorbent boom is kept in the pipe as a passive recovery measure. The collection gallery is located just south of the railroad tracks and east of the A Street Bridge. In 2007, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Anchorage Terminal Reserve Investigations performed indicated contamination remains at this site, which is located within Groundwater Area 6. In 2018, petroleum sheen was observed flowing into ship creek from outfall #6.
Action Information
| Action Date | Action | Description | DEC Staff |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10/13/1989 | Update or Other Action | (Old R:Base Action Code = SI - Site Investigation). On this date, Shannon and Wilson submitted an monitoring wells and oil collection gallery Ship Creek Railroad Yard report dated August 1989. The 15 new wells didn't identify any new areas where ground was badly contaminated other that already identified.Groundwater Contamination up to 18.9 mg/L benzene, 40.9 mg/L ethylbenzene, and 9.79 mg/L toluene. Boring B-9 has consistently had a floating product layer. Additionally, a collection gallery was installed with a total length of 86 feet and orientated in an east to west direction. The gallery is composed of 36 inch diameter CMP with a vertical manhole recovery point in the center. Reportedly, absorbent boom is kept in the pipe as a passive recovery measure. The collection gallery is located just south of the railroad tracks and east of the A Street Bridge. | Former Staff |
| 1/29/1991 | Site Added to Database | Petroleum contaminant. | Former Staff |
| 3/7/2008 | Exposure Tracking Model Ranking | Initial ranking with ETM completed. | Grant Lidren |
| 3/4/2011 | Update or Other Action | ADEC Received an APDES ARRC Ship Creek Railyard Inspection Report from ADEC Division of Water Dated 12/8/2010. As part of this report (which contained information for all the storm drains in the Railyard area) outfall 5, discharging from Area A, was inspected and sampled for TAqH, Oil & Grease, and BTEX (TAH). All analytical surface water samples from the outfall were non-detect. The visual inspection of the storm drain indicated the discharge water was heated indicated by steam and a slight diesel odor was detected. However, it was noted that the diesel odor could be attributed to vehicular traffic on Whitney Road. | Grant Lidren |
| 4/10/2018 | Update or Other Action | On this date, leaking rail yard equipment caused an estimated 10 gallons of oil to enter storm water drains leading to Ship Creek. Intermittent sheen was visible from Drain #6 out to the mouth of Ship Creek. Mitigation measures put in place following spill. PPRP closed case with no further action on 5/11/2018(Spill# 18239910001. | Grant Lidren |
| 4/23/2019 | Site Characterization Report Approved | On this date, ADEC received the Letter Report for Groundwater Sampling within the ARRC Anchorage Terminal Reserve submitted by RSE and dated April 23, 2019. The eight groundwater Monitoring wells sampled include: MWB08, MWD01, DPD04, MWE04, MWC02, MWE20, MWC01, and MWE11. Monitoring wells MWE04, MWC02, MWE20, MWC01 (all located within ARRC fueling rack and Princess/West tours contaminated sites in the railyard) contained DRO above table C between 1.57 mg/L to 9.09 mg/L. Monitoring wells MWE04 and MWE20 (both located within and downgradient of the ARRC fueling rack) contained RRO above table C between 1.64 mg/L and 3.45 mg/L. Monitoring well MWB08 (located within GW 2/3&4) and MWE04 (ARRC fueling rack) contained VC above TABLE C cleanup levels at 0.510 ug/L and 0.300 ug/L respectively.MWE04 (ARRC fueling rack) contained benzo(a)anthracene and fluorene above table C cleanup levels at 0.330 ug/L and 8.39 ug/L respectively. MWC01 (ARRC Knik Arm Power plant) contained eight PAHs above table C cleanup levels including: benzo (a)anthracene at 1.15 ug/L; benzo[a]pyrene at 1.79 ug/L; benzo[b]flouranthene at 2.54 ug/L; benzo[g,h,i]perylene at 1.59 ug/L; benzo[k]fluoranthene at 0.880 ug/L; chrysene at 2.22 ug/L; dibenzo[a,h]anthracene at 0.403 ug/L; and Indeno[1,2,3-c,d]pyrene at 1.26 ug/L.MWE11 (located east of GW-5/Arctic Cooperage) contained Arsenic above table C cleanup levels at 13.2 ug/L. MWE20 (located downgradient of the fueling rack) contained four metals above table C cleanup levels including: arsenic at 139 ug/L, cadmium 29.4 ug/L, lead at 231 ug/L, and mercury at 2.7g ug/L. Only monitoring wells MWD01 and DPD04, located upgradient adjacent to bluff, did not contain any contaminant concentrations above Table C cleanup levels. | Grant Lidren |
Contaminant Information
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Control Type
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Requirements
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There are no documents for this site report.
No associated sites were found.