Site Report: Exploration Supply & Equipment, Inc

Site Name:	Exploration Supply & Equipment, Inc
Address:	6727 Old Seward Highway, Anchorage, AK 99518
File Number:	2100.38.221
Hazard ID:	1789
Status:	Active
Staff:	Alena Voigt, 9072697556 alena.voigt@alaska.gov
Latitude:	61.159694
Longitude:	-149.863243
Horizontal Datum:	WGS84

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

Surface and near surface soils were contaminated with diesel and residual range petroleum hydrocarbons associated with a drilling equipment maintenance, storage, staging, sales and rental business. 1998 groundwater data identifies GRO, benzene, and 1-2, DCE above cleanup levels. The source of the contamination is believed to be leakage of fuels and/or oils from heavy equipment parked on the site. Quest Environmental identified contaminated soils over an area of approximately 68 feet by 175 feet during SA1R work in 10/93. Quest submitted a corrective action plan on 11/5/93. MOA parcel # 01404153 for Lot 8A, Block B, Murray Subdivision. Lots 11, 13 and 14 also involved. As of 5/14/01, the MOA Assessor's Office lists Exploration Supply and Equipment, Inc. as owners of Lot 11, MOA Parcel # 01404153, 6744 Old Seward Highway.

Action Information

Action Date	Action	Description	DEC Staff
11/5/1993	Meeting or Teleconference Held	Staff met with consultant Quest, property owner Victor Mittasch and realtor Pat McLafferty. "A Phase I Environmental Audit" dated October 1993, a 'Report of Preliminary Site Assessment POL Monitoring and Testing" dated November 1993, and a "Corrective Action Plan" (CAP) dated November 1993 were submitted to ADEC during the meeting. Staff gave verbal approval to proceed with most of the work described in the CAP (See separate entry for this date for details).	Eileen Olson
11/5/1993	Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other	Verbally approved "Corrective Action Plan" (CAP) by Golder Assoc. received this date & dated November 1993. Plan was submitted during a meeting on this date. The plan includes laboratory results for two samples collected from an estimated 68 ft. by 175 foot areas of surface stained soil on lots 11 and 8A. Groundwater is noted as "believed to be present at a depth of 20 to 25 feet based on data from nearby groundwater monitoring wells." The plan focuses on surface stained soil and does not reference other potential contaminant sources such as the floor drains. The CAP proposed two options, A and B. ADEC did not approve option B (soil capping) because significant additional work would be required to justify option B, including leachability testing and/or risk assessment. As a result Quest indicated they no longer intend to include soil capping as an option. Site work is expected to begin week of 11/8/93.	Eileen Olson
1/4/1994	Site Added to Database	Diesel and residual range petroleum hydrocarbons. GRO, benzene, and 1-2, DCE above cleanup levels.	Former Staff
2/1/1994	Update or Other Action	The "Report of 1993 Season Site Assessment & Cleanup Activities, February 1994" is in the file; the date of submittal is not in the record. The report documents work done from July through November 1993, noting that contamination was not expected to extend beyond a depth of 6 inches, with earlier reports noting that groundwater was expected to be present 20 feet or more below the ground surface. In fact, groundwater was found to be present at a depth of approximately 6 feet and the contamination extended at least to the groundwater. From November 15-17, 1993, consultant Quest excavated and stockpiled approximately 110 cubic yards of soil primarily from Lot 11 but extending onto Lot 8A to the north. The report states that a clay layer was present from 1.5-2.5 to a maximum depth of 5 feet below grade, and a sand layer was present from 5 feet to groundwater at approximately 6 feet below grade. Field screening results from various depths showed contamination to the groundwater. Sidewall and bottom samples were collected from the test pit excavations and were field screened by OVM and by an immunoassay field screening method, Petro Risc. Co-located samples did not correlate well, and no field screening methods are approved substitutes for laboratory analysis. No characterization or confirmation samples were collected from the test pits. Six samples were collected from the 110 cubic yard stockpile on Dec. 4, 1993 with DRO exceeding cleanup levels in 4 of the 6 samples, ranging from 910 to 2000 mg/Kg DRO. Convential OVM field screening levels in the test pits ranged to 249 mg/Kg, while the highest OVM reading from the stockpile was 88. The report concludes that the test pits show contamination remaining at depth at "significant levels" with no data provided since no laboratory analysis on samples from the limits of the excavation was done, and recommends continued excavation of contaminated soil until petroleum hydrocarbon levels are below DEC cleanup levels. Note: The report on file is 20 pages long and does not include laboratory printouts or any of the appendices listed in the table of contents.	Eileen Olson
9/1/1994	Update or Other Action	The "Site Assessment Report, 6727 Old Seward Highway, September 1994" is in the file, with no date of submittal on record. The report notes that at the end of the November 1993 work field screening results from test pits indicated that high level diesel range contamination remained and that "Collection of lab samples from the pit bottom and sidewalls was suspended...pending a full site assessment." Investigation in mid-July 1994 included excavation of 24 test pits up to 10 feet deep throughout a large area south of the shop buildings; installation of 4 groundwater monitoring wells installed to depths of 9.5 ft.; and associated sampling and analytical results. The test pits were backfilled with the excavated material. A total of 3 soil samples and four water samples from 3 wells and a duplicate (MW1, MW3 and MW4) were analyzed in the laboratory. The soil samples were not taken at the location of the monitoring wells. Groundwater sampling results ranged from 0.233 to 3.42 mg/L DRO, 0.022 to 7.05 mg/L GRO, 0.028 to 1.58 mg/L benzne, and 0.32 to 5.49 mg/L TPH (corresponding roughly to RRO). Groundwater flow direction was "inferred to be East-Southeast". Recommendations include implementing a CAP.	Eileen Olson
7/1/1995	Meeting or Teleconference Held	"Corrective Action Plan, June 1995" submitted with cover letter dated June 30, 1995 by property owner Vic Mittasch. The plan notes that soil excavated during actions reported in the February 1994 report was replaced in the excavation pit for safety reasons. The plan proposes a 300 mg/Kg DRO cleanup level for soil and proposes stockpiling the soil under a long term plan that would include thermal treatment of 100 cubic yards of contaminated soil annually, to distribute costs over time. The plan also proposes capping with asphalt the areas with less than 300 ppm DRO but over 100 ppm DRO remaining in surface soil.	Eileen Olson
8/8/1995	Update or Other Action	"Quarterly Ground Water Monitoring Report, July 1995" in file with cover letter from Vic Mittasch, property owner, dated Aug. 8, 1995. Report documents second monitoring event in June 1995. DRO, Benzene, GRO and TPH (~RRO) present at concentrations exceeding cleanup levels. Groundwater flow direction was to the south-southwest in June 1995, versus east-southeast in June 1994.	Eileen Olson
4/21/1998	Site Ranked Using the AHRM	Ranking action added now because it was not added when the site was originally ranked. (Site was ranked on 4/22/1996 according to form in file).	Bill Petrik
5/15/1998	Meeting or Teleconference Held	Meeting with RP to discuss site conditions. During the meeting, property owner indicated that the 110 cubic yard stockpile excavated in 1994 had been spread at the site.	David Pikul
5/27/1998	Meeting or Teleconference Held	ADEC comment letter issued identifying that cleanup levels have not been met. Cost recovery requirement included. Letter notes that during May 15, 1998 meeting RP indicated that stockpiled contaminated soil was spread over the site. Letter requests all details regarding spreading of soil.	David Pikul
9/3/1998	Update or Other Action	1998 groundwater results collected by Golder Associates submitted identifying concentrations of benzene, GRO, and 1-2, DCE above cleanup.	David Pikul
10/11/2000	Update or Other Action	ADEC issued a letter of request for additional work at the site.	David Pikul
5/14/2001	Site Number Identifier Changed	Changed workplan to 09 from 01 to account for 1-2, DCE contamination above cleanup levels.	Former Staff
5/22/2001	Site Ranked Using the AHRM	Site re-ranked based on file review. Quantity Value changed to unknown (2.1) due to uncertainty of field screening data and the lack of laboratory sampling results.	Beatrice Egbejimba
5/29/2001	Update or Other Action	ADEC issued a letter of request for Site Characterization to RP. Letter also mentioned that the site may be eligible for entry into the voluntary clean up program.	Beatrice Egbejimba
6/8/2001	Update or Other Action	Response letter received from RP regarding letter from ADEC dated 5/29/01. RP intends to carry out monitoring event in June and July 2001. RP is also interested in VCP program.	Beatrice Egbejimba
10/12/2007	Update or Other Action	ADEC contacted by owner and environmental consultant, plans to undertake groundwater monitoring. Monitoring wells are reportedly still present.	Eileen Olson
1/22/2008	Update or Other Action	Rec'd "Groundwater Monitoring Report, Former EXSCO Shop" prepared by Golder Assoc., dated January 22, 2008. Report documents decreasing groundwater concentrations and sampling and analysis of on-site water well with the latter having non-detect results. Sampling was from bathroom tap left running one-half hour.	Eileen Olson
6/13/2008	Exposure Tracking Model Ranking	Initial ranking with ETM completed.	Eileen Olson
10/15/2008	Site Visit	Visited site, observed backhoe excavation in area RP suspected to be contaminated by waste oil. Contamination observed in shallow subsurface soil as staining and petroleum hydrocarbon odor.	Eileen Olson
11/5/2008	Update or Other Action	ADEC letter sent requesting plan to characterize contamination remaining in soil south of shop doors.	Eileen Olson
11/6/2008	Meeting or Teleconference Held	Met with RP to discuss and document a specific approach to investigating contaminated media present in the area south of the shop at the site.	Eileen Olson
11/7/2008	Update or Other Action	ADEC letter issued outlining agreed-upon approach to investigation, including minimal sampling and analytical requirements, as discussed during 11/6/2008 meeting with RP.	Eileen Olson
12/16/2008	Update or Other Action	Letter issued by ADEC acknowledging letter of 12/15/2008 by co-owner Vic Mittasch outlining plan to delay further soil investigation until after spring break-up in 2009. ADEC letter stated non-objection to the plan with notification requested 3 business days prior to beginning field work in 2009.	Eileen Olson
9/3/2009	Update or Other Action	ADEC received "Site Characterization Sampling and Analysis Plan, Former EXSCO Shop" dated July 27, 2009.	Eileen Olson
9/15/2009	Meeting or Teleconference Held	Staff met with one of owners, Vic Mittasch and consultant to discuss adequacy of workplan received 9/3/2009. Revised plan to be submitted to include installation of additional monitoring wells.	Eileen Olson
9/18/2009	Update or Other Action	Rec'd revised workplan dated September 17, 2009.	Eileen Olson
10/23/2009	Update or Other Action	ADEC was notified on Oct. 22, 2009 that work was started on that date to install monitoring wells, but on October 23rd the consultant notified ADEC that work a 'stop work order' was imposed by one of the property owners. Planned work that was not done included soil sampling in front of the shop to be done on Oct. 23rd and groundwater sampling scheduled for the following week.	Eileen Olson
5/19/2010	Meeting or Teleconference Held	Staff met with one of owners, Vic Mittasch, who submitted lab data for work that was in progress on October 22, 2009 when the son-in-law of Mr. Mittasch's partner Carl Ivey (co-owner of EXSCO business) ordered that work be stopped. At the time work was halted, Golder Assoc. representatives gave Mr. Mittasch the samples they had collected, which he dropped off at the lab for analysis.	Eileen Olson
5/20/2010	Meeting or Teleconference Held	Staff teleconferenced with Mark Musial and Jan Dieck of Golder Associates to determine whether any conclusions could be drawn with respect to lab results and data for Golder's work done in October 2010 before a stop work order was issued by co-owner Carl Ivey's representative. Musial and Dieck stated that the figure in the work plan for the work that was underway in October 2010 was fairly accurate - the borings were placed as shown.	Eileen Olson
6/19/2012	Meeting or Teleconference Held	Contacted and met with co-owner Vic Mittasch to discussing requirements for obtaining site closure. Results of the work that was done in October 2009 were provided as lab results and informally reported, verbally, during a later discussion (May 20, 2010) with consultant Golder Associates, but otherwise no work has been done and no reports have been received since 2009.	Eileen Olson

Action Date

Action

Description

DEC Staff

11/5/1993

Meeting or Teleconference Held

Staff met with consultant Quest, property owner Victor Mittasch and realtor Pat McLafferty. "A Phase I Environmental Audit" dated October 1993, a 'Report of Preliminary Site Assessment POL Monitoring and Testing" dated November 1993, and a "Corrective Action Plan" (CAP) dated November 1993 were submitted to ADEC during the meeting. Staff gave verbal approval to proceed with most of the work described in the CAP (See separate entry for this date for details).

Eileen Olson

11/5/1993

Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other

Verbally approved "Corrective Action Plan" (CAP) by Golder Assoc. received this date & dated November 1993. Plan was submitted during a meeting on this date. The plan includes laboratory results for two samples collected from an estimated 68 ft. by 175 foot areas of surface stained soil on lots 11 and 8A. Groundwater is noted as "believed to be present at a depth of 20 to 25 feet based on data from nearby groundwater monitoring wells." The plan focuses on surface stained soil and does not reference other potential contaminant sources such as the floor drains. The CAP proposed two options, A and B. ADEC did not approve option B (soil capping) because significant additional work would be required to justify option B, including leachability testing and/or risk assessment. As a result Quest indicated they no longer intend to include soil capping as an option. Site work is expected to begin week of 11/8/93.

Eileen Olson

1/4/1994

Site Added to Database

Diesel and residual range petroleum hydrocarbons. GRO, benzene, and 1-2, DCE above cleanup levels.

Former Staff

2/1/1994

Update or Other Action

The "Report of 1993 Season Site Assessment & Cleanup Activities, February 1994" is in the file; the date of submittal is not in the record. The report documents work done from July through November 1993, noting that contamination was not expected to extend beyond a depth of 6 inches, with earlier reports noting that groundwater was expected to be present 20 feet or more below the ground surface. In fact, groundwater was found to be present at a depth of approximately 6 feet and the contamination extended at least to the groundwater. From November 15-17, 1993, consultant Quest excavated and stockpiled approximately 110 cubic yards of soil primarily from Lot 11 but extending onto Lot 8A to the north. The report states that a clay layer was present from 1.5-2.5 to a maximum depth of 5 feet below grade, and a sand layer was present from 5 feet to groundwater at approximately 6 feet below grade. Field screening results from various depths showed contamination to the groundwater. Sidewall and bottom samples were collected from the test pit excavations and were field screened by OVM and by an immunoassay field screening method, Petro Risc. Co-located samples did not correlate well, and no field screening methods are approved substitutes for laboratory analysis. No characterization or confirmation samples were collected from the test pits. Six samples were collected from the 110 cubic yard stockpile on Dec. 4, 1993 with DRO exceeding cleanup levels in 4 of the 6 samples, ranging from 910 to 2000 mg/Kg DRO. Convential OVM field screening levels in the test pits ranged to 249 mg/Kg, while the highest OVM reading from the stockpile was 88. The report concludes that the test pits show contamination remaining at depth at "significant levels" with no data provided since no laboratory analysis on samples from the limits of the excavation was done, and recommends continued excavation of contaminated soil until petroleum hydrocarbon levels are below DEC cleanup levels. Note: The report on file is 20 pages long and does not include laboratory printouts or any of the appendices listed in the table of contents.

Eileen Olson

9/1/1994

Update or Other Action

The "Site Assessment Report, 6727 Old Seward Highway, September 1994" is in the file, with no date of submittal on record. The report notes that at the end of the November 1993 work field screening results from test pits indicated that high level diesel range contamination remained and that "Collection of lab samples from the pit bottom and sidewalls was suspended...pending a full site assessment." Investigation in mid-July 1994 included excavation of 24 test pits up to 10 feet deep throughout a large area south of the shop buildings; installation of 4 groundwater monitoring wells installed to depths of 9.5 ft.; and associated sampling and analytical results. The test pits were backfilled with the excavated material. A total of 3 soil samples and four water samples from 3 wells and a duplicate (MW1, MW3 and MW4) were analyzed in the laboratory. The soil samples were not taken at the location of the monitoring wells. Groundwater sampling results ranged from 0.233 to 3.42 mg/L DRO, 0.022 to 7.05 mg/L GRO, 0.028 to 1.58 mg/L benzne, and 0.32 to 5.49 mg/L TPH (corresponding roughly to RRO). Groundwater flow direction was "inferred to be East-Southeast". Recommendations include implementing a CAP.

Eileen Olson

7/1/1995

Meeting or Teleconference Held

"Corrective Action Plan, June 1995" submitted with cover letter dated June 30, 1995 by property owner Vic Mittasch. The plan notes that soil excavated during actions reported in the February 1994 report was replaced in the excavation pit for safety reasons. The plan proposes a 300 mg/Kg DRO cleanup level for soil and proposes stockpiling the soil under a long term plan that would include thermal treatment of 100 cubic yards of contaminated soil annually, to distribute costs over time. The plan also proposes capping with asphalt the areas with less than 300 ppm DRO but over 100 ppm DRO remaining in surface soil.

Eileen Olson

8/8/1995

Update or Other Action

"Quarterly Ground Water Monitoring Report, July 1995" in file with cover letter from Vic Mittasch, property owner, dated Aug. 8, 1995. Report documents second monitoring event in June 1995. DRO, Benzene, GRO and TPH (~RRO) present at concentrations exceeding cleanup levels. Groundwater flow direction was to the south-southwest in June 1995, versus east-southeast in June 1994.

Eileen Olson

4/21/1998

Site Ranked Using the AHRM

Ranking action added now because it was not added when the site was originally ranked. (Site was ranked on 4/22/1996 according to form in file).

Bill Petrik

5/15/1998

Meeting or Teleconference Held

Meeting with RP to discuss site conditions. During the meeting, property owner indicated that the 110 cubic yard stockpile excavated in 1994 had been spread at the site.

David Pikul

5/27/1998

Meeting or Teleconference Held

ADEC comment letter issued identifying that cleanup levels have not been met. Cost recovery requirement included. Letter notes that during May 15, 1998 meeting RP indicated that stockpiled contaminated soil was spread over the site. Letter requests all details regarding spreading of soil.

David Pikul

9/3/1998

Update or Other Action

1998 groundwater results collected by Golder Associates submitted identifying concentrations of benzene, GRO, and 1-2, DCE above cleanup.

David Pikul

10/11/2000

Update or Other Action

ADEC issued a letter of request for additional work at the site.

David Pikul

5/14/2001

Site Number Identifier Changed

Changed workplan to 09 from 01 to account for 1-2, DCE contamination above cleanup levels.

Former Staff

5/22/2001

Site Ranked Using the AHRM

Site re-ranked based on file review. Quantity Value changed to unknown (2.1) due to uncertainty of field screening data and the lack of laboratory sampling results.

Beatrice Egbejimba

5/29/2001

Update or Other Action

ADEC issued a letter of request for Site Characterization to RP. Letter also mentioned that the site may be eligible for entry into the voluntary clean up program.

Beatrice Egbejimba

6/8/2001

Update or Other Action

Response letter received from RP regarding letter from ADEC dated 5/29/01. RP intends to carry out monitoring event in June and July 2001. RP is also interested in VCP program.

Beatrice Egbejimba

10/12/2007

Update or Other Action

ADEC contacted by owner and environmental consultant, plans to undertake groundwater monitoring. Monitoring wells are reportedly still present.

Eileen Olson

1/22/2008

Update or Other Action

Rec'd "Groundwater Monitoring Report, Former EXSCO Shop" prepared by Golder Assoc., dated January 22, 2008. Report documents decreasing groundwater concentrations and sampling and analysis of on-site water well with the latter having non-detect results. Sampling was from bathroom tap left running one-half hour.

Eileen Olson

6/13/2008

Exposure Tracking Model Ranking

Initial ranking with ETM completed.

Eileen Olson

10/15/2008

Site Visit

Visited site, observed backhoe excavation in area RP suspected to be contaminated by waste oil. Contamination observed in shallow subsurface soil as staining and petroleum hydrocarbon odor.

Eileen Olson

11/5/2008

Update or Other Action

ADEC letter sent requesting plan to characterize contamination remaining in soil south of shop doors.

Eileen Olson

11/6/2008

Meeting or Teleconference Held

Met with RP to discuss and document a specific approach to investigating contaminated media present in the area south of the shop at the site.

Eileen Olson

11/7/2008

Update or Other Action

ADEC letter issued outlining agreed-upon approach to investigation, including minimal sampling and analytical requirements, as discussed during 11/6/2008 meeting with RP.

Eileen Olson

12/16/2008

Update or Other Action

Letter issued by ADEC acknowledging letter of 12/15/2008 by co-owner Vic Mittasch outlining plan to delay further soil investigation until after spring break-up in 2009. ADEC letter stated non-objection to the plan with notification requested 3 business days prior to beginning field work in 2009.

Eileen Olson

9/3/2009

Update or Other Action

ADEC received "Site Characterization Sampling and Analysis Plan, Former EXSCO Shop" dated July 27, 2009.

Eileen Olson

9/15/2009

Meeting or Teleconference Held

Staff met with one of owners, Vic Mittasch and consultant to discuss adequacy of workplan received 9/3/2009. Revised plan to be submitted to include installation of additional monitoring wells.

Eileen Olson

9/18/2009

Update or Other Action

Rec'd revised workplan dated September 17, 2009.

Eileen Olson

10/23/2009

Update or Other Action

ADEC was notified on Oct. 22, 2009 that work was started on that date to install monitoring wells, but on October 23rd the consultant notified ADEC that work a 'stop work order' was imposed by one of the property owners. Planned work that was not done included soil sampling in front of the shop to be done on Oct. 23rd and groundwater sampling scheduled for the following week.

Eileen Olson

5/19/2010

Meeting or Teleconference Held

Staff met with one of owners, Vic Mittasch, who submitted lab data for work that was in progress on October 22, 2009 when the son-in-law of Mr. Mittasch's partner Carl Ivey (co-owner of EXSCO business) ordered that work be stopped. At the time work was halted, Golder Assoc. representatives gave Mr. Mittasch the samples they had collected, which he dropped off at the lab for analysis.

Eileen Olson

5/20/2010

Meeting or Teleconference Held

Staff teleconferenced with Mark Musial and Jan Dieck of Golder Associates to determine whether any conclusions could be drawn with respect to lab results and data for Golder's work done in October 2010 before a stop work order was issued by co-owner Carl Ivey's representative. Musial and Dieck stated that the figure in the work plan for the work that was underway in October 2010 was fairly accurate - the borings were placed as shown.

Eileen Olson

6/19/2012

Meeting or Teleconference Held

Contacted and met with co-owner Vic Mittasch to discussing requirements for obtaining site closure. Results of the work that was done in October 2009 were provided as lab results and informally reported, verbally, during a later discussion (May 20, 2010) with consultant Golder Associates, but otherwise no work has been done and no reports have been received since 2009.

Eileen Olson

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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Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation

Site Report: Exploration Supply & Equipment, Inc

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