Site Report: USFS Granite Mine

Site Name:	USFS Granite Mine
Address:	22 Miles NE of Whittier, Whittier, AK 99693
File Number:	2114.38.014
Hazard ID:	2446
Status:	Active
Staff:	Brittani Mack, 9072628205 brittani.mack@alaska.gov
Latitude:	60.971389
Longitude:	-148.209167
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.

Site Chronology
IC / Closure Details
Documents
Associated Sites

Problems/Comments

Granite Mine has exceedances of diesel range organics (DRO), residual range organics (RRO), arsenic, total chromium, lead, and mercury in soil. EPA ID AK0001764471; EPA site name USDA FS Chugach NF: Granite Mine.

Action Information

Action Date	Action	Description	DEC Staff
8/2/2001	Update or Other Action	ADEC asked by FS to comment on Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis.	Bill Janes
8/3/2001	Site Added to Database	Heavy Metals contamination.	Bruce Wanstall
8/3/2001	Site Ranked Using the AHRM	Preliminary ranking. Multiple contaminants possible, site not screened for petroleum contaminants or just not addressed in 6/01 report.	Bruce Wanstall
2/4/2004	Site Characterization Report Approved	EE/CA reviewed. Revegetation alternative approved as an interim action. RA does not address site risk to eco or humans. DEC requested discussion of additional alternatives.	Anne Marie Palmieri
3/30/2004	Update or Other Action	EPA issued a letter to the USFS deferring regulatory oversight to DEC but requesting it be provided copies of pertinent documents and correspondence for the official CERCLA file.	John Halverson
5/21/2004	Site Number Identifier Changed	Corrected Regon from 22 to 24.	Former Staff
2/26/2007	Exposure Tracking Model Ranking		Anne Marie Palmieri
7/30/2012	Update or Other Action	DEC was contacted by current claim holder Baerent Strandsberg who wants to conduct some limited sampling for mineral recovery. Subsequent phone calls with the USFS revealed that the USFS has conducted an additional PRP search and the site is not abandoned as originally thought. USFS has not sent out 104(e) letters yet due to staffing issues.	Anne Marie Palmieri
7/16/2014	Update or Other Action	CS staff was notified this date by the USFS regarding a leaking drum and stained soil which was discovered during a recent site visit.	Anne Marie Palmieri
7/10/2015	Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other	DEC approved a work plan this date to remove drums and the associated contaminated soil from the site. Field work is scheduled to begin on July 13th.	Anne Marie Palmieri
8/22/2016	Interim Removal Action Approved	Removal action report approved this date.	Anne Marie Palmieri
9/2/2016	Update or Other Action	On this date, DEC sent a letter to the USFS requesting action on a number of sites. For this site, DEC stated: The USFS conducted an EE/CA in 2001 without input from DEC. In 2004, DEC issued a letter non-concurring with the recommended alternative and requesting a discussion of additional alternatives and inclusion of State ARARs. In 2011-2, DEC and USFS learned that there might be a current mining claim holder contrary to previous information stating that the mine was abandoned. The USFS stated that a new Potentially Responsible Party (PRP) search was needed and that it would be conducted in 2012. It is unknown if this issue has been resolved. In 2015, the USFS conducted a removal action to address old drums, limited liquid waste oil, and a small volume of incidental petroleum contaminated soil. In a letter dated August 22, 2016, DEC approved the removal report and requested that the USFS provide a timeline for the cleanup of this site within 30 days (September 21, 2016).	Anne Marie Palmieri
10/11/2017	Meeting or Teleconference Held	DEC, EPA, and USFS met to discuss roles and responsibilities for each agency. Specific actions regarding this site were not discussed at this meeting.	Anne Marie Palmieri
2/14/2018	Meeting or Teleconference Held	DEC, EPA, and USFS met to discuss roles and responsibilities for each agency. The USFS stated that a draft EE/CA is currently under review and will be provided to the State.	Anne Marie Palmieri
5/8/2019	Meeting or Teleconference Held	DEC and the USFS met on this date to discuss many sites and how to move the sites forward in the cleanup process. A next meeting was scheduled for August.	Anne Marie Palmieri
8/12/2019	Meeting or Teleconference Held	CS Staff met with the USFS to discuss site issues on this date.	Anne Marie Palmieri
10/8/2019	Meeting or Teleconference Held	CS Staff met with the USFS to discuss general coordination issues on this date.	Anne Marie Palmieri
2/12/2020	Meeting or Teleconference Held	CS Staff met with the USFS to discuss general coordination and site issues on this date.	Anne Marie Palmieri
6/4/2020	Meeting or Teleconference Held	CS and the USFS met to discuss a possible application for EVOS funding by the USFS. USFS provided the 2018 EE/CA to CS to review.	Anne Marie Palmieri

Action Date

Action

Description

DEC Staff

8/2/2001

Update or Other Action

ADEC asked by FS to comment on Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis.

Bill Janes

8/3/2001

Site Added to Database

Heavy Metals contamination.

Bruce Wanstall

8/3/2001

Site Ranked Using the AHRM

Preliminary ranking. Multiple contaminants possible, site not screened for petroleum contaminants or just not addressed in 6/01 report.

Bruce Wanstall

2/4/2004

Site Characterization Report Approved

EE/CA reviewed. Revegetation alternative approved as an interim action. RA does not address site risk to eco or humans. DEC requested discussion of additional alternatives.

Anne Marie Palmieri

3/30/2004

Update or Other Action

EPA issued a letter to the USFS deferring regulatory oversight to DEC but requesting it be provided copies of pertinent documents and correspondence for the official CERCLA file.

John Halverson

5/21/2004

Site Number Identifier Changed

Corrected Regon from 22 to 24.

Former Staff

2/26/2007

Exposure Tracking Model Ranking

Anne Marie Palmieri

7/30/2012

Update or Other Action

DEC was contacted by current claim holder Baerent Strandsberg who wants to conduct some limited sampling for mineral recovery. Subsequent phone calls with the USFS revealed that the USFS has conducted an additional PRP search and the site is not abandoned as originally thought. USFS has not sent out 104(e) letters yet due to staffing issues.

Anne Marie Palmieri

7/16/2014

Update or Other Action

CS staff was notified this date by the USFS regarding a leaking drum and stained soil which was discovered during a recent site visit.

Anne Marie Palmieri

7/10/2015

Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other

DEC approved a work plan this date to remove drums and the associated contaminated soil from the site. Field work is scheduled to begin on July 13th.

Anne Marie Palmieri

8/22/2016

Interim Removal Action Approved

Removal action report approved this date.

Anne Marie Palmieri

9/2/2016

Update or Other Action

On this date, DEC sent a letter to the USFS requesting action on a number of sites. For this site, DEC stated: The USFS conducted an EE/CA in 2001 without input from DEC. In 2004, DEC issued a letter non-concurring with the recommended alternative and requesting a discussion of additional alternatives and inclusion of State ARARs. In 2011-2, DEC and USFS learned that there might be a current mining claim holder contrary to previous information stating that the mine was abandoned. The USFS stated that a new Potentially Responsible Party (PRP) search was needed and that it would be conducted in 2012. It is unknown if this issue has been resolved. In 2015, the USFS conducted a removal action to address old drums, limited liquid waste oil, and a small volume of incidental petroleum contaminated soil. In a letter dated August 22, 2016, DEC approved the removal report and requested that the USFS provide a timeline for the cleanup of this site within 30 days (September 21, 2016).

Anne Marie Palmieri

10/11/2017