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Site Report: Yukon Trading Post

Site Name: Yukon Trading Post
Address: 18 Front Street; (Mile 162 Steese Highway), Circle, AK 99733
File Number: 160.26.004
Hazard ID: 24472
Status: Active
Staff: Kris Dent, 9072623411 kris.dent@alaska.gov
Latitude: 65.825750
Longitude: -144.062750
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.

Problems/Comments

The excavation and removal of one 5,000 gallon and two 2,000 gallon capacity gasoline UST's in 1996 identified significant contamination in the soil. The tanks were installed in the early 1970's and had not been used since 1991. Approximately 200 cubic yards of soil were stockpiled on site. Analytical samples from the extent of the excavation showed GRO up to 1,560 mg/kg and benzene up to 7.8 mg/kg, both above ADEC cleanup levels. An air vent piping system was installed in the bottom of the excavation, and 250 cy of clean fill was used to fill in the excavation. The original consultant, John Janssen, estimated another 100 cy remaining onsite. Another consultant, Rockwell, after advancing several borings and field screening the soils, estimated that approximately 700 cy of contaminated soil remained in ground. There is an on-site drinking water well which is deep and below the permafrost layer, and the site is within 300 feet of the Yukon River. The site is underlain by a thick layer of permafrost.

Action Information

Action Date Action Description DEC Staff
3/13/1996 Site Added to Database Former Staff
3/13/1996 Leaking Underground Storage Tank Release Confirmed - Petroleum LUST Site created in CSP for source area ID 77963 ADD; Former Staff
3/28/1996 Leaking Underground Storage Tank Cleanup Initiated - Petroleum LCAU; Removal of a 5,000-gallon and two 2,000-gallon gasoline USTs. 200 cy of contaminated soil stockpiled on-site. Air venting system installed at limits of excavation (5-8.5 bgs). Former Staff
11/20/1997 Update or Other Action ADEC sends Notification of Intent to Cost Recover Letter to Current Owner: YUKON TRADING POST Former Staff
12/3/1997 Update or Other Action Not planning to do anything until funds obtained.; Dan Pearson; none given Former Staff
8/10/1999 Update or Other Action Ownership is transferred from Dan Pearson to Circle Village Council. Shannon Oelkers
8/24/2000 Update or Other Action Circle Village Council is current owner - NEW NAME is Yukon River Enterprises. Former Staff
8/24/2000 Update or Other Action Several attempts to contact the management of this facility has been unsuccessful. Intend to write a letter regarding their requirement to coordinate with the ADEC on remediation issues. Former Staff
9/20/2000 Update or Other Action JBC - Contacted Bill Miller, Tribal Administrator. Acknowledges that they have an issue, and want to address the remediation of the contaminated soil as part of a road project next spring. I need to review if there are any significant issues with the GW impacts that need to be addressed. John Carnahan
4/4/2008 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking Intitial Ranking Complete for Source Area: 77963 (Autogenerated Action)
1/14/2010 Update or Other Action No action has occurred at this property since the 1999 assessment. Residents in Circle get drinking water from the Washeteria well, which is regularly tested and has not shown the presence of VOCs related to fuel contamination in any of the samples. It it not known if the washeteria well is the same well that lies between the source area and the Yukon River. Drinking water sample results from a well identified as "Yukon Trading Post" in 2002 did not contain detectable concentrations of fuel related contaminants. A copy of the 2008 letter was faxed to CNVC. Bill O'Connell
1/14/2010 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking A new updated ranking with ETM has been completed for source area 77963 USTs. Bill O'Connell
6/28/2012 Potentially Responsible Party/State Interest Letter PRP letter sent to Danzhit Hanlaii Corporation Bill O'Connell
12/4/2012 Update or Other Action Communication with Circle Village Council regarding site status and next steps. Bill O'Connell
12/4/2012 Update or Other Action Communication with Danzhit Hanlaii regarding site status and next steps. Bill O'Connell
6/24/2014 Update or Other Action The ADEC Contaminated Sites Program (CSP) completed an evaluation of this site. One 5,000-gallon gasoline underground storage tank (UST), and two 2,000-gallon gasoline USTs were removed from the Yukon Trading Post (Facility ID 1119; Tanks 1, 2, and 3, respectively) in August of 1994. During the UST excavation, the USTs, dispensing island, and associated fuel piping were removed and disposed of. Roughly 200 cubic yards (CY) of contaminated soil were removed from the former USTs location. Three confirmation soil samples were then collected from the base of the excavation and analyzed for gasoline range organics (GRO), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and lead. The dispensing island and piping runs were not assessed for contamination. Analysis of the samples revealed concentrations of GRO up to 1,560 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg), benzene up to 7.77 mg/kg, toluene up to 55.1 mg/kg, ethylbenzene up to 26.18 mg/kg, total xylenes up to 120.74 mg/kg, chlorobenzene up to 7.26 mg/kg, and 1,2-dichlorobenzene up to 27.19 mg/kg; all of which exceed the ADEC cleanup criteria. An additional site characterization was completed in June of 1999. During the characterization, several soil borings were advanced in the vicinity of the former USTs and dispensing island. The soil borings ranged in depth from 4 to 11 feet below ground surface (bgs), and indicated that a majority of remaining contamination is located near the dispensing island. No analytical samples were collected or submitted during this assessment. Joshua Barsis
3/10/2015 Potentially Responsible Party/State Interest Letter letter sent with site history and information request; letter returned 3-27-15 Joshua Barsis
4/14/2015 Potentially Responsible Party/State Interest Letter letter sent to landowner with site history and information request Joshua Barsis
10/2/2015 Update or Other Action Added information to G-drive regarding PRPs for this site. Please see file for more information. Joshua Barsis
12/15/2015 Potentially Responsible Party/State Interest Letter PRP letter sent to two entities with request for work plan by February 1, 2016. Joshua Barsis
7/12/2016 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Reviewed the Circle Yukon Trading Post Work Plan, dated June 6, 2016. Planned activities primarily consist of excavating impacted material to the extent practicable. ADEC requested a revised work plan to include additional details on June 21, 2016. Revised work plan received on July 11, 2016. Work plan is approved with the following condition: all field screening and analytical samples must be performed in accordance with the March 2016 Field Sampling Guidance, specifically Tables 2A and 2B. Joshua Barsis
8/11/2017 Brownfields Award Yukon Trading Post was awarded DEC Brownfields Assessment & cleanup services for SFY18. Edit: EPA State and Tribal Response Program (STRP) funds of $121,007 awarded to Danzhit Hanlaii Corporation for soil removal and remediation at the Yukon Trading Post. SFY18 DBAC projects were delayed due to late notification of funding allocation from EPA. Christy Howard
6/29/2018 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Reviewed the FY19 Work Plan for Site Characterization and Limited Excavation Activities, dated June 29, 2018. Proposed activities included excavating up to 1,000 cubic yards (CY) of material, of which up to 500 CY of contaminated soil will be land farmed. Following the excavation effort, about 15 soil borings will be advanced to determine the lateral extent of contamination in the soil. Up to 7 of those borings will be completed as temporary monitoring wells to determine if porewater has been impacted and to what extent. All wells will be removed prior to demobilization. Joshua Barsis
3/27/2019 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Reviewed the Draft Site Remediation and Characterization Activities report, dated March 2019. Activities completed in 2019 included: (1) excavation of 500 cubic yards of contaminated soil in the source area and land farming of that soil; and (2) advancement of 19 soil borings aimed delineating the extent of contamination. All confirmation soil samples collected from the base of the excavation had analyte results above ADEC MTG cleanup levels. The following contaminants were detected above human health results: GRO; benzene; ethylbenzene; toluene; xylenes; naphthalene; n-propylbenzene; 1,2,4-trimethylbenzne; 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene; and 1,2-dibromoethane. None of the sample results from the step-out soil borings exceeded human health cleanup levels; however benzene in the downgradient soil borings exceeded MTG levels. Thus, the extent of contamination has not been sufficiently delineated to the east, which is downgradient and towards the river. Joshua Barsis
11/4/2019 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other ADEC received the Additional Characterization Activities Former Yukon Trading Post submitted by BGES and dated October 2019. Thirteen soil borings were advanced to a depth of 6 to 15 feet bgs limited by permafrost. The borings were located horizontally to the south, southwest, southeast, and immediately west of the 2018 excavation boundary. The boreholes did not contain any detectable pid readings. At least one analytical soil sample was collected per boring from deeper intervals 5 to 15 feet bgs and analyzed by 8260, 8270, and AK methods. None of the 15 analytical soil samples collected contained contaminant concentrations above ADEC cleanup levels. Groundwater was not encountered. Site should be evaluated for closure after the land farm soils are dealt with. Joshua Barsis
11/18/2019 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Reviewed the report titled "Grass Seeding" and dated November 14, 2019. The report documents addition of topsoil and grass seed to one private property impacted during excavation in 2019. Joshua Barsis
4/18/2023 Update or Other Action Spoke with Circle Village Council representative on this date. The landfarm is still present and has been tilled quarterly since it was constructed in 2019. Naomi Mason

Contaminant Information

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State of Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation

P.O. Box 111800
Juneau, AK 99811-1800
Phone: 907-465-5066
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