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Site Report: Walsky Property

Site Name: Walsky Property
Address: 1491 New Richardson Hwy., North Pole, AK 99705
File Number: 100.38.110
Hazard ID: 2479
Status: Active
Staff: Rebekah Reams, 9074512144 rebekah.reams@alaska.gov
Latitude: 64.797544
Longitude: -147.552583
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

Groundwater contaminated with TCE and TCA and soil contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons. Possible soil contamination of TCE &/or TCA. The Six Mile Richardson Highway Groundwater Investigation was originally tracked under this database entry, but is now tracked separately (Hazard ID 25660; File Number 100,38.112).

Action Information

Action Date Action Description DEC Staff
4/28/1995 Update or Other Action Shannon and Wilson report, "Environmental Assessment for McCall Property", identifies two potential TCE source areas: one on Holder Property and the other close to the McCall/Holder property line. Douglas Bauer
10/31/1995 Long Term Monitoring Established Shannon and Wilson report, "Interim Report Groundwater Assessment for Six-Mile Richardson Highway", identifies contaminated wells extending from the McCall/Holder properties to the northwest to Six-Mile Village Subdivision. TCE plume is 1.1 mile long, 1/4 mile wide, and 100 feet deep. TCA plume closely corresponds to TCE plume. Localized benzene plume in Six-Mile Village Subdivision. For both residential and monitoring wells, TCE detected in 51 wells, TCA in 40 wells, benzene in 19 wells. TCE at or above 70% MCL in 17 residential wells (additional two business wells above MCL) and benzene above MCL in 4 residential wells. Douglas Bauer
12/4/1995 Update or Other Action Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) conducts Health Consultation based on 10/31/95 sampling results. Concurs with ADEC's short- and long-term approaches. Douglas Bauer
1/15/1996 Update or Other Action ADEC provides $25,000 to Fairbanks North Star Borough for residential filter systems for 17 impacted residents. Douglas Bauer
3/27/1996 Update or Other Action 17 residents who had either TCE or benzene above 3.5 ppb were provided $2500 grants from FNSB to upgrade or install filter systems. Douglas Bauer
12/31/1996 Update or Other Action Shannon and Wilson report, "Interim Report on Source Areas", identifies low concentration level of PCE in soil and petroleum products in soil and groundwater during the installation of MW-21 in the northwest corner of the McCall property. Based on area-wide groundwater data, potential source areas identified near McCall/Holder property line (TCE), on the Holder property (TCE), on the Walsky property (TCE/TCA), and in the vicinity of the Walsky/Six-Mile Truck Shop property line. Douglas Bauer
2/5/1997 Site Added to Database TCE and TCA contaminated groundwater. Soil contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons and possibly TCE and TCA. Douglas Bauer
2/5/1997 Site Ranked Using the AHRM Initial ranking by staff. Douglas Bauer
10/23/1997 Update or Other Action ATSDR issues follow-up health consultation to 1995 study. ATSDR evaluates long-term monitoring data and still concurs with ADEC strategy. Recommends notifying residents to maintain their filter systems. Douglas Bauer
8/24/1998 Site Characterization Workplan Approved Shannon and Wilson publishes final site characterization workplan as part of area-wide investigation. Davison right-of-way delineated between Holder and McCall properties. Legality of right of way is questionable. Douglas Bauer
11/16/1998 Update or Other Action Shannon and Wilson issues letter report, "Preliminary Results, Distribution of TCE and TCA in Groundwater, Holder and Walsky Properties, 6-MIle Richardson Highway." Groundwater data demonstrates that some level of TCE is entering the Walsky property from the Holder property, however, the concentrations at the Walsky property are much higher than at the Walsky/Holder property line. TCA detected in the groundwater on the Walsky property, none detected leaving the Holder property. Douglas Bauer
5/10/1999 Update or Other Action Shannon and Wilson issues "Interim Report of 1998/1999 Site Investigation Findings Walsky Property." Major findings: 1) multiple sources of both TCE and TCA near the east-central portion of the property; 2) TCE groundwater concentrations exceed the MCL on the Walsky property and at the downgradient property line; 3) There is a significant contribution to the regional TCE plume from TCE sources on the Walsky property; 4) There is a smaller TCE groundwater plume at the former asphalt plant; 5) TCA groundwater concentrations exceed the MCL at a limited area on the Walsky property, but not at the downgradient property line; 6) low levels of petroleum hydrocarbon constituents and chlorinated organic compounds at several groundwater probes suggest impacts to soil and groundwater quality from other isolated releases of various compounds. Douglas Bauer
9/30/1999 Update or Other Action Shannon and Wilson begins re-sampling of residential wells in plume area. Douglas Bauer
10/16/1999 Meeting or Teleconference Held Public workshop held to discuss potential remediation options for TCE on Holder property and TCE/TCA sources on Walsky property. Douglas Bauer
10/21/1999 Meeting or Teleconference Held Workshop material presented at Badger-Richardson Safe Water Association meeting. Douglas Bauer
12/22/1999 Meeting or Teleconference Held Meeting with Shannon and Wilson. Evaluating additional field work based on latest data - deeper than 50 foot Geoprobing, and installation of permanent monitoring wells (clusters) near major source area. For spring 2000, soil samples in source areas, investigation of shop building, and characterization of petroleum contamination is planned. Douglas Bauer
12/27/1999 Update or Other Action Remediation Evaluation Screening Documents for the Walsky property, the Holder property and the regional plume mailed to Anchorage and Juneau offices. Douglas Bauer
1/5/2000 Update or Other Action Shannon and Wilson's long-term groundwater monitoring and evaluation of natural attenuation issued. Copies sent to Anchorage and Juneau offices. TCE concentration levels decreasing in some wells, remaining stable or slightly increasing in others. Some evidence that natural attenuation is occurring. Douglas Bauer
2/17/2000 Meeting or Teleconference Held Met with Badger-Richardson Safe Water Association board members Rick Van Hatten, Colleen Van Hatten, and Wayne Grieme. Discussed Remedial Alternative Screening Reports, $150K CIP request for AS/SVE feasibility studies on Walsky and Holder properties, long-term groundwater monitoring and natural attenuation evaluation report, September 1999 residential sampling report. Douglas Bauer
4/13/2000 Meeting or Teleconference Held Meeting with Shannon and Wilson to review upcoming field season work. Douglas Bauer
4/20/2000 Meeting or Teleconference Held Badger-Richardson Safe Water Association meeting to review PDC 60% report. Board requested clarification of response fund use for temporary hauled water. Douglas Bauer
1/5/2001 Update or Other Action Fact Sheet issued for area-wide TCE ground water plume. Douglas Bauer
2/5/2002 Update or Other Action Fact Sheet issued for area-wide TCE ground water plume. Douglas Bauer
7/10/2002 GIS Position Updated Changed the Latitude, Longitude, Method Accuracy, Accuracy and Unit fields. Heather Goldman
1/8/2003 Update or Other Action Fact Sheet to be issued for area-wide TCE ground water plume. Douglas Bauer
1/21/2004 Update or Other Action Fact sheet issued for area-wide TCE ground water plume. CS Site Summaries web-page will be updated soon. Douglas Bauer
12/14/2004 Meeting or Teleconference Held A meeting was held with David McDowell, Mark Lockwood, and Jon Lindstrom to discuss future measures that could be performed by June 30, 2005. Douglas Bauer
12/28/2004 Update or Other Action Interim Summary Report, 2004 Long-term ground water monitoring received. Douglas Bauer
12/30/2004 Update or Other Action Water sampling results received from Shannon and Wilson and mailed to residences that participated in 2004 sampling. Twelve residences were sampled; four residences (1357 Leslie, 1319 Smithson, 1345 Smithson, 853 Conley) either refused sampling or could not be contacted after repeated attempts. Douglas Bauer
1/5/2005 Update or Other Action Completed draft of 2004 fact sheet for Six Mile area and forwarded to L. Johnson for review. Douglas Bauer
1/11/2005 Update or Other Action The residential well sampling results were mailed to the participants for the Six Mile Richardson ground water monitoring program. Douglas Bauer
1/12/2005 Update or Other Action A request for proposal was forwarded to L. Johnson for the installation of a water treatment system at 1378 Smithson Street. Douglas Bauer
1/19/2005 Update or Other Action 2004 (FY05) Fact Sheet mailed and forwarded for posting on site summaries web-page. Douglas Bauer
1/21/2005 Update or Other Action Dennis Gentleman telephoned to discuss scheduling difficulties & state that carbon filter in treatment system at 1366 Sloan had been changed. Douglas Bauer
2/1/2005 Update or Other Action Received Shannon & Wilson report titled " Long-term Ground Water Monitoring Six Mile Richardson Highway, Fairbanks, Alaska." Douglas Bauer
3/2/2005 Update or Other Action The water quality results for 1378 Smithson were returned in the mail as undeliverable because of no mail box. The results were sent to Mr. Curtis & Shana McNeal at 1370 Smithson the registered owners of the property. A check with the Fairbanks North Star Borough (database query and telephone call by Mitzi Read) found 1370 Smithson as the only valid mailing address. The water quality results were hand delivered by Mr. Douglas Bauer on 3/2/2005. There was no one home at a green house trailer at 1378 Smithson at the time so the results were left in the front door sill. The residence at 1378 Smithson qualifies for a water treatment system since the TCE concentration is 4.0 µg/L which is above the 3.5 µg/L water treatment criterion. The TCE increase is statistically significant based on previous sampling. Douglas Bauer
3/2/2005 Update or Other Action A gentlemen interested in purchasing property at the corner of Warner Road and the Old Richardson Highway visited the office. He was interested in ground water contamination in the Six Mile area. He was given two color prints of the ground water plume from the contaminated sites site summary page. The property in question has not been impacted by the Six Mile ground water plume; he was advised to test the drinking water anyway because of other unknown sources in the area. Douglas Bauer
7/5/2005 Update or Other Action Received electronic copy of January 2005 long-term ground water monitoring report from Shannon & Wilson. Douglas Bauer
7/6/2005 Update or Other Action Received a telephone call from Ms. Colleen Conley. She was interested in testing her new wells located on Westcott Avenue. Mr. Conley was advised that her properties were outside of the TCE ground water plume. She could test for TCE and daughter products and BTEX using EPA Method 8260 or EPA Method 524 (VOCs). Douglas Bauer
8/19/2005 Update or Other Action Meeting at Shannon & Wilson with David McDowell, Mark Lockwood, and Jon Lindstrom to discuss 2005 field activities. Douglas Bauer
9/6/2005 Update or Other Action The fiscal year 2006 (2005 calendar year) request for proposal for the Six Mile annual ground water monitoring was forwarded to ADEC contracting for processing. Douglas Bauer
9/12/2005 Update or Other Action Updated schedule on FY 2006 (2005 calendar year request for proposal). Douglas Bauer
9/19/2005 Update or Other Action Prepare response fund site summary and email to Jim Frechione. Douglas Bauer
9/27/2005 Update or Other Action Completed NTP funding approval form and forwarded to Rich Sundet Douglas Bauer
1/23/2006 Update or Other Action Mailed 2005 residential well results. Douglas Bauer
3/1/2006 Update or Other Action Residential well results returned for tenants at 1366 Sloan and 1357 Sloan and for Edward and Makayal Fuoss at 891 Conley. Douglas Bauer
3/14/2006 Update or Other Action Mr. Joe Burns, the owner of 1349 Sloan, called. Mr. Burns recently had a deeper well installed and his water quality appears not as good as before, change in taste and smell. Mr. Burns was advised of the ADEC 1995 sampling results (well depth unreported) which detected trace levels of TCE & daughter products. At that time the residence did not qualify for organic treatment system. Before and after treatment inorganic testing was recommended for the new well; taste and smell may improve after testing and appropriate water treatment based on new inorganic tests. Mr. Burns was requested to keep in touch. ADEC may consider sampling his deeper well next year (fall 2006) for organic contaminants Douglas Bauer
7/19/2006 Update or Other Action Received from ADEC contracting office Shannon and Wilson's report titled "Long-term Ground Water Monitoring Six Mile Richardson Highway Fairbanks, Alaska" dated June 2006. Douglas Bauer
8/4/2006 Update or Other Action 2006 Fact Sheet published, mailed out, and posted to CS site summaries web-page. Douglas Bauer
8/23/2006 Update or Other Action Ms. Jennifer Beck recently purchased 1319 Smithson and called about water quality sampling of her residential well (she received request letter). She was advised to contact Shannon & Wilson to schedule a sampling appointment since the residence qualifies for sampling. Douglas Bauer
11/24/2006 Update or Other Action 2006 Residential well sampling results received and sent to appropriate landowner. Copy of results attached to database. Douglas Bauer
1/10/2007 Update or Other Action Received Shannon & Wilson report titled "Long-term Ground Water Monitoring Six Mike Richardson Highway Fairbanks, Alaska" dated December 2006. Douglas Bauer
1/17/2007 Update or Other Action Wayne Grieme gave verbal authorization to place a replacement well for MW-16 on his property. MW-16 is currently is damaged and located in the right-of-way of the frontage road adjacent to Wayne's property. Shannon & Wilson will walk the property with Wayne to determine the well's location. Douglas Bauer
8/6/2007 Update or Other Action Copies of all D. Bauer emails printed and filed in hard copy file. Douglas Bauer
1/3/2008 Update or Other Action Staff received all of the results of the 6-mile Richardson Highway residential well sampling and sent letters to the residents. Also a fact sheet was put together and posted to the site summary website: http://www.dec.state.ak.us/spar/csp/sites/6mile_area.htm. The results from this year’s sampling were not significantly different from last year’s. A new treatment system was not needed on any of the wells. The complete groundwater monitoring report is expected within two weeks. Ann Farris
7/15/2008 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking Initial ranking with ETM completed. Ann Farris
4/9/2009 Update or Other Action Staff received the results of the residential well sampling that was completed in January 2009. All seven residences sampled had contaminant concentrations less than the cleanup level, however four remain at or slightly above the 3.5 ppb threshold for treatment systems. The treatment systems for these houses have been maintained. Letters have been sent to the residences, informing them of the results. Ann Farris
6/30/2016 Update or Other Action Property is currently unused. Although soil contamination remains on site, groundwater contamination, including TCE contamination, is being managed through the database entry titled "Six Mile Richardson Highway Groundwater Investigation", Hazard ID 25660, File Number 100.38.112. Janice Wiegers
2/19/2021 Update or Other Action Contacted owner's attorney by email due to inquiries about the property. No response received. Janice Wiegers
5/18/2021 Update or Other Action Contacted by adjacent landowner interested in possible subdivision and acquisition of a portion of the Walsky property. Provided some documents regarding past characterization in this area. Janice Wiegers
4/12/2022 Update or Other Action Location of site updated for mapping. Site location was based on the location of Source W-1 from February 2001 Holder-Walsky Source Area report. W-1 may be the location of a septic system. Source Area W-4, approximately 200 feet to the north-northeast, may also contribute to groundwater contamination. Janice Wiegers
12/28/2023 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking A new updated ranking with ETM has been completed for source area 73456 drums etc. Rebekah Reams
10/22/2024 Potentially Responsible Party/State Interest Letter DEC sent a PRP letter and work plan request for newly identified contamination detected at the site in 2019 and 2020. Analytical soil and groundwater samples collected during this time detected the presence of DRO and VOCs above groundwater cleanup levels and DRO, VOCs, and PAHs in soil above DEC migration to groundwater and human health cleanup levels. Rebekah Reams

Contaminant Information

Name Level Description Media Comments

Control Type

Type Details

Requirements

Description Details
Hazard ID Site Name File Number
25660 Six Mile Richardson Highway Groundwater Investigation 100.38.112

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