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Site Report: Eareckson AS - Tank 503-2/#74

Site Name: Eareckson AS - Tank 503-2/#74
Address: Building 503, NW of Hanger 2; Shemya, Amchitka, AK 99546
File Number: 2649.38.001
Hazard ID: 25036
Status: Active
Staff: Erica Blake, 9074512182 erica.blake@alaska.gov
Latitude: 52.724055
Longitude: 174.086216
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

Eareckson AS is situated on Shemya Island, approximately 1,500 miles southwest of Anchorage, Alaska at the westernmost tip of the Aleutian Islands. Shemya Island is part of the Near Islands group of the Aleutian Archipelago. Shemya Island is owned by the U.S. Government and is under the jurisdiction of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) as part of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. The U.S. Army first developed facilities on Shemya Island in 1943 to support operations against the Japanese occupation forces on the nearby islands of Attu, Agattu, and Kiska. In 1954, the site was deactivated, and was turned over to the Civil Aeronautics Authority in 1955. In 1958, the Air Force returned to Shemya Island to support various Air Force and Army strategic intelligence gathering activities. It has remained active in this capacity to the present. In 1995, the station was downsized and reverted to caretaker status and a private operation and maintenance contractor took control of the facility under contract to the Air Force. This site is the location of a 20,000-gallon underground storage tank 503-2 that was used for diesel storage. The tank was decommissioned on 7/18/97. BTEX and GRO contaminated soil used to backfill the UST excavation. No samples were collected along the pipeline.

Action Information

Action Date Action Description DEC Staff
7/18/1997 Site Added to Database Former Staff
7/18/1997 Leaking Underground Storage Tank Release Confirmed - Petroleum LUST Site created in CSP for source area ID 77636 On July 18, 1997 UST was decommssioned by Jacobs Engineering. Consultant confirmed a petroleum release had occurred, soil contamination noted contamination. Former Staff
7/18/1997 Leaking Underground Storage Tank Cleanup Initiated - Petroleum UST permanently closed/ removed from ground. Tim Stevens
2/5/1999 Update or Other Action ADEC project manager sent letter requesting the Air Force to conduct a release investigation of the former UST site. Tim Stevens
1/12/2000 Underground Storage Tank Site Characterization or Assessment ADEC received the site assessment report. This site is one of 43 UST SA reports contained in the April 1998 Draft " Project Report" Eareckson AS. SA report indicated DRO contamination, 5,500 ppm. Final report dated June 11, 1999 and entitled "Project Report - UST Site Assessment Reports, AST Removal Reports, and Environmental Compliance Activities." Associated ADEC/STP comment letter dated January 12, 2000 prepared by Timothy Stevens. ADEC comment letter states that based on information and laboratory data contained in the site assessment reports, tank 503-2 (ADEC #74) will need to have a release investigation done to determine the vertical and horizontal extent of the contamination found during the closure process. Gretchen Pikul
2/15/2007 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking Baseline Ranking Jill Taylor
9/25/2014 Meeting or Teleconference Held A project records review and scoping meeting was held between the ADEC and USAF. Additional investigation work is planned for this site during 2015. Jessica Morris
10/22/2015 Update or Other Action The ADEC Contaminated Sites Program reviewed and commented on a draft scope of work for investigation, remedial process optimization, and long term management studies at several sites for Eareckson Air Station. Jessica Morris
8/31/2016 Site Characterization Workplan Approved The ADEC Contaminated Sites Program conditionally approved the 2016 Uniform Federal Policy - Quality Assurance Project Plan (UFP-QAPP) for Site Characterization at 14 Former POL Sites, Eareckson Air Station, Shemya Island, Alaska. The conditions for the UFP-QAPP are as follows: 1) We do not object to the long term monitoring work being completed as outlined in the UFP-QAPP; however ADEC cannot concur that efforts will be counted towards meeting the end point criteria outlined in the decision documents until an adequate monitoring program has been established. 2)The QAPP states that field screening results and field observations will be used to determine additional groundwater monitoring well locations. These locations should to be coordinated with ADEC. 3) The leaking underground storage tank (LUST) sites at Eareckson Air Station will need to be characterized and closed in accordance with LUST regulations that are included in 18 AAC 78. 4) The scope of work for this investigation may not be sufficient to fully characterize the sites listed in the work plan, and additional investigation may be necessary. Jessica Morris
11/14/2016 Site Visit ADEC staff travelled to Eareckson Air Station for 4 days to conduct site visits and become familiar with the ecology and topography of the island. Site visits were conducted to all pertinent sites and meetings were held to with ADEC and USAF to discuss a path forward for the sites. Jessica Morris
11/27/2017 Site Visit ADEC staff travelled to Eareckson Air Station for 3 days to conduct site visits and institutional control inspections. Site visits were conducted to all pertinent sites and meetings were held to with ADEC and USAF to discuss a path forward for the sites. Jessica Morris
2/23/2018 Update or Other Action The ADEC Contaminated Sites Program submitted comments on the Draft Site Characterization Report at 13 Former POL Sites, Phase I, Eareckson Air Station, Alaska. DRO, SVOCs, and VOCs are present in the soil above ADEC criteria. POL contamination in soil and groundwater are co-located with Site PL575 have been delineated in all directions, except to the north. Contamination appears to be present towards the boundary of IRP Site SS025, a former bulk fuel storage facility. This site may be managed together with Sites PL575 and SS025 in the future. Jessica Morris
2/23/2018 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other The ADEC Contaminated Sites Program provide comments on the Draft Site Characterization Report at 13 Former POL Sites, Phase I, Eareckson Air Station. Jessica Morris
5/2/2018 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other The ADEC Contaminated Sites Program submitted comments on the Draft Remedial Process Optimization Report for Eareckson Air Station. The purpose of the report was to present an evaluation of the effectiveness of the current selected site remedies and make recommendations for optimization of an island-wide monitoring and management program for contaminated sites at Eareckson. ADEC had numerous comments on the document, and requested a project team meeting to further discuss a more effective and efficient program at Eareckson. Jessica Morris
4/27/2022 Update or Other Action On 4/27/2022 ADEC approved the Eareckson Air Station, Alaska, REMEDIAL PROCESS OPTIMIZATION REPORT dated April 2022. This Remedial Process Optimization (RPO) Report presents an evaluation of the effectiveness of current selected site remedies and makes recommendations for optimization of the IWM Program, as appropriate to establish a more integrated groundwater monitoring program at Eareckson AS. RPO is a systematic approach for evaluating and improving the effectiveness of site remediation without increasing site risk. This RPO Report presents a site-by-site evaluation of effectiveness of the sites selected remedy and provides recommendations to: • Streamline groundwater monitoring. • Develop a holistic approach to site management. • Maintain the remedial action objectives (RAOs) set forth in established Record of Decisions (RODs) and Decision Documents (DDs). Daniela Fawcett

Contaminant Information

Name Level Description Media Comments

Control Type

Type Details

Requirements

Description Details

There are no documents for this site report.

Hazard ID Site Name File Number
26298 Eareckson Air Station PL575 2649.38.001, 2649.38.049

Missing Location Data

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