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Site Report: ADOT&PF Old Quinhagak Airport

Site Name: ADOT&PF Old Quinhagak Airport
Address: East End of Old Quinhagak Airport Road (aka Qanirtuuq Drive), Quinhagak, AK 99655
File Number: 2441.57.001
Hazard ID: 25348
Status: Cleanup Complete
Staff: No Longer Assigned, 9074655229 dec.icunit@alaska.gov
Latitude: 59.756211
Longitude: -161.885793
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

In June 2006, Phase II site assessment activities confirmed the presence of petroleum contamination in soil and groundwater at the former Quinhagak Airport. The airport had been relocated due to erosion of the runway by the Kanektok River. Heavy equipment, aboveground storage tanks, drums, and fueling of vehicles, aircrafts, and boats were potential sources of the contamination. DOT contracted the assessment of the site in 2005-2006. In April 2009 this site was transferred to the Reuse and Redevelopment (R&R) Program because the site was pending transfer to the Native Village of Kwinhagak (Quinhagak), through relinquishment of a lease by DOT. DOT wishes to see the site cleaned up sufficient for beneficial reuse by the village before their lease is terminated. The file number was reassigned from 2441.38.002 to 2441.57.001 to reflect its reassignment to the R&R Program. In 2012 the DEC issued a Cleanup Complete Determination which was subsequently contested by the Corporation and its attorneys. The decision was contested by the Corporation that owned the land; however, the closure decision was held up through the Administrative hearing process (April 10, 2013), and adopted by the Commisioner of DEC.

Action Information

Action Date Action Description DEC Staff
2/6/2009 Site Added to Database A new site has been added to the database Mitzi Read
2/9/2009 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking Initial ranking with ETM completed for source area id: 78707 name: Petroleum and Metals in Soil and Groundwater Mitzi Read
2/17/2009 Site Characterization Report Approved Reviewed 2006 Phase II Site Assessment Report. Potential source areas at this site include ASTs, drums,and vehical maintenance areas. A 500-gallon AST adjacent the Kanektok River was observed to contain 300-400 gallons of fuel. Five drums were characterized, drum D1 in the grader storage building contained oily water as did drums D2 and D3 located on a flatbed truck north of the grader building.Drum D4 could not be opened, but contained liquid and drum D5 was empty. Six surface soil samples were collected from stained areas along the bank of the river, in the grader building, and near an AST. Surface sample SS1 contained DRO at 5,260 mg/kg and RRO at 46,400 mg/kg. Surface samples SS4 and SS6 contained benzene at 0.0635 mg/kg and 0.0213 mg/kg respectively. Ten test pits were excavated to groundwater in areas of concern. Samples from Test Pit 6 contained DRO at 449 mg/kg, no other test pit samples contained hydrocarbons above Method Two migration to groundwater cleanup levels. Three pre-packed well points were installed in test pits TP1, TP3, and TP6 and groundwater samples were collected. The sample from MW1 contained RRO at 1.25 mg/l,and DRO was detected below the cleanup level in MW2 at 1.41 mg/l. Detections of lead in groundwater and arsenic and chromium in surface and subsurface soil are considered indicative of background concentrations as there are no known sources of these contaminants at this site and the concentrations only slightly exceed cleanup levels. Bill O'Connell
3/24/2009 Update or Other Action ADOT- Right of Way (ROW) is in the process of securing an appropriation to deal with contamination and other issues at this site which ADOT intends to manage. The ADOT funding estimate includes costs associated with other land issues that are part of the potential litigation between ADOT&PF and Quanirtuug, Inc. Once funding has been secured, ADOT will contact ADEC to discuss approval of a CAP to address contamination at the site. Linda Nuechterlein
4/23/2009 Update or Other Action Call from ADOT&PF Leasing Manager Al Burton to discuss project status. Will request additional information from DOT on the site specifics and forward project through R&R Program for action using CIP funding. John Carnahan
6/18/2009 Update or Other Action Sent email to stakeholders and legal describing the upcoming process to develop a corrective action plan for site. John Carnahan
6/18/2009 Brownfields Award FY 2010 State of Alaska Capital Improvement Project funds $18,569 awarded to DOT M&O Admin for a Corrective Action Planning (CAP) on ADOT&PF Old Quinhagak Airport. NTP# 18902815035. Edit: Cleanup also performed in 2011 with NTP 18400212018 extended to 2013 with additional funds. Cascade Galasso-Irish
7/29/2009 Meeting or Teleconference Held Stakeholder teleconference to discuss project objectives, and go over scope of work. Qanirtuuq Inc. was represented, as was their legal advisor, ADOT, DEC, SLR (term contractor), and the AG. Meeting took approximately one hour and questions were answered. Meeting minutes to be provided. Proposed field visit in mid-August. John Carnahan
8/12/2009 Site Visit Site visit and sampling by DEC Term Contractor. John Carnahan
12/10/2009 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Site report received - under review. John Carnahan
1/15/2010 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Corrective Action Plan received and reviewed. Copies forwarded to ADOT, Corporation, and DOL. Awaiting comments and direction for summer season. John Carnahan
9/16/2010 Meeting or Teleconference Held Teleconfrence with stakeholders to discuss cleanup plan. Determined site visit necessary to identify location to manage soil. Project needs to begin shortly in order to complete before snow. John Carnahan
9/22/2010 Site Visit Contractor visited site and walked area to identify soil treatment cell location. Determined two potential locations will work, including ash-burner site and NE end of runway. Will work up notes and await agreement to facilitate mobilization. John Carnahan
10/6/2010 Cleanup Plan Approved Workplan to remove up to 100 cubic yards of petroleum contaminated soil, and stockpile near land fill is approved. Contractor notified. John Carnahan
10/14/2010 Update or Other Action Received update from contractor: -Approximately 90 cubic yards of soil were excavated from the Grader Building and former Test Pit TP6 and Sample SS4 locations. The excavated soil was placed in the constructed remediation cell. -Two of the previously installed monitoring wells, MW1 and MW2, could not be located, and Well MW3 was dry. -Installed one new monitoring well and sampled it in accordance with the work plan. -The excavation at the former Test Pit TP6 location was advanced to about 5 feet below the ground surface (bgs). The base sample (no side wall samples) will be submitted to the laboratory and tested for GRO, DRO, RRO, VOCs, and RCRA metals. This sample will not be tested for PAHs. -Five of the 11 samples, including one field duplicate, collected from the Grader Building excavation will be tested for GRO, DRO, RRO, VOCs, and RCRA metals, with one of the five samples also tested for PAHs. The remaining 6 excavation samples will be tested for only DRO, RRO, and RCRA metals. -A total of 5 samples, including one field duplicate were collected from the stained soil excavation advanced at the Sample SS4 location, collected in 2006. Because benzene was identified as contaminant of concern and Sample SS4 was not tested for RCRA metals, the samples collected from this excavation will be tested for GRO, DRO, RRO, VOCs, and RCRA metals. The project sample and associated filed duplicate will also be tested for PAHs. John Carnahan
6/21/2011 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Received the Corrective Action, Old Quinhagak Airport, dated May 2011. Corrective action activities conducted at the grader storage building and apron area at the Old Quinhagak Airport included excavating contaminated soil from three identified source areas, field screening of soil, constructing a containment cell, installing one groundwater monitoring well, collecting analytical soil and groundwater samples, and backfilling excavated areas with "clean" soil. The confirmation sample results collected from the grader storage building, former TP6, and former SS4 location excavations were all below DEC cleanup levels with the exception of PCE (0.0363 mg/kg)- one sample for the grader storage building excavation. Arsenic levels were elevated in the soil but determined to be naturally occurring. Groundwater sample results, with the exception of arsenic and lead, were not detected in MW4 which is located 8 feet from the grader storage building and downgradient with respect to groundwater flow direction. The apron area wells MW1, MW2, and MW3 were either not located or were dry. All the samples collected from the containment cell met DEC cleanup levels. The consultant recommends more sampling be conducted during the 2011 field season of the containment cell. Deborah Williams
7/11/2011 Update or Other Action Contractor to provide workplan for follow-up work in 2011, to address drums and stockpile tilling/sampling. Workplan pending July 2011. John Carnahan
1/27/2012 Final Cleanup Report Reviewed Reviewed 'Corrective Action, Old Quinhagak Airport, Quinhagak, Alaska' provided by S&W under contract to DEC. Final report recommends closure. Minimal subsurface soil impacts do not require ICs. SOil that was removed from airport site, stored adjacent to dump, and tilled is clean and available to be spread. John Carnahan
1/31/2012 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking A new updated ranking with ETM has been completed for source area 78707 ASTs, drums, vehicle maintenance areas. John Carnahan
2/3/2012 Cleanup Complete Determination Issued John Carnahan
4/10/2013 Update or Other Action Decision by the Alaska Office of Administrative Hearings on Referral upholding the closure decision was signed by Judge A. Friedman, Administrative Law Judge, and forwarded to Commissioner of DEC. John Carnahan

Contaminant Information

Name Level Description Media Comments
Tetrachloroethene Between Method 2 Migration to Groundwater and Human Health/Ingestion/Inhalation Soil De minimus amount
Arsenic - Total Between Method 2 Migration to Groundwater and Human Health/Ingestion/Inhalation Soil Considered background
Lead - Total Between Method 2 Migration to Groundwater and Human Health/Ingestion/Inhalation Soil Considered background
DRO < Method 2 Most Stringent Soil

Control Type

Type Details
No ICs Required

Requirements

Description Details
Advance approval required to transport soil or groundwater off-site.

No associated sites were found.

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State of Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation

P.O. Box 111800
Juneau, AK 99811-1800
Phone: 907-465-5066
Fax: 907-465-5245
TDD: 800-770-8973
Physical Location: 410 Willoughby