| Action Date |
Action |
Description |
DEC Staff |
| 3/16/2009 |
Site Added to Database |
A new site has been added to the database |
Mitzi Read |
| 4/26/2011 |
Site Characterization Workplan Approved |
Assessment work was proposed in September, 2010 and approved without comment as part of a demolition project. New information received in April 2011 from earlier field sampling in 2006 confirmed contamination at the site. Additional comments were provided to FAA and the work plan from 2010 was approved as a site characterization workplan with an associated interim removal action. FAA was directed to discuss the site with land managers from Alaska State Parks to determine if the additional work will be satisfactory to them. This workplan includes sampling along a pipeline, excavation of a contaminated valve pit or pipe outlet, sampling of additional suspected contaminated areas, and removal of most facilities at the site. |
Fred Vreeman |
| 5/29/2015 |
Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other |
The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, Contaminated Sites Program (DEC) has reviewed the environmental records associated with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) former Ralston Island Range near Juneau. Based on the information provided to date, DEC has determined that the contaminant concentrations at the Ralston Island FAA site likely exceed allowable exposure levels. DEC sent a letter informing FAA that further work at the site will be required. |
Monte Garroutte |
| 12/7/2022 |
Meeting or Teleconference Held |
Meeting with FAA, DNR, and DEC to discuss site history, previous actions, and future work at the site. |
Alyssa Wood |
| 3/19/2024 |
Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other |
ADEC approved the final Remedial Investigation, Range Facility, Ralston Island, AK workplan. The workplan describes the upcoming field efforts to characterize soil, groundwater, and possible surface water contamination on Ralston Island. Soil, groundwater, and surface water will be systematically sampled for diesel range organics (DRO) at spill locations along and at the ends of the historic pipeline, at the former above ground storage tank, and near the old latrine pit. |
Alyssa Wood |
| 4/29/2024 |
Meeting or Teleconference Held |
Meeting with FAA, TALCES, and ADEC to discuss results of in-season analytical results, updated sampling methodology, and identify remaining data gaps. |
Alyssa Wood |
| 6/2/2025 |
Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other |
Received RTC and redline version of revised report draft from RP. |
Jennifer McGrath |
| 7/10/2025 |
Meeting or Teleconference Held |
Meeting between PM, DEC chemist, DEC staff, RP, Consultant's PM, chemist, and other staff. Discussed issues concerning properly following Biogenic Interference and Silica Gel Cleanup Tech Memo: improper background sample locations, lack of interpretation of sample results, no comparison between sample chromatograms and background chromatograms, and no details describing how the site conditions as a whole to supports the use of DRO-Silica Gel Cleanup for site characterization. Meeting cleared misunderstandings, acknowledged problem areas in report, identified incorrectly reported BKG sample locations, and lab reporting questions. Report to be revised and moving forward with site needs. |
Jennifer McGrath |
| 1/8/2026 |
Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other |
Ralston Island 2024 RI Report-Draft was received on 08.2025. Due unresolved issues with the proper reporting of DRO-SG values, report review needed further consultation with DEC chemist. Then due to federal appropriations and report review was postponed; DEC submitted comments on 1.08.2025. |
Jennifer McGrath |
| 2/19/2026 |
Meeting or Teleconference Held |
Met with supervisor and FAA to discuss next workplan and sampling path forward. This included continuing to use Method 2 - DRO-SG at AOCs with remaining DRO > MTG CULs (SP1,2, 5, 9). Method 3 may come into play following next remediation effort depending on circumstances. DEC will discuss background sample locations with technical staff, taking soil heterogeneity and proximities different habitat types and soils to the center of spill locations. DEC will close out most recent report; this may include accepting only portions of the report due to deviations from SGC Tech Memo. |
Jennifer McGrath |
| 2/27/2026 |
Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other |
DEC completed a backcheck and review of the Final FAA Ralston Island Remedial Investigation Report. As discussed in comment resolution meetings, the proposed use of DRO-SG was originally approved as an alternative screening method to traditional screening tools to assist with delineating the extent of soil contamination. However, due to issues and miscommunications with the laboratory, all samples were run as DRO/DRO-SG. From this point, the consultant presented the DRO-SG analytical results as the true contaminant level values for all samples. ADEC disagrees with the use of these results, citing a failure to follow the guidance set forth by Technical Memorandum – 21-001, Biogenic Interference and Silica Gel Cleanup, December 22, 2021. ADEC does, however, accept the DRO analytical results when considered independently from the DRO-SG analysis.
DEC acknowledged the receipt of the Final 2025 FAA Ralston Island Remedial Investigation Report on this date. |
Tim Sharp |
