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Site Report: Ghost Creek Drum Site

Site Name: Ghost Creek Drum Site
Address: Ghost Creek Road; 1 Mile N of Holy Cross, Near Old Village Site and Ghost Creek Cemetary, Holy Cross, AK 99602
File Number: 2417.38.007
Hazard ID: 25494
Status: Active
Staff: Flannery Ballard, 9074655368 flannery.ballard@alaska.gov
Latitude: 62.210050
Longitude: -159.783952
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

Site was brought to attention of DEC during 2007 request period for DEC Brownfield Assessments (DBAs). DBA not approved for the site, but Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council (YRITWC) funded a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment in 2007 at request of community. In 2008 the Native American Lands Environmental Mitigation Program (NALEMP), after being contacted by YRITWC about the site, conducted a site investigation that resulted in a Step III Site Assessment Report dated May 2009. The Ghost Creek site consists of approximately 300 abandoned surplus military drums (some marked "Project Mona Lisa" and "JP-4"), a 5,000-gallon aboveground storage tank, and other debris on a native allotment just north of Holy Cross. During the September 2008 site investigation conducted for NALEMP, nine surface soil samples and seven surface water samples were collected. Samples were analyzed for DRO, GRO, RRO, BTEX, VOCs, PCBs, and RCRA metals. Arsenic and chromium were detected in surface soil above ADEC cleanup levels, but are believed to be naturally occurring. Methylene chloride was also detected in surface soil above ADEC cleanup levels but was also detected in the trip blank and was believed to be the result of contaminated sample preservative. DRO and RRO were detected in surface water above cleanup levels, but the sample was collected from an open 5-gallon drum full of rainwater and decaying vegetative matter. These results may be influenced by natural biological processes and may not be due to petroleum contamination. Site file FKA 2417.57.001.

Action Information

Action Date Action Description DEC Staff
9/17/2007 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Final report completed on this date for Phase I Environmental Site Assessment funded by Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council's Tribal Response Program. Report noted that approximately 160 to 200 steel drums were present at the site, most of which appeared to be empty; those with contents appeared to contain rain water. Resident at the property stated that drums were empty prior to be stockpiled, and that drums had been military surplus, used by former fuel transport and barge business that operated on the property in the past. Resident also reported the practice of dumping residual fuel from the drums onto the ground. No visual evidence of spills nor odors were noted during the site inspection. Phase I Report also included recommendations for additional work: identifying, consolidating, and properly disposing of the contents of the drums, and disposing of the drums as solid waste; field screening of soils and current and former drum stockpiles; depending on results of field screening, backhoe excavation of test pits to characterize the vertical and horizontal extent of any potential contamination. Sonja Benson
2/18/2010 Site Added to Database A new site has been added to the database. Site does not have confirmed contamination above DEC cleanup levels but has received brownfield assessment services through the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council and further evaluation through the Native American Lands Environmental Mitigation Program (NALEMP). Mitzi Read
4/7/2020 Update or Other Action Site reassigned from 57 to 38 on this date. Cascade Galasso-Irish

Contaminant Information

Name Level Description Media Comments

Control Type

Type Details

Requirements

Description Details

There are no documents for this site report.

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