Site Report: Sanak Island Aircraft Warning System Station

Site Name:	Sanak Island Aircraft Warning System Station
Address:	Sanak Island adjacent to Pavlof Harbor; ~39 Miles SE of False Pass, False Pass, AK 99583
File Number:	2547.38.001
Hazard ID:	25610
Status:	Active
Staff:	Kathleen Iler-Galau, 9074512185 kathleen.iler-galau@alaska.gov
Latitude:	54.453511
Longitude:	-162.727112
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.

Site Chronology
IC / Closure Details
Documents
Associated Sites

Problems/Comments

The site is the former Aircraft Warning Station (AWS), which was constructed in 1943 by the Department of the Army and consisted of detector and transmitter facilities, radar antennas, gun emplacements, drum disposal areas, power generation and utility houses, storage buildings, and housing facilities. Field investigations were conducted at this site in 1997, 2006, 2010, 2012, and 2014. Based on the site inventories, the former structures at the site were buried in earthen pits. Electrical conduit; power poles and lines; piping, building remnants; concrete, wooden and metal debris; and corroded drums remain at the site. Petroleum and metals contaminated soil and metals contaminated sediment were found at this site.

Action Information

Action Date	Action	Description	DEC Staff
2/15/2011	Site Added to Database	A new site has been added to the database	Mitzi Read
12/6/2011	Update or Other Action	Contaminated Sites Staff recieved the Read Ahead Package for the scoping meeting for Sanak Island FUDS. The Island is owned by the Sanak Corporation and also the Pauloff Harbor Tribe and there are the remains of housing and communications equipment at three areas on the island. The Site Investigation is planned for June and July 2012 in coordination with the Remedial Investigation at neighboring Caton Island. The Site Investigation is planned to span 10 days and includes geophysical mapping of the FUDS area, visual surveys and collection of approximately 50 soil samples, 10 surfacewater samples and 10 sediment samples.	Jonathan Schick
12/6/2011	Update or Other Action	Contaminated Sites Staff received the Read Ahead Package for the scoping meeting for Sanak Island FUDS. The Island is owned by the Sanak Corporation and also the Pauloff Harbor Tribe and there are the remains of housing and communications equipment at three areas on the island. The Site Investigation is planned for June and July 2012 in coordination with the Remedial Investigation at neighboring Caton Island. The Site Investigation is planned to span 10 days and includes geophysical mapping of the FUDS area, visual surveys and collection of approximately 50 soil samples, 10 surface water samples and 10 sediment samples.	Jonathan Schick
12/7/2011	Meeting or Teleconference Held	Contaminated Sites Staff attended a scoping meeting for the Sanak Island FUDS Site Investigation Project. The meeting was held at the office of AECOM, the contractor for the USACE and was attended by members of the USACE, ADEC, Pauloff Harbor Tribe, Sanak Corporation, Aleut Corporation, and the contractor. The plans for the SIte Investigation for the summer of 2012 were discussed. Another site which is the responsibility of the USCG is located in the vicinity of the FUDS area and cooridination with the USCG to initiate a cleanup effort to coincide with the USACE effort at the site.	Jonathan Schick
2/8/2012	Update or Other Action	Contaminated Sites Staff recieved the Read Ahead Package for the scoping meeting for Sanak Island FUDS for a second meeting being held in Sand Point. The Island is owned by the Sanak Corporation and also the Pauloff Harbor Tribe and there are the remains of housing and communications equipment at three areas on the island. The Site Investigation is planned for June and July 2012 in coordination with the Remedial Investigation at neighboring Caton Island. The Site Investigation is planned to span 10 days and includes geophysical mapping of the FUDS area, visual surveys and collection of approximately 50 soil samples, 10 surfacewater samples and 10 sediment samples.	Jonathan Schick
2/14/2012	Meeting or Teleconference Held	Contaminated Sites Staff attended a scoping meeting for the Sanak Island FUDS Site Investigation Project over the phone as staff was not available to travel to Sand Point to attend the meeting in person. The meeting was held in Sand Point and was attended by members of the USACE, ADEC, Pauloff Harbor Tribe, Sanak Corporation, Aleut Corporation, and the contractor. The plans for the Site Investigation for the summer of 2012 were discussed. Another site which is the responsibility of the USCG is located in the vicinity of the FUDS area and cooridination with the USCG to initiate a cleanup effort to coincide with the USACE effort at the site.	Jonathan Schick
3/13/2012	Update or Other Action	Contaminated Sites Staff recieved the revised Read Ahead Package for the scoping meeting for Sanak Island FUDS for a second meeting being held in Sand Point. The Island is owned by the Sanak Corporation and also the Pauloff Harbor Tribe and there are the remains of housing and communications equipment at three areas on the island. The Site Investigation is planned for June and July 2012 in coordination with the Remedial Investigation at neighboring Caton Island.	Jonathan Schick
4/4/2012	Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other	Contaminated Sites Staff recieved a Draft version of teh Site Investigation WOrk Plan for Sanak Island FUDS. The work plan inlcudes a Field Sampling Plan and Quality Assurance Project Plan that will also be reviewed and commented on. The Plan details the Army Corps of Engineer's plans to inspect all of the known sites with geophysical equipment and to collect analytical samples in areas where impacts are suspected. The work is scheduled to be performed during the Remedial Investigation/Removal Action work that is occurring on neighboring Caton Island in July, 2012.	Jonathan Schick
4/11/2012	Update or Other Action	Emails were exchanged between the USACE And the USCG and Contaminted Sites Staff in an effort to coordinate the Federal Government's efforts to investigate the lighthouse in Pauloff Harbour while there is the environmetal personnel on the island collecting samples and information. At this point it looks like cooperation between the federal government agencies may be pushed back to the next phase of work at the island.	Jonathan Schick
4/19/2012	Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other	Contaminated Sites Staff submitted comments on the Draft Site Investigation Work Plan for Sanak Island FUDS. The comments were regarding the quality of the geophysical investigation and an attempt was made to increase the sampling scope to include additional sampling and also to try to include the unmanned lighthouse that is located in the vicinity of the FUDS property boundary but is outside of the scope of this investigation.	Jonathan Schick
5/1/2012	Update or Other Action	Contamianted Sites Staff recieved responses to our comments on the Draft Work Plan for the Sanak Island FUDS Site Investigation. The responses are acceptable and the agreed upon changes should be incorporated into a revised Final version.	Jonathan Schick
5/29/2012	Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other	Contamianted Sites Staff recieved the Final version of the Work Plan for Site INvestigation at Sanak Island Formerly Used Defense Site. The comments appear to have been addressed ifrom the draft into the final version.	Jonathan Schick
11/1/2012	CERCLA SI	Comment sent to the Corps on the Draft SI	Debra Caillouet
4/5/2013	CERCLA SI	The ADEC Contaminated Sites Program conditionally approved the Final version of the March 2013 Site Investigation Report for Sanak Island, Alaska FUD Site. An inventory of the site area showed the presence of electrical conduit; power poles and lines; piping, building remnants; concrete, wooden and metal debris; and corroded drums. A geophysical survey was conducted for eight areas at the site. The results of the survey indicated three areas associated with buried debris. Soil and sediment samples were collected and analyzed for GRO, DRO, RRO, VOCs, PCBs, PAHs, and metals. Surface water samples were collected and analyzed for VOCs, PAHs, GRO, DRO, RRO, TAqH, TAH, and metals. Two soil samples, collected at the former powerhouse location, contained DRO concentrations above the ADEC cleanup level. Sediment and surface water samples did not contain concentrations of target analytes above the screening levels.	Jessica Morris
6/19/2014	CERCLA RI Plan Approved	The ADEC Contaminated Sites Program conditionally approved the Final version of the May 2014 Work Plan/QAPP Sanak Island Remedial Investigation and Limited CON/HTRW Removal, Sanak Island.	Jessica Morris
7/25/2014	Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other	The ADEC Contaminated Sites Program conditionally approved the Final version of the June 2014 Risk Assessment Work Plan, Sanak Island Remedial Investigation and Limited CON/HTRW Removal, Sanak Island.	Jessica Morris
10/20/2015	Update or Other Action	The ADEC Contaminated Sites Program submitted comments on the Draft Sanak Island Remedial Investigation and Limited CON/HTRW Removal Action Report.	Jessica Morris
2/3/2016	Meeting or Teleconference Held	ADEC Contaminated Sites Program participated in a public meeting to discuss the results of the 2014 Sanak Island FUDS Remedial Investigation.	Jessica Morris
7/14/2016	CERCLA RI Report Approved	The ADEC Contaminated Sites Program approved the June 2016 Remedial Investigation and Limited CON/HTRW Removal Report. A limited removal action was conducted, and petroleum and metals contaminated soil and metals contaminated sediment were found at this site.	Jessica Morris
12/1/2016	Meeting or Teleconference Held	CS managers participate in the annual FUDS site management action plan meeting. The purpose of the is to collaborate with FUDS management on site progress and prioritization for all of the formerly used defense sites. FUDS prioritization is based on risk, congressional interest, state input and proximity to other sites on the prioritization list. FUDS has increased environmental restoration funding in Alaska for the 2017 and 2018 field seasons to meet National goals for site progress.	Darren Mulkey
10/13/2017	Meeting or Teleconference Held	Teleconference was held between USACE and ADEC to discuss project planning and budgets for the next two fiscal years. USACE is currently working the Sanak Island FUDS Risk Assessment Report, which should be submitted to ADEC within several months.	Jessica Morris
8/1/2018	Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other	The ADEC Contaminated Sites Program submitted comments on the Draft Sanak Island Risk Assessment Report, Sanak Island, Alaska.	Jessica Morris
8/1/2018	Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other	The ADEC Contaminated Sites Program submitted comments on the Draft Sanak Island Remedial Investigation and Limited CON/HTRW Removal Action Report Addendum, Sanak Island, Alaska.	Jessica Morris
10/17/2018	Meeting or Teleconference Held	The ADEC Contaminated Sites Program staff participated in a comment resolution for the Sanak Risk Assessment Report with representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers FUDS Program, Sanak Corporation, Pauloff Harbor Tribe, Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association, Inc., AECOM Technical Services, Inc., and Bristol Environmental Services, LLC.	Jessica Morris
7/15/2019	Update or Other Action	Site location was updated on this date. Coordinates for this site are used to determine the presence and position of the site on BLM’s ANCSA Conveyed Land web map.	Rebekah Reams
5/17/2021	Update or Other Action	ADEC received a Project Closeout Report for CON/HTRW Project #F10AK0204-01 Sanak Island Aircraft Warning Service (AWS) Station at Sanak Island for review. The report summarizes the historical land use and environmental history at the site. Based on the site history and environmental cleanup and characterization activities at the site, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has determined that all source removals associated with CON/HTRW project F10AK0204-01 have been completed and the site is recommended for closure. The ADEC has reviewed the report and agrees with the closure recommendation for the Sanak Island AWS.	William Schmaltz

Action Date

Action

Description

DEC Staff

2/15/2011

Site Added to Database

A new site has been added to the database

Mitzi Read

12/6/2011

Update or Other Action

Contaminated Sites Staff recieved the Read Ahead Package for the scoping meeting for Sanak Island FUDS. The Island is owned by the Sanak Corporation and also the Pauloff Harbor Tribe and there are the remains of housing and communications equipment at three areas on the island. The Site Investigation is planned for June and July 2012 in coordination with the Remedial Investigation at neighboring Caton Island. The Site Investigation is planned to span 10 days and includes geophysical mapping of the FUDS area, visual surveys and collection of approximately 50 soil samples, 10 surfacewater samples and 10 sediment samples.

Jonathan Schick

12/6/2011

Update or Other Action

Contaminated Sites Staff received the Read Ahead Package for the scoping meeting for Sanak Island FUDS. The Island is owned by the Sanak Corporation and also the Pauloff Harbor Tribe and there are the remains of housing and communications equipment at three areas on the island. The Site Investigation is planned for June and July 2012 in coordination with the Remedial Investigation at neighboring Caton Island. The Site Investigation is planned to span 10 days and includes geophysical mapping of the FUDS area, visual surveys and collection of approximately 50 soil samples, 10 surface water samples and 10 sediment samples.

Jonathan Schick

12/7/2011

Meeting or Teleconference Held

Contaminated Sites Staff attended a scoping meeting for the Sanak Island FUDS Site Investigation Project. The meeting was held at the office of AECOM, the contractor for the USACE and was attended by members of the USACE, ADEC, Pauloff Harbor Tribe, Sanak Corporation, Aleut Corporation, and the contractor. The plans for the SIte Investigation for the summer of 2012 were discussed. Another site which is the responsibility of the USCG is located in the vicinity of the FUDS area and cooridination with the USCG to initiate a cleanup effort to coincide with the USACE effort at the site.

Jonathan Schick

2/8/2012

Update or Other Action

Contaminated Sites Staff recieved the Read Ahead Package for the scoping meeting for Sanak Island FUDS for a second meeting being held in Sand Point. The Island is owned by the Sanak Corporation and also the Pauloff Harbor Tribe and there are the remains of housing and communications equipment at three areas on the island. The Site Investigation is planned for June and July 2012 in coordination with the Remedial Investigation at neighboring Caton Island. The Site Investigation is planned to span 10 days and includes geophysical mapping of the FUDS area, visual surveys and collection of approximately 50 soil samples, 10 surfacewater samples and 10 sediment samples.

Jonathan Schick

2/14/2012

Meeting or Teleconference Held

Contaminated Sites Staff attended a scoping meeting for the Sanak Island FUDS Site Investigation Project over the phone as staff was not available to travel to Sand Point to attend the meeting in person. The meeting was held in Sand Point and was attended by members of the USACE, ADEC, Pauloff Harbor Tribe, Sanak Corporation, Aleut Corporation, and the contractor. The plans for the Site Investigation for the summer of 2012 were discussed. Another site which is the responsibility of the USCG is located in the vicinity of the FUDS area and cooridination with the USCG to initiate a cleanup effort to coincide with the USACE effort at the site.

Jonathan Schick

3/13/2012

Update or Other Action

Contaminated Sites Staff recieved the revised Read Ahead Package for the scoping meeting for Sanak Island FUDS for a second meeting being held in Sand Point. The Island is owned by the Sanak Corporation and also the Pauloff Harbor Tribe and there are the remains of housing and communications equipment at three areas on the island. The Site Investigation is planned for June and July 2012 in coordination with the Remedial Investigation at neighboring Caton Island.

Jonathan Schick

4/4/2012

Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other

Contaminated Sites Staff recieved a Draft version of teh Site Investigation WOrk Plan for Sanak Island FUDS. The work plan inlcudes a Field Sampling Plan and Quality Assurance Project Plan that will also be reviewed and commented on. The Plan details the Army Corps of Engineer's plans to inspect all of the known sites with geophysical equipment and to collect analytical samples in areas where impacts are suspected. The work is scheduled to be performed during the Remedial Investigation/Removal Action work that is occurring on neighboring Caton Island in July, 2012.

Jonathan Schick

4/11/2012

Update or Other Action

Emails were exchanged between the USACE And the USCG and Contaminted Sites Staff in an effort to coordinate the Federal Government's efforts to investigate the lighthouse in Pauloff Harbour while there is the environmetal personnel on the island collecting samples and information. At this point it looks like cooperation between the federal government agencies may be pushed back to the next phase of work at the island.

Jonathan Schick

4/19/2012

Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other

Contaminated Sites Staff submitted comments on the Draft Site Investigation Work Plan for Sanak Island FUDS. The comments were regarding the quality of the geophysical investigation and an attempt was made to increase the sampling scope to include additional sampling and also to try to include the unmanned lighthouse that is located in the vicinity of the FUDS property boundary but is outside of the scope of this investigation.

Jonathan Schick

5/1/2012

Update or Other Action

Contamianted Sites Staff recieved responses to our comments on the Draft Work Plan for the Sanak Island FUDS Site Investigation. The responses are acceptable and the agreed upon changes should be incorporated into a revised Final version.

Jonathan Schick

5/29/2012

Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other

Contamianted Sites Staff recieved the Final version of the Work Plan for Site INvestigation at Sanak Island Formerly Used Defense Site. The comments appear to have been addressed ifrom the draft into the final version.

Jonathan Schick

11/1/2012

CERCLA SI

Comment sent to the Corps on the Draft SI

Debra Caillouet

4/5/2013

CERCLA SI

The ADEC Contaminated Sites Program conditionally approved the Final version of the March 2013 Site Investigation Report for Sanak Island, Alaska FUD Site. An inventory of the site area showed the presence of electrical conduit; power poles and lines; piping, building remnants; concrete, wooden and metal debris; and corroded drums. A geophysical survey was conducted for eight areas at the site. The results of the survey indicated three areas associated with buried debris. Soil and sediment samples were collected and analyzed for GRO, DRO, RRO, VOCs, PCBs, PAHs, and metals. Surface water samples were collected and analyzed for VOCs, PAHs, GRO, DRO, RRO, TAqH, TAH, and metals. Two soil samples, collected at the former powerhouse location, contained DRO concentrations above the ADEC cleanup level. Sediment and surface water samples did not contain concentrations of target analytes above the screening levels.

Jessica Morris

6/19/2014

CERCLA RI Plan Approved

The ADEC Contaminated Sites Program conditionally approved the Final version of the May 2014 Work Plan/QAPP Sanak Island Remedial Investigation and Limited CON/HTRW Removal, Sanak Island.

Jessica Morris

7/25/2014

Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other

The ADEC Contaminated Sites Program conditionally approved the Final version of the June 2014 Risk Assessment Work Plan, Sanak Island Remedial Investigation and Limited CON/HTRW Removal, Sanak Island.

Jessica Morris

10/20/2015

Update or Other Action

The ADEC Contaminated Sites Program submitted comments on the Draft Sanak Island Remedial Investigation and Limited CON/HTRW Removal Action Report.

Jessica Morris

2/3/2016

Meeting or Teleconference Held

ADEC Contaminated Sites Program participated in a public meeting to discuss the results of the 2014 Sanak Island FUDS Remedial Investigation.

Jessica Morris

7/14/2016

CERCLA RI Report Approved

The ADEC Contaminated Sites Program approved the June 2016 Remedial Investigation and Limited CON/HTRW Removal Report. A limited removal action was conducted, and petroleum and metals contaminated soil and metals contaminated sediment were found at this site.

Jessica Morris

12/1/2016

Meeting or Teleconference Held

CS managers participate in the annual FUDS site management action plan meeting. The purpose of the is to collaborate with FUDS management on site progress and prioritization for all of the formerly used defense sites. FUDS prioritization is based on risk, congressional interest, state input and proximity to other sites on the prioritization list. FUDS has increased environmental restoration funding in Alaska for the 2017 and 2018 field seasons to meet National goals for site progress.

Darren Mulkey

10/13/2017

Meeting or Teleconference Held

Teleconference was held between USACE and ADEC to discuss project planning and budgets for the next two fiscal years. USACE is currently working the Sanak Island FUDS Risk Assessment Report, which should be submitted to ADEC within several months.

Jessica Morris

8/1/2018

Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other

The ADEC Contaminated Sites Program submitted comments on the Draft Sanak Island Risk Assessment Report, Sanak Island, Alaska.

Jessica Morris

8/1/2018

Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other

The ADEC Contaminated Sites Program submitted comments on the Draft Sanak Island Remedial Investigation and Limited CON/HTRW Removal Action Report Addendum, Sanak Island, Alaska.

Jessica Morris

10/17/2018

Meeting or Teleconference Held

The ADEC Contaminated Sites Program staff participated in a comment resolution for the Sanak Risk Assessment Report with representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers FUDS Program, Sanak Corporation, Pauloff Harbor Tribe, Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association, Inc., AECOM Technical Services, Inc., and Bristol Environmental Services, LLC.

Jessica Morris

7/15/2019

Update or Other Action

Site location was updated on this date. Coordinates for this site are used to determine the presence and position of the site on BLM’s ANCSA Conveyed Land web map.

Rebekah Reams

5/17/2021

Update or Other Action

ADEC received a Project Closeout Report for CON/HTRW Project #F10AK0204-01 Sanak Island Aircraft Warning Service (AWS) Station at Sanak Island for review. The report summarizes the historical land use and environmental history at the site. Based on the site history and environmental cleanup and characterization activities at the site, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has determined that all source removals associated with CON/HTRW project F10AK0204-01 have been completed and the site is recommended for closure. The ADEC has reviewed the report and agrees with the closure recommendation for the Sanak Island AWS.

William Schmaltz

Contaminant Information

Name

Level Description

Media

Comments

Control Type

Type

Details

Requirements

Description

Details

Document name	File Size	Document Date
Project Closeout Report CON/HTRW Sanak AWS Station, April 2021	2 MB

Document name

File Size

Document Date

Project Closeout Report CON/HTRW Sanak AWS Station, April 2021

2 MB

No associated sites were found.

Missing Location Data

Because the GIS location data for this site has not been entered, we cannot direct you to its position on the map. Click "Continue" to proceed to the Contaminated Sites Web Map or "Close" to return to the site report.

Continue Close

Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation

Site Report: Sanak Island Aircraft Warning System Station

Site Chronology

IC / Closure Details

Documents

Associated Sites

Problems/Comments

Action Information

Contaminant Information

Control Type

Requirements

Missing Location Data

State of Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation