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Site Report: Point Barrow POW-M Dewline Site Air Terminal Area (SS003)

Site Name: Point Barrow POW-M Dewline Site Air Terminal Area (SS003)
Address: Point Barrow Long Range Radar Station, Barrow, AK 99723
File Number: 310.38.004
Hazard ID: 25761
Status: Active
Staff: Kelly Walker, 9074512166 kelly.walker@alaska.gov
Latitude: 71.334142
Longitude: -156.643098
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

The Air Terminal Area (USAF ERP Site SS003) is located north of the main installation on the western shore of the North Salt Lagoon. Data collected during the 2007 Remedial Investigation indicated volatile petroleum hydrocarbons were present in surface soil, surface water of a tundra pond, and in active layer water. No soil contaminants exceeded 18 AAC 75.341 Tables B1 and B2 Arctic Zone cleanup levels. The single surface water sample from the pond detected TAH at 58.7 mg/kg, which exceeds the Alaska Water Quality standard TAH of 10 mg/kg. Sheen was also noted on the water. No documented spills have occurred at the the Air Terminal Area. The source of contamination is believed to be multiple large historic fuel spills located up-gradient on the adjacent United States Navy (USN) property at the Barrow Naval Arctic Research Laboratory (NARL) Airstrip Site. The dominant form of contaminant transport appears to occur in the form of dissolved petroleum hydrocarbons moving n the saturated zone above the permafrost. Active layer water in this area flows west to east from the adjacent USN property boundary toward the North Salt Lagoon. Multiple soil removal actions, product recovery activities, and investigations have been conducted on the up-gradient NARL Airstrip Site on the USN property. The USN is conducting long-term monitoring of the contaminant sources on their property; it is likely to take a a number of decades for remaining contamination at the USN site to attenuate sufficiently to allow unrestricted use.

Action Information

Action Date Action Description DEC Staff
8/2/2011 CERCLA ROD Approved Final ROD signed. Signed July 29, 2011 by Col. Robyn Burk, USAF Commander, 611th Air Support Group, and on August 2, 2011 by John Halverson, Environmental Program Manager, Federal Facilities Section, Contaminated Sites Program, DEC. The selected remedy for the Air Terminal Area is Institutional Controls, Engineering Controls, Natural Attenuation, and Long Term Monitoring. Tamar Stephens
11/10/2011 Site Added to Database A new site has been added to the database Mitzi Read
12/16/2011 Update or Other Action Prior to 11/10/2011, the Point Barrow Long Range Radar Station was managed as one site on this database. It was split into multiple sites to correspond to discrete source areas, and to allow for management and closure to proceed on site-specific schedules. For installation-wide actions prior to this date, please see the database actions recorded for the Point Barrow POW-M Dewline Site Vehicle Maintenance Facility Area. Tamar Stephens
6/5/2013 Site Visit DEC Staff conducted a Site visit to observe current conditions at the site. Dennis Shepard
9/11/2014 Update or Other Action Carnahan and Debenham attended Barrow Restoration and Advisory Board Meeting in Barrow. John Carnahan
10/3/2014 Update or Other Action Project oversight changed from Shephard to Carnahan. John Carnahan
11/24/2014 Institutional Control Update Reviewed 2014 Annual IC Inspection and Surface Water Monitoring Summary report for site work completed June 23, 2014 at Point Barrow LRRSA. A new IC notification sign was installed at NE corner of Air Terminal Pond to replace missing sign. Other IC's appeared to be functioning. No pond water quality violations detected indicating free from petroleum impacts. Measured concentrations were ND or well below the AK Water Quality Standards for TAH and TAqH. No substantive comments and report is approved. John Carnahan
2/2/2015 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Approval for 2014 Long Term Management Report for IC Control Inspection and Surface Water Monitoring at Pt. Barrow LRRS (FInal). No substantive comments provided on draft. John Carnahan
3/25/2015 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Provide comments to AF on Draft Remedial Action - Construction Activities Report documenting 2014 field work in removing PCB and xylene contaminated soil. John Carnahan
4/22/2015 Update or Other Action Carnahan and Debenham attended Barrow Restoration and Advisory Board Meeting in Barrow. John Carnahan
5/7/2015 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Provide response to comments to AF on Draft Remedial Action - Construction Activities Report DEC comments documenting 2014 field work in removing PCB and xylene contaminated soil. Final report will be submitted with comments incorporated. John Carnahan
6/25/2015 Update or Other Action Debenham attended Barrow Restoration and Advisory Board Meeting in Barrow. John Carnahan
10/7/2015 Meeting or Teleconference Held Review CA14-16 and CA16-18 JEPs. Complete State Performance Reporting. John Carnahan
10/30/2015 Institutional Control Periodic Reporting LUC site inspection completed as part of LTM requirements. 2015 Annual Draft IC Inspection and Surface Water Monitoring Summary provided. Reviewed and no substantive comments provided. John Carnahan
12/1/2015 Institutional Control Periodic Reporting Final 2015 IC Inspection and Surface Water Monitoring Summary report (Nov 2015) approved. John Carnahan
8/25/2016 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Provide approval for FINAL Supplemental Work Plan, 2016 Remedial Actin Operations, Land Use/Institutional Control, Point Barrow LRRS, Sites SS002 and SS003, August 2016. John Carnahan
9/29/2016 Meeting or Teleconference Held Barrow RAB Meeting held. Debenham in attendance. John Carnahan
9/20/2017 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Approval for FINAL Supplemental Work Plan, 2017-2018 Remedial Action Operations, Land Use/Institutional Control, Point Barrow LRRS, Sites SS002 and SS003, September 2017. John Carnahan
1/31/2018 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Provide comments to LTM/LUC inspection reporting for multiple sites. John Carnahan
3/8/2018 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Provided brief comment to interim findings of pre-demolition RI. Requested consideration of active zone water sampling as it is a means for subsurface contaminant transport. John Carnahan
7/26/2018 CERCLA ROD Periodic Review Provide approval of FINAL 5-year review report for SS002 and SS003, Pt. Barrow LRRS. John Carnahan
9/25/2018 Site Characterization Workplan Approved DEC Approval – FINAL Revised Work Plan and Final Supplemental Work Plan, Hangar Facility at Site SS003, Remedial Action – Construction, Point Barrow LRRS, Alaska, May 2017 (document was not submitted until 25 September 2018). John Carnahan
5/9/2019 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Received DRAFT Remedial Action - Construction Completion Report for Hangar Facility at Site SS003. John Carnahan
8/21/2019 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other DEC approved - Remedial Action Report for the Hangar Facility. This report detailed the hangar demolition; characterization of potential POL soil contamination in the former fuel tank berm area (FT) and taxiway area (TA); characterization of potential POL, lead and PCB soil contamination in the hangar area (HA); characterization of potential POL porewater contamination across Site SS003; and excavation of soils with lead, PCB, and/or POL concentrations above the DEC cleanup levels. Analytical results reported porewater concentrations above DEC cleanup levels. Analytical results reported contamination remaining in soil is below the applicable DEC cleanup levels. Gretchen Caudill
10/1/2019 Update or Other Action ADEC reviewed "Pre-Draft Technical Project Report, 2019 Remedial Action Operations, Land Use/Institutional Control Point Barrow LRRS, Sites SS002 and SS003" Dated August 2019 and the "Draft Technical Project Report, 2019 Remedial Action Operations, Land Use/Institutional Control, Point Barrow LRRS, Sites SS002 and SS003" Dated September 2019. The reports document the annual inspection of institutional controls at Point Barrow Long Range Radar Site's SS002 and SS003. The reports document that the land use control (LUC) notification signs are missing at the Vehicle Maintenance Facility (SS002) and the Air Terminal Area Pond (SS003). Rachael Petraeus
6/16/2020 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other DEC provide comments for the Draft PFOA, PFOS, and PFBS site inspections, UFP-QAPP Work Plan, Six Remote Long Range Radar Stations, Alaska, May 2020. The UFP-QAPP work plan was prepared for the U.S. Air Force (USAF) to support the Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA), Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS), and Perfluorobutane Sulfonate (PFBS) Site Inspections (SIs) at six remote radar sites in Alaska including: Tatalina LRRS, Point Barrow LRRS, Indian Mountain LRRS, Sparrevohn LRRS, Cape Newenham LRRS, and Cape Romanzof LRRS. Dennis Shepard
7/25/2020 CERCLA SI DEC approved the “Final Perfluorooctanoic Acid, Perfluoroctane Sulfonate, and Perfluorobutane Sulfonate Site Inspections, Uniform Federal Policy-Quality Assurance Project Plan Work Plan, Six Remote Radar Stations, Alaska” dated July 2020. This work plan was prepared by United States Air Force to guide investigation of the potential presence of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), and perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS) at six remote radar sites in Alaska through the sampling of surface water, groundwater, soil and sediment. Sampling is planned for Cape Newenham, Cape Romanzof, Indian Mountain, Point Barrow, Sparrevohn and Tatalina, Melinda Brunner
8/3/2022 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Review and provide comments on DRAFT Second Five-Year Review (FYR) for CERCLA Site SS002 and Second Periodic Review for SS003 at Point Barrow Long Range Radar Station, Alaska dated April 2022, which was received on July 26, 2022. This report details the second CERCLA FYR for SS002 and second discretionary periodic review for SS003 at Point Barrow LRRS and selected remedies to ensure that remedies selected in the 2011 Record of Decision have been implemented, are performing effectively, and continue to be protective of human health and the environment. Sarah Mutter
11/15/2022 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other DEC received and commented on the Revised Draft Land Use Control Management Plan (LUCMP) for the Pacific Air Forces Regional Support Center Remote Installations Sarah Mutter
2/8/2023 CERCLA ROD Periodic Review DEC reviewed and approved the Final Second Five-Year Review for CERCLA Site SS002 and Second Periodic Review for SS003. This report details the review of the selected remedies for SS002 and SS003 to ensure remedies selected are being implemented effectively and are performing as expected, remaining protective of human health and the environment. The protectiveness determination for SS002 was found to be protective and the selected remedy was found to be functioning as intended. The protectiveness determination for SS003 was concluded as 'will be protective' pending installation of IC signage and the filing of a NAUL. Kelly Walker
8/15/2024 Long Term Monitoring Workplan or Report Review DEC reviewed and approved the "Work Plan, Long-Term Management, Point Barrow LRRS, Site SS002 and Site SS003" for the Point Barrow LRRS. This work plan details the 2024 institutional control/land use control (IC/LUC) inspections and maintenance at SS002. Collection of surface water samples will also be conducted at SS003. Kelly Walker
5/16/2025 Long Term Monitoring Workplan or Report Review DEC reviewed and approved the '2024 Long-Term Management Report' for the Point Barrow LRRS sites SS002 and SS003. This report detailed the annual IC/LUC inspections. Site conditions were observed to be largely unchanged from last year's inspection. In addition to inspection of the IC/LUCs in place at SS002, surface water sampling was conducted at SS003. TAH and TAqH for all three samples were calculated to be less than DEC Alaska Water Quality Standards. Kelly Walker

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