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Site Report: Residence - 1109 4th Street

Site Name: Residence - 1109 4th Street
Address: 1109 4th Street, Douglas, AK 99824
File Number: 1538.38.009
Hazard ID: 26118
Status: Active
Staff: Bill O'Connell, 9072693057 bill.oconnell@alaska.gov
Latitude: 58.276791
Longitude: -134.397598
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

On or about August 13, 2013, renters digging foundation holes for a new hot tub at 1109 4th Street, in Douglas found saturated soil at 2-3ft bgs at property line between them and 401 F street. The renters dug three holes down to about 3' bgs. PERP checked vertical indications of contamination with a PID and found that the readings went up with depth. The owners of the property state that they are certain of there has not been an underground fuel tank on the property for the past 30 years. The residence was built in 1937 so it is possible that there may be long forgotten abandoned tank(s) on the property. PERP first investigated the most likely off-property source at 401 F street, an above ground heating oil tank and associated fuel lines and determined this system was not the source. The owners of this property stated that they have not had a buried tank for the past 20-30 years as well. PERP checked with all property owners in Douglas Block 12 and found mainly above ground tanks. Also, the surface gradient between the contamination found and the other properties suggests that only 401 F street and 411 F street had surface gradient which may allow subsurface oil plume to show up in the foundation holes. In addition to the surface gradient, a small surface water drainage runs diagonally across the back of 1109 4th street's property starting from around the property line between 1108 5th street and 411 F street which shows no evidence of hydrocarbon sheens although there are biogenic (iron and/or manganese reducing bacteria) sheens and the typical rust orange color floc in this drainage and marshy area. 411 F street has an underground tank located along the F street wall close to the door. However, there is a cement walled cut perpendicular to the wall for a parking area/garage downslope of the UST which exhibits no sign of oil. There is a roof/french drain along the SE and N walls which most likely connect hydraulically to the surface drainage. There is some indication that previous occupants of 1109 F street had worked on cars in the area of the contamination however, the first PERP responder noted a diesel odor associated with the north hole, not gasoline or engine lube oil, and the PID screening of the vertical characterization of the contamination in the north hole indicates that the contamination levels increase with depth. This contamination appears to be historical in nature, from an undetermined source, rather than from a continuing spill.

Action Information

Action Date Action Description DEC Staff
10/1/2013 Site Added to Database A new site has been added to the database Mitzi Read
10/1/2013 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking Initial ranking with ETM completed for source area id: 79507 name: Historical Petroleum - Unknown Source Mitzi Read
10/25/2013 Spill Transferred from Prevention Preparedness and Response Program Spill transferred by PERP staff Sarah Moore. Spill no. 13119922501; spill date = 8/13/13; substance = diesel; quantity = unknown; source = unknown. Mitzi Read
11/6/2013 Potentially Responsible Party/State Interest Letter PRP letter sent to the property owners. Sally Schlichting
11/13/2013 Meeting or Teleconference Held Schlichting met with the property owners, Mr. and Mrs. Mansfield, of 1109 4th street following their receipt of our PRP letter. Clarified purpose of the notification and the statutory requirement. They re-affirmed that the contamination is not originating from their property. the source of this contamination, whether from adjacent or further upgradient of the subject property, remains undetermined at this time. They indicated that the fuel fumes from the holes excavated this past summer were very strong, suggesting saturated fuel. Authorization was granted to fill in the previously excavated holes to eliminate the trip/fall hazard for children and others using the area. Requested the Mansfields obtain feedback from tenants occupying the structure on this rental property as to whether any fuel smells in the basement and interior spaces have been noted. Sally Schlichting
4/7/2015 Update or Other Action Collaborate with PPR staff on this residential site in Douglas that was transferred for CS site characterization oversight. The "F" street buried heating oil tank property found in 2014 is upgradient of the 4th Street site but contamination appears unrelated to subsurface contamination PPR identified at the end of the driveway on north side of the 4th Street property. Bruce Wanstall
12/6/2017 Update or Other Action Mailed work plan request letter to RP. due January 15, 2018. Amy Rodman
2/8/2018 Update or Other Action Mailed work plan request letter to RP. due March 15, 2018. Amy Rodman
5/18/2018 Workplan Requested Work plan request letter mailed to RP via USPS Certified Mail. Work plan is due June 30, 2018. Amy Rodman
7/30/2018 Update or Other Action updated deadline for submitting work plan is August 31, 2018. Amy Rodman
8/2/2018 Site Characterization Workplan Approved Work plan approved via email. Proposed field work generally consists of advancing test pits with heavy equipment, field-screening soil with a photo-ionization detector (PID), and collecting soil samples for laboratory analysis. Amy Rodman
8/14/2018 Potentially Responsible Party/State Interest Letter PRP letter mailed to upgradient neighbor, at 401 F Street property. Amy Rodman
10/2/2018 Site Characterization Workplan Approved ADEC reviewed and approved a “Sampling and Analysis Plan: Residence 401 F Street” (Work Plan) dated September 2018 from Cox Environmental Services for 401 F Street, adjacent to the 1109 4th Street site in Douglas, Alaska. This Work Plan was submitted to ADEC via email on September 18, 2018. Proposed field work generally consists of advancing soil borings by hand with a direct drill slide hammer for field-screening a photo-ionization detector (PID), soil sample collection, and laboratory analysis of soil samples. Amy Rodman
6/13/2019 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking A new updated ranking with ETM has been completed for source area 79507 Historical Petroleum - Unknown Source. Amy Rodman
7/10/2019 Site Characterization Report Approved ADEC Contaminated Sites Program has reviewed and approved the “1109 4th Street, Douglas, AK Site Assessment Report” (Report) for the Residence – 1109 4th Street site in Douglas, AK dated June 2019. The report was submitted to ADEC via email on June 26, 2019 by ISM Technical Services. Field activities were conducted on August 4, 2018 and generally consisted of excavating five test pits, soil excavation for offsite disposal, and field-screening and soil sample collection for laboratory analysis. Amy Rodman
8/22/2019 Site Characterization Report Approved ADEC reviewed and approved the “Site Investigation Report: Residence – 401 F Street” (report) dated July 2019 for the 1109 4th Street site in Douglas, AK. The report was submitted via email on August 13, 2019 by Cox Environmental Services. Field work was conducted on June 3, 2019. Field activities generally consisted of advancing soil borings, field-screening soil with a photo-ionization detector (PID), sampling soil for laboratory analysis and piezometer installation. Work plan to address groundwater ingestion pathway due September 27, 2019. Amy Rodman
9/30/2019 Site Characterization Workplan Approved ADEC has reviewed and approved the “Groundwater Sampling and Analysis Plan: Residence – 401 F Street” (Work Plan) dated September 2019 from Cox Environmental Services (CES) for the 401 F Street property impacted by Residence – 1109 4th Street site in Douglas, Alaska. This revised Work Plan was submitted to ADEC on September 20, 2019 via email. Proposed field activities generally consist of completing two groundwater monitoring piezometers and groundwater sampling for laboratory analysis of diesel range organics, gasoline range organics, volatile organic carbons, and polyaromatic hydrocarbons. Amy Rodman

Contaminant Information

Name Level Description Media Comments

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Description Details

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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