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Site Report: Pitkas Point School

Site Name: Pitkas Point School
Address: Near Intersection of St. Marys - Pitka's Point Road and Safewater Access Road; ~4 Miles SW of St. Marys, Saint Marys, AK 99658
File Number: 2444.38.008
Hazard ID: 26405
Status: Active
Staff: Stacee Henderson, 9072628202 stacee.henderson@alaska.gov
Latitude: 62.031868
Longitude: -163.286579
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

In 1984, the State issued a 55-year lease to the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development (ADEED) to construct, operate, and maintain the school. In April 2000, a release of arctic grade diesel occurred from a cracked fuel line coupling connecting an aboveground storage tank (AST) to the school generator. Fuel traveled along utility pipes and into a drinking water standpipe, contaminating the community's water supply. Fuel lines leading from teacher housing to ASTs and generators bisected the site in various locations. Along the western perimeter of the property, a fuel line ran from the marine header to a tank farm/generator located near the northwest corner of the property. Petroleum contamination likely resulted from multiple unreported releases/spills throughout time. ADEED would like to transfer the property to the Pitka's Point Tribal Council through the Municipal Land Trustee (MLT) program. However, they don't want to hand over contaminated land.

Action Information

Action Date Action Description DEC Staff
8/1/2000 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Reviewed the Diesel Spill Site Assessment and Water Quality Sampling report, dated August 2000. Roughly 55 gallons of diesel fuel released from a flexible coupling on a fuel transfer pipe located 25 feet north of the northeast corner of the school building in April 2000. A limited volume (about 8 cubic yards) of impacted soil was removed from the spill site in June 2000 and was stockpiled near the village tank farm. Confirmation soil samples collected from the excavation revealed that concentrations of DRO remained up 223,000 mg/kg, which exceeds ADEC cleanup levels. In addition to the excavation activities, soil contamination was investigated at various points along aboveground fuel and water piping. Soil contamination was identified above cleanup levels at various locations along the piping. Joshua Barsis
9/1/2004 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Reviewed the Corrective Action Report, dated September 2004. The report detailed further excavation at the spill site (near the flex coupling). An additional 102 cubic yards of impacted soil were removed and placed in one (1) cubic yard super-sacks for temporary storage. Removal activities were limited by several above ground and below ground piping runs and buildings. Confirmation soil sample results revealed that all impacted soil above ADEC cleanup levels was successfully removed down to 10 feet bgs. Based on field screening, limited contamination may remain above cleanup levels in the sidewalls of the excavation. Joshua Barsis
5/22/2015 Brownfields Award Received funding confirmation from EPA, thus confirming project eligible for the requested DBAC services. FY 2016 EPA STRP funds $73,082 for a structural and other assessment. Amy Rodman
5/28/2015 Site Added to Database A new site has been added to the database Mitzi Read
5/29/2015 Update or Other Action Reference to Spill Number 00279911801; Spill Date = 4/27/00; substance = arctic grade diesel; quantity = ~15 gallons; LC = 14804060. This spill was not formally transferred. Mitzi Read
5/29/2015 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking Initial ranking with ETM completed for source area id: 79776 name: Diesel Generator/AST Fuel Line Mitzi Read
1/12/2016 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Reviewed the Site Assessment report, dated January 2016. Assessment activities included structural integrity assessments (SIA) and hazardous materials assessments (HMA) of teacher housing building #1 (THB1), teacher housing building #2 (THB2), and the school building (SB); characterizing residual contamination at a diesel spill site that was not addressed during the 2004 cleanup activities; conducting a visual assessment of the former school tank farm; attempting to locate and characterize stockpiled soil and super-sacks generated during the 2000 and 2004 site assessment efforts; and performing a debris inventory and property-wide assessment of speculated contamination and debris. Results of the SIA and HMA generally concluded that both THB1 and THB2 had extreme mold and should be demolished, and that the SB could be remediated. Diesel contamination was discovered above soil cleanup levels along the fuel and water supply lines (diesel spill site), outside the school tank farm, and near various above ground storage tanks. The stockpiled soil and super-sacks were not located. Joshua Barsis
4/18/2016 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking A new updated ranking with ETM has been completed for source area 79776 Diesel Generator/AST Fuel Line. Nathan Maxwell
4/25/2016 Update or Other Action Sent a letter on this date to Lower Yukon School District detailing site history and describing data gaps which need to be addressed before the site can be considered for closure. Requested a response by June 25, 2016. Nathan Maxwell
7/21/2016 Meeting or Teleconference Held Met with Jane Boer of Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development (DCCED) to discuss possible paths forward. Nathan Maxwell
2/1/2017 Potentially Responsible Party/State Interest Letter PRP Letter sent to Dept. Education and Early Development. Erin Gleason
2/1/2017 Potentially Responsible Party/State Interest Letter PRP letter sent to Dept. Commerce, Community, and economic development. Erin Gleason
2/1/2017 Potentially Responsible Party/State Interest Letter PRP Letter sent to Lower Yukon Kuskokwim School District (LYKSD) Erin Gleason
2/6/2017 Update or Other Action Sent work plan request letter to DEED, LYKSD, and DCCED. Erin Gleason
6/21/2017 Update or Other Action Sent inventory letter providing list of all sites in the lower Yukon school district. Erin Gleason
9/13/2017 Update or Other Action Revised work plan received. Approved by ADEC. Erin Gleason
10/5/2017 Update or Other Action Historic files from PERP scanned and added to CS electronic file. Erin Gleason
10/13/2017 Update or Other Action ADEC approves the transport and temporary storage of contaminated soil to Mountain Village for the winter. Soil will be removed/remediate in the spring. Erin Gleason
2/12/2018 Meeting or Teleconference Held Teleconference with DCCED, OMB, DEC, and DEED to discuss future actions at the site. Erin Gleason
3/23/2018 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other ADEC Received the Site Characterization report on 2/28/2018 from Restoration Sciences. ADEC has reviewed the report and requests that some additions and changes be made. Letter was sent on this day detailed the necessary changes. Revised report due back to ADEC by May 15th. Erin Gleason
4/10/2018 Site Characterization Report Approved Received revised report from Restoration Sciences on 4/4/2018. Report is complete. ADEC concurs with Restoration Sciences recommendation for the site in section 7.0. Erin Gleason
9/12/2018 Meeting or Teleconference Held MLT and DEED held a public meeting in Pitkas Point to provide information to the community about the demolition of the buildings onsite. Erin Gleason
3/1/2019 Update or Other Action Received the 2015 Bulk Fuel Assessment Report from Alaska Energy Authority. Erin Gleason
3/5/2019 Site Characterization Workplan Approved Received work plan from Restorations sciences and engineering on 2/14/2019 and a revised work plan on 2/25/2019. ADEC has reviewed the work plan and it is now approved. ADEC issued a letter on this date with comments for the project and approval of work plan. Erin Gleason
3/7/2019 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking A new updated ranking with ETM has been completed for source area 79776 Diesel Generator/AST Fuel Line. Erin Gleason
3/29/2019 Update or Other Action Received updated work plan from Restoration Science. It now includes excavation and sampling at the firehouse, in addition to the other sampling. Erin Gleason
7/1/2019 Update or Other Action Transport, Treatment, and Disposal form approved for 560 cubic yards of petroleum contaminated soil to be transported by barge to Columbia Ridge landfill. Erin Gleason
9/24/2019 Update or Other Action Excavation of contaminated soil at the site is finished for the time being. 838 super sacks (~0.75 – 1 cubic yards each) are in transit (shipped to Nome and then being shipped to Seattle for disposal at Coloumbia Ridge Landfill). This includes soil excavated from the AST 4 area at the site in 2019, as well as all of the super sacks that were filled from the site excavation activities in 2017. Due to budget and time constraints, excavation of impacted soil was halted, and the excavation was backfilled using ‘clean’ material to bring the excavation back up to grade and prevent ponding of water in the area. Erin Gleason
10/25/2019 Update or Other Action Sent inventory letter providing list of all sites in the Lower Yukon School District. Erin Gleason
12/12/2019 Site Characterization Report Approved Received demolition, remediation report for restoration sciences on 11/21/2019. ADEC has reviewed the report and it is now approved. During summer of 2019, 750 cubic yards of soil were removed from the site and shipped to Columbia Ridge Landfill for disposal along with 52 super sack of soil from the 2017 excavation. Thirty five test pits were dug throughout the property to delineated the extent of soil contamination. 44 samples were collected for laboratory analysis. Samples were analyzed for DRO, petroleum VOCs, and PAHs. Petroleum contamination remains at the former tank farm location, the former fuel pump house, the former school shop building, the former generator building, and at the AST4 sample area. There is approximately 8,300 cubic yards above migration to groundwater cleanup levels still onsite. All laboratory samples are below human health cleanup levels, except one sample at the shop area. Based on the information in the report, further characterization and remediation is needed before the site is eligible for closure. Erin Gleason
12/12/2019 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking A new updated ranking with ETM has been completed for source area 79776 Diesel Generator/AST Fuel Line. Erin Gleason
1/13/2020 Update or Other Action ADEC received soil receipts for all soil taken to Columbia Ridge landfill in 2019. Total tonage is 1384, which corresponds to the 750 cubic yards shipped from the site in 2019. Erin Gleason
3/13/2020 Update or Other Action Site file transferred to Contaminated Sites on this date. FKA 2444.57.001. Cascade Galasso-Irish
3/17/2023 Meeting or Teleconference Held Online meeting held between ADEC, ADEED, LYSD, and CED (Municipal Land Trust Program) to discuss remaining data gaps and next steps needed to move the site toward closure. Data gaps remaining include: horizontal and vertical delineation of the soil contamination, groundwater investigation, and outdoor air. Groundwater sampling and/or closure of groundwater exposure pathway is estimated to be difficult and require the use of a drill rig. Naomi Mason
5/5/2023 Meeting or Teleconference Held Teleconference held between ADOT, ADEED, and ADEC. Discussion involved next steps to take advantage of drill rig that will be in Saint Mary's in August 2023. The goal is to procure services of the contractor and equipment to conduct site characterization at Pitka's Point School. An RSA will need to be initiated between ADEED and ADOT. Naomi Mason
6/3/2024 Site Characterization Workplan Approved The revised "Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (ADOT&PF) Site Characterization Work Plan," dated May 6, 2024 is approved. The work plan proposes installing and sampling sixteen (16) soil borings and seven (7) groundwater monitoring wells at the former Pitka’s Point School site to delineate the horizontal and vertical extents of remaining hydrocarbon contamination in both soil and groundwater. Stacee Henderson

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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
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