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Site Report: Hughes School & Community Tank Farm

Site Name: Hughes School & Community Tank Farm
Address: 110 Front Street, Hughes, AK 99745
File Number: 810.38.003, 810.57.001
Hazard ID: 2645
Status: Active
Staff: Nabi Qureshi, 9072691099 nabi.qureshi@alaska.gov
Latitude: 66.045785
Longitude: -154.259010
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 bulk fuel storage tanks at the school and the City fuel storage tanks were damaged in the 1994 flood. Samples taken in 1995 by ADEC determined that the worst soil contamination was near the school tank farm. One sample contained 39,500 parts per million (ppm) diesel range organics (DRO). Samples from the community well detected 1.95 parts per billion (ppb) benzene on 4/28/2000, 2.14 ppb on 6/26/2001 and on three previous sampling events. According to the file, the well is 6” x 100’ below ground surface, screened at 30-35 feet at blue clay layer, permafrost not present in deep alluvial gravels. The contaminant source is suspected to be the Bulk Fuel Storage (BFS) or the Hughes Power Generation Plant (PGP), both operated by the City of Hughes and located adjacent to the drinking water well. The school tank farm was impacted by flooding of the Kuyukuk River again on May 13, 2006. Two 'empty' tanks tipped over disrupting piping to the remaining tanks. An inspection of the tank farm on 5/17/2006 revealed approximately 1/4" of diesel fuel floating on water trapped in the containment area. The volume of fuel lost has yet to be determined. Drinking water well tested clean of petroleum hydrocarbons following the 1994 flood that forced Bulk Fuel Storage Tanks to shift laterally nearly 50 feet. Low levels of Benzene have been detected off and on since 8/1996, though since 2009. The BFS and PGP are closer to the well than current ADEC drinking water regulations allow and relocation is now planned. Lot 11, U.S. Survey 3720. The City built a new tank farm during the summer of 2005. This tank farm is further from the river on a raised gravel pad. The old city tank was abandoned in place. The new tank farm does not service the school. According to the school superintendent a new tank farm was constructed for the school after the spring flood in 2006. The old tanks were not removed.

Action Information

Action Date Action Description DEC Staff
8/25/2000 Site Ranked Using the AHRM Initial ranking. Bruce Wanstall
8/29/2000 Site Added to Database Benzene contamination. Bruce Wanstall
2/16/2005 Update or Other Action Reviewed file, letters were written by ADEC staff in 2000, and again in 2001 in support of moving the tanks farms further from the community PWS. This system tested positive for benzene contamination in 2001, 2.14 ug/L and is currently on quarterly monitoring due to low levels of benzene contamination. No cleanup activities have been documented in the file since 1995. Kim DeRuyter
2/18/2005 GIS Position Updated TopoZone Pro, and site maps from the file. Kim DeRuyter
5/18/2006 Meeting or Teleconference Held PM accompanied State Emergency Response Center and PERP staff on a visit to the site in response to flood damage sustained 5/13/06. Two of the 4 tanks in the school tank farm were tipped over during the flooding. Piping to the remaining tanks was disrupted. An unknown volume of fuel was released. At the time of the site inspection, an estimated 1/4 inch of fuel was floating on water in the tank farm containment area. Much of the area smelled of fuel and a sheen was present on ponds and puddles throughout the village. PERP staff was working with the community to recover the free product. Kim DeRuyter
9/5/2006 Update or Other Action Spoke with FEMA Project Officer Aaron Hartwell regarding the site. The School is in the process of replacing the old tank farm with new tanks which are located about 200 feet away from the old tanks. The new site is likely still in the flood plain. FEMA has funding to assist with the site assessment and cleanup, and will be contacting the school to request that they contract an Environmental Consultant. Kim DeRuyter
1/29/2007 Update or Other Action Changed staff assigned from DeRuyter to Oelkers. Changed file name from "Hughes Tank Farm" to "Hughes School & Community Tank Farm" to better reflect the administrative file. Shannon Oelkers
7/27/2007 Update or Other Action Site transferred from Oelkers to Frechione. Jim Frechione
4/16/2008 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking Initial ranking with ETM completed. Bill O'Connell
4/30/2008 Update or Other Action DEC Brownfield Request form received from Hughes Village Council, to address cleanup of tanks and former generator building. John Carnahan
12/18/2008 Update or Other Action Brownfields staff received the Phase I and Limited Phase II Environmental Site Assessment for the Former Generator Buildings and Tank Farm in Hughes, Alaska dated August 2008. The Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council (YRITWC) hired BGES, Inc. to conduct a phase I and limited phase II site assessment of the City of Hughes' footprint of the former generator building, abandoned generator building, large underground storage tank, the State of Alaska former school tank farm, and the pipeline that connects the tank farm to the former generator building. Hand borings were advanced in the vicinity of the former power plant, a prefabricated building and the tank farm. Soil screening and confirmation soil sampling was conducted in an effort to delineate the contamination. One boring was advanced to 8 feet bgs in the tank farm area. Contaminants greater than ADEC cleanup criteria was identified by analytical samples collected from soils beneath the tank farm, beneath the drain spot on the east exterior of the prefabricated building, and within the footprint of the former power plant. Contaminants of concern identified during the investigation include DRO, RRO, GRO, benzene and 1,3,5 trimethylbenzene (7.95 mg/kg which is below ADEC cleanup level of 23 mg/kg.) Hand boring could not be advanced in the area to the east of the tank farm or along the old fuel pipeline because of the presence of a roadway that had highly-compacted soil. The community water well is approximately 30 feet bgs and is very close to the contaminated areas. Beneath the tank farm contamination is likely to exceed 6 feet bgs. Deborah Williams
1/15/2009 Brownfields Award Received EPA approval for project. FY 2009 State of Alaska Capital Improvement Project (CIP) funds $11,985 awarded to Hughes Village Council for an Environmental Management Plan on Hughes Old Generator Building & Tank Farm. NTP # 18902815029. Current status: EMP complete, remediation outside scope of a DBAC. John Carnahan
5/12/2009 Update or Other Action Talked with Devan Currier with ANTHC and he stated that they put money into the budget this year to either move the community well or reinstall it. Funds for the Hughes well will not be available until next year which means with design etc. they would not be able to move or reinstall the well until 2011. His phone number is 451-7551. Deborah Williams
7/20/2009 Update or Other Action DEC hired SLR to complete an Environmental Management Plan to determine what actions would be necessary to move this site towards the proposed reuse of the property. According to the report, there are several complete exposure pathways because soil contamination is present in the top 15 feet of soil. Groundwater contamination is unknown at the site. The consultant stated that contaminated soil should be excavated from the Former Generator Building site; the Abandoned Generator Building; the Former Fuel Dispenser Island at the City Tank Farm; the aboveground Pipeline; and the School Tank Farm area. The consultant estimates that the total volume of contaminated soil that is required to be excavated would be 860 cubic yards. Deborah Williams
12/21/2011 Update or Other Action Letter dated 12/21/2011 sent to State Historic Preservation Office requesting concurrence that proposed cleanup activities at this site would affect no historic properties. Melinda Brunner
12/21/2011 Update or Other Action Consultation request sent to USFWS regarding proposed cleanup activities at site to ensure no endangered or threatened species would be adversely affected, and no critical habitat would be adversely modified. Melinda Brunner
12/22/2011 Update or Other Action Concurrence received from the USFWS on 12/22/2011 that no endangered or threatened species would be adversely affected by the proposed cleanup of the site. The USFWS also concurred that no critical habitat would be adversely modified by the proposed cleanup of the site. Melinda Brunner
1/1/2012 Update or Other Action Concurrence received 01/01/12 from the State Historic Preservation Office that the proposed cleanup activites for the sites would affect no historic properties. Melinda Brunner
1/25/2012 Brownfields Award FY 2012 SOA funds $22,828 awarded to Hughes Village Council for a CAP on Hughes School & Community Tank Farm. NTP# 18400212038 approved on this date. Cascade Galasso-Irish
3/21/2012 Update or Other Action On 03/15/2012 Shannon & Wilson, Inc submitted a draft of the "Analysis of Brownfield Cleanup Alternatives, Hughes School and Community Tank Farm" document dated March 2012. Brunner reviewed the document and returned it with DEC's comments to Shannon & Wilson on 03/21/2012. Melinda Brunner
3/28/2012 Update or Other Action Shannon & Wilson, Inc submitted a revised draft of the "Analysis of Brownfield Cleanup Alternatives, Hughes School and Community Tank Farm" document dated March 2012. Brunner approved the document. The document will be used by the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council to support their planned cleanup for the community in 2012. Melinda Brunner
4/3/2012 Meeting or Teleconference Held Brunner attended a public meeting in the community of Hughes on 04/03/2012. The meeting was held to discuss the "Analysis of Brownfield Cleanup Alternatives (ABCA), Hughes School and Community Tank Farm" document. The Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council (YRITWC) published a public notice in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner on 04/03/2012 opening a 30-day comment period on the ABCA. Comments will be accepted through 05/03/2012. The ABCA and supporting documents are available for public review in Fairbanks at DEC and YRITWC's offices, and in Hughes at the City office. Aside from DEC and YRITWC representatives, a member from the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium attended the public meeting in Hughes to discuss a water tank installation planned for the same area as the proposed contaminated soil cleanup. Melinda Brunner
5/16/2012 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Shannon & Wilson, Inc. submitted a draft document entitled "Corrective Action Plan, Hughes School and Community Tank Farm" on 05/11/2012 for review. Brunner returned comments regarding the document to Shannon & Wilson on 05/16/2012. Melinda Brunner
5/22/2012 Update or Other Action Shannon & Wilson, Inc. document entitled "Corrective Action Plan, Hughes School and Community Tank Farm" dated May 2012 approved. Melinda Brunner
7/30/2012 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Draft document entitled "Quality Assurance Project Plan & Site Cleanup Plan, Hughes School and Community Tank Farm" dated July 2012 submitted for review on July 20, 2012 by the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council (YRITWC). Workplan covers proposed cleanup at the abandoned generator building, former generator building footprint, former fuel dispensor island, and piping connecting the abandoned generator building to the former school tank farm. Comments on the workplan returned to YRITWC on July 30, 2012 by Brunner. Melinda Brunner
8/20/2012 Cleanup Plan Approved Work plan entitled “Quality Assurance Project Plan & Site Cleanup Plan, Hughes Community Tank Farm” dated August 2012 submitted by Shannon & Wilson on August 17, 2012 for review. Work plan approved by Brunner on August 20, 2012. Melinda Brunner
1/30/2013 Meeting or Teleconference Held Representatives of the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council (Aronson & Wharton), DEC (Brunner, Carnahan & Benson), the City of Hughes (Beetus, Ambrose & Ambrose), EPA (Morales) and Shannon & Wilson (Turker & Hessong) participated in a teleconference to discuss the final report for the YRITWC's cleanup done in Hughes in 2012. The results of the report were discussed, as well as the City's plans for future managment of the landfarm during the 2012 removal action. Melinda Brunner
1/30/2013 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Brunner reviewed and approved the document entitled, "Site Cleanup, Hughes Former Generators, Hughes, Alaska, ADEC File Nos. 810.38.002 and 810.57.001" dated November 2012. The report states that approximately 340 cubic yards of petroleum-impacted soil was removed from the sites of the Abandoned Generator Building and Former Generator Building Footprint in Hughes by the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council (YRITWC) in 2012. The soil was transported to a landfarm created next to the Hughes landfill for storage and treatment. Analytical sampling confirmed that soil was left in place with contaminant (i.e. diesel-range organics, gasoline-range organics, volatile organic compounds, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, and polyaromatic hydrocarbons) concentrations above DEC cleanup levels. A letter approving the report was sent to YRITWC. Melinda Brunner
1/30/2013 Update or Other Action Brunner sent a letter to Wilmer Beetus of the City of Hughes transmitting two copies of the document entitled, “Corrective Action Plan, Hughes School and Community Tank Farm, Hughes, Alaska, Hazard ID: 2645,” dated May 2012. Melinda Brunner
1/30/2013 Update or Other Action Brunner sent a letter to Wilmer Beetus of the City of Hughes asking that the City contact DEC by February 28, 2013 about a workplan describing when, how and by whom the contaminated soil generated during the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council's 2012 cleanup and stored in a landfarm located next to the Hughes landfill would be managed. Melinda Brunner
6/14/2013 Update or Other Action Brunner reviewed the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium's (ANTHC) proposal dated June 11, 2013 to install a new water tank next to the washeteria in Hughes, AK. The proposed location for the water tank is on top of the area cleaned up by the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council in 2012, where contamination still remains in place at more than five feet below ground surface. ANTHC has committed to excavating to no more than three feet below ground surface when installing the new tank. Brunner sent a letter on June 14, 2012 to ANTHC confirming DEC has no objections to the installation, provided ANTHC abides by guidelines about how deep to dig, what to do with encountered contaminated soil, etc. Melinda Brunner
12/4/2013 Update or Other Action Notice-to-proceed awarded to Shannon & Wilson by DEC for a capital improvment project (CIP) -funded cleanup project at site. Intended activities include excavation of approximately 1,075 cubic yards of petroleum-impacted soil associated with the Hughes School Tank Farm and distribution piping; installation of eight groundwater monitoring wells; creation of a landfarm for soil remediation; groundwater monitoring; and landfarm maintenance and operation. The excavation and monitoring well installion is scheduled for 2014. Groundwater and landfarm monitoring is scheduled for 2015 and 2016. Melinda Brunner
5/29/2014 Update or Other Action The Yukon Koyukuk School District has removed the four out-of-service aboveground storage tanks at the Hughes School Tank Farm. The ownership of the tanks has been transferred to the City of Hughes. The tanks are now located on City property. Melinda Brunner
6/3/2014 Update or Other Action Draft work plan entitled, "Work Plan for Contaminated Soil Removal and Groundwater Monitoring, Former Hughes School Tank Farm" dated May 2014 submitted by Shannon & Wilson for DEC review on 6/3/2014. Melinda Brunner
6/5/2014 Update or Other Action Letters sent to Kerry Boyd, Superintendent of the Yukon-Koyukuk School District, and Wilmer Beetus, Mayor of the City of Hughes, on 6/5/2014 notifying each that the Hughes School Tank Farm cleanup planned for 2014 is cancelled. The cleanup is cancelled because of the lack of heavy equipment available for rent in Hughes during summer and fall of 2014; projected costs to complete the proposed activities using different equipment or during a different timeframe exceed the existing budget for the project. Melinda Brunner
3/11/2015 Meeting or Teleconference Held Meeting with Tanana Chiefs Conference to discuss the status of the site, since the community has expressed interest in seeing the clean up work at the school continue. John Carnahan
8/5/2015 Update or Other Action Evaluated record - site transferred to program manager Vreeman for further evaluation, RP follow up, and reassignment. Fred Vreeman
4/26/2016 Update or Other Action Site reassigned for PRP Research, evaluation of cleanup requirements, and follow up by project manager Fred Vreeman
1/18/2017 Meeting or Teleconference Held DEC project manager provided consultation to Tanana Chiefs Conference Environmental Health Coordinator in December 2016 and January 2017 to assist with technical contents and identification of remediation and investigative priorities for the Brownfields application. Based on data collected from the area to date and limited availability of funds, priority should be placed on remediation of known surface soil petroleum contaminants that pose a risk to human health. Joy Whitsel
4/24/2023 Meeting or Teleconference Held Meeting held via teleconference to discuss the Targeted Brownfields Assessment (TBA) for the Hughes School and Community Tank Farm Site. In attendance was EPA, ERG, Alta, DEC, Hughes community members, Hughes Tribal Council members, YRITWC, TCC, and the local school district. Overall site status was discussed and the plan of action for the TBA. Kelly Walker
9/20/2023 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other DEC received Draft QAPP on 9/11/2023. Comments sent on 9/20/2023. Nabi Qureshi

Contaminant Information

Name Level Description Media Comments

Control Type

Type Details

Requirements

Description Details
Hazard ID Site Name File Number
1601 Hughes Power Plant Pipeline 810.38.002, 810.57.001

Missing Location Data

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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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