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Site Report: Heinz Salvage Yard Gakona

Site Name: Heinz Salvage Yard Gakona
Address: MP 4.7 Tok Cutoff Highway; 300 Feet SW of Tazenuu Road, Gakona, AK 99586
File Number: 210.38.009
Hazard ID: 26718
Status: Active
Staff: Julie Fix, 9074655368 julie.fix@alaska.gov
Latitude: 62.312873
Longitude: -145.217487
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 September 18, 2007 a limited site assessment was conducted on a property located adjacent to the Heinz Salvage Yard (Lot 2 USS 5560). There were numerous junked vehicles parked on both Lot 2 and the adjacent property. It is assumed that fuel, glycols, oil, brake fluid, gear lube, transmission fluid, and batteries may not have been removed from the vehicles and may have leaked to the ground over the years. Some of the older vehicles may contain mercury switches. In addition to the junked vehicles, the properties were used for storage of heavy equipment, snow machines, storage tanks, drums, and other debris. Analytical samples were not taken and potential contamination had not been characterized or confirmed. In 2017 the Native Village of Gakona applied for a DEC Brownfield Assessment for the portion of the site owned by Ahtna, Inc. A limited site characterization was completed in the fall of 2018 and indicated that DRO is present above ADEC cleanup levels in the area associated with the "burn pit", and a clear free product present on pooled groundwater in the same excavation with elevated DRO levels. The characterization is not complete, and the community wishes to further assess and cleanup the Ahtna, Inc. owned portion.

Action Information

Action Date Action Description DEC Staff
5/16/2017 Site Added to Database A new site has been added to the database Mitzi Read
5/2/2018 Brownfields Award SFY 18 DEC Brownfields Assessment and Cleanup service awarded. The Native Village of Gakona applied for a DBAC to assess possible impacts from the neighboring salvage yard on the property owned by Ahtna, Inc. edit: EPA State and Tribal Response Program (STRP) funds $69,941.00 awarded to Ahtna, Ic./Native Village of Gakona for site characterization and cleanup oversight of the Heinz Salvage Yard. Lisa Griswold
9/4/2018 Update or Other Action NTP Awarded to BGES for Site Characterization of the property owned by Ahtna, Inc. Lisa Griswold
9/13/2018 Site Visit Site visit conducted with BGES to assist in preparation of a Site Characterization Work Plan Lisa Griswold
10/12/2018 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Comments on the site characterization work plan submitted to BGES on this date. The work plan included activities such as: soil investigation by test pits, temporary groundwater monitoring well installation and groundwater sampling; and surface water sampling. Lisa Griswold
10/19/2018 Site Characterization Workplan Approved Revised Site Characterization Work Plan conditionally approved. Lisa Griswold
3/7/2019 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other ADEC issued comments on the Site Characterization Report received on February 5, 2019 on this date. The Revised report is to be submitted by March 21, 2019. Lisa Griswold
3/28/2019 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other ADEC issued comments on the Site Characterization Report received on March 21, 2019 on this date. The Revised report is to be submitted by April 4, 2019. Lisa Griswold
4/16/2019 Brownfields Award SFY 20 Brownfields funding awarded to the Native Village of Gakona to conduct additional assessment of impacted property owned by Ahtna, Inc. EPA State and Tribal Response Program funding estimate: $110,139.59. Lisa Griswold
5/15/2019 Site Characterization Report Approved ADEC approved the Site Characterization Activities Former Heinz Salvage Yard, Gakona, Alaska, Revision 3 received on April 18, 2019 on this date. This report documented the site activities conducted at the Former Heinz Salvage Yard in Gakona, Alaska under DEC’s Brownfield Assessment and Cleanup SFY 2019 program. Site activities included digging 34 test pits, 3 trenches, sampling surface water and installing and sampling 3 temporary monitoring wells. Samples were analyzed for Diesel Range Organics by AK 102, Gasoline Range Organics by AK 101, Residual Range Organics by AK 103, Volatile Organic Compounds by 8260, PCBs by 8082A, RCRA metals by 6020B, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons by 8270, Dioxanes by 8290, TAH and TAqH by 624 and 625, and 1, 2 Dibromethane by 8011. The report indicates test pit 27 and 28 contained blackened soil and an unknown free product on the surface of the water that pooled in the excavations. The substance was clear with a low viscosity and unidentifiable odor. It did not resemble petroleum and due to the history of the area, could be an unknown glycol. Additionally, the water in in the eastern most portion of TN1 (northwest of test pits 27 and 28) had a sheen, but no stained soil was noted in the trench. None of the soils exhibited elevated photoionization detector readings or x-ray fluorescence readings. However, the same test pits (27 and 28) that contained the unknown free product contained Diesel Range Organics at 3,780 mg/kg and 1,960 mg/kg respectively (above ADEC Migration to Groundwater cleanup levels). The temporary monitoring wells detected several analytes, but none above ADEC cleanup levels. Groundwater was found on the site from 3.36 feet below ground surface to 10.20 feet below ground surface with an approximated flow direction to west southwest. It should be noted that the three temporary monitoring wells were installed prior to the discovery in test pits 27 and 28, therefore none of the wells were located in test pits 27 or 28. The surface water sample was non-detect for Total Aromatic Hydrocarbons (TAH) or Total Aqueous Hydrocarbons (TAqH). It should also be noted that the soil and water samples contained arsenic above ADEC cleanup levels, but in accordance with ADEC regulations, these concentrations are considered to likely be background. Several Quality Assurance/Quality Control issues were identified and explained in the report. However, only data for acetone and tetrahydrofuran results were rejected. It should be noted some analytes could not be detected below ADEC cleanup levels, so their presence above or below ADEC cleanup levels cannot be determined at this time. Lisa Griswold
5/16/2019 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking Initial ranking with ETM completed for source area id: 80454 name: Burn pit Lisa Griswold
11/13/2019 Update or Other Action NTP awarded to BGES for further Site Characterization of the property owned by Ahtna, Inc. Lisa Griswold
12/2/2019 Meeting or Teleconference Held Kickoff meeting between ADEC and BGES held on this date. Plans for geophysical testing are being developed in anticipation of field work in summer 2020. Lisa Griswold
2/21/2020 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) Work Plan approved on this date. GPR is being utilized on the property in order to guide future sampling in Summer 2020. Lisa Griswold
5/27/2020 Update or Other Action Ground Penetrating Radar work completed on this date. Data collected will be used to develop the site characterization work plan. Lisa Griswold
7/21/2020 Site Characterization Workplan Approved The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC) received the Site Characterization Activities Former Heinz Salvage Yard, Gakona, Alaska, on June 22, 2020. This work plan documented the planned site activities to be conducted at the Former Heinz Salvage Yard in Gakona, Alaska under DEC’s Brownfield Assessment and Cleanup SFY 2020 program. Site activities will include: conducting a drum inventory; surface soil sampling; subsurface soil sampling; a free product investigation and further groundwater sampling. After the site characterization activities are conducted, BGES will create a community relations plan and an Analysis of Brownfield Cleanup Alternatives. This work plan is approved with the following comment: Under the groundwater monitoring section: please include monitoring water quality parameters prior to collecting a sample. Lisa Griswold
11/24/2020 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC) received a revised Community Relations Plan; Former Heinz Salvage Yard, Gakona, Alaska, on November 23, 2020. This plan documented the community outreach activities to be conducted for the Former Heinz Salvage Yard in Gakona, Alaska under DEC’s Brownfield Assessment and Cleanup SFY 2020 program. The described activities include informing the community of past and possible future work, public posting of the Analysis of Brownfield Cleanup Alternatives (ABCA), hosting a public meeting to discuss the ABCA, and finalizing the ABCA. Lisa Griswold
2/18/2021 Update or Other Action During review of the 2020 Site Characterization report it was determined that an Analysis of Brownfield Cleanup Alternatives (ABCA) would not be appropriate at this time. After discussion with the DBAC applicant, DEC term contractor was notified that ADEC considered the ABCA task complete, and they did not need to continue work on the contract task related to said ABCA. Lisa Griswold
3/1/2021 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Review of Site Characterization Report Former Heinz Salvage Yard, Gakona, Alaska, was completed on this date. This Report documented the site activities conducted at the Former Heinz Salvage Yard in Gakona, Alaska under DEC’s Brownfield Assessment and Cleanup SFY 2020 program. Site activities included: conducting a drum inventory; surface soil sampling; subsurface soil sampling; a free product investigation and further groundwater sampling. Drum sampling indicated three drums of the seven found should be disposed of as hazardous. Sampling found multiple analytes above the ADEC Cleanup Levels found in 18 AAC 75.341 and 18 AAC 75.345. DRO (up to 180,000 mg/kg) RRO (34,000 mg/kg), Benzene (0.32 mg/kg), 1,2 -dichlorothane (0.0066 mg/kg), 2-hexanone (0.12 mg/kg), and 1,1,2, Tertrachloroethane (up to 0.0062 mg/kg) were found in the surface soil above migration to groundwater levels, and in the case of DRO and RRO, above the Inhalation Cleanup Level and Maximum Allowable Concentration. DRO (up to 210,000 mg/kg) RRO (14,000 mg/kg) Naphthalene (0.044 mg/kg), 1,1,2, Tertrachloroethane (up to 0.2 mg/Kg) and 1,1,2 Trichloroethane (0.076 mg/kg) were detected in the subsurface soil above migration to groundwater levels, and in the case of DRO, above the Inhalation Cleanup Level and Maximum Allowable Concentration. Acetone was found in the groundwater at 19,000 µg/L exceeding Table C Groundwater Cleanup Levels. ADEC submitted comments under letter dated March 1, 2021 to the contractor. Lisa Griswold
7/29/2021 Site Characterization Report Approved ADEC reviewed the revised Site Characterization Report Former Heinz Salvage Yard, Gakona, Alaska, that was submitted on June 30, 2021. All ADEC comments have been addressed, and ADEC has no further comments. Lisa Griswold
11/23/2021 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other ADEC reviewed the October 29, 2021 letter report for the drum and hazardous materials disposal documented in the June 30, 2021 Site Characterization Report. US Ecology removed eight 55 gallon drums on June 29, 2021, that were then consolidated and shipped to Tacoma, WA to be disposed of as hazardous waste. Three drums containing non-hazardous waste (notated at 9, 10, and 11 in the Site Characterization report) could not be relocated and are presumed to have been removed. This submittal fulfills the request for a disposal confirmation from ADEC’s July 29, 2021 letter. Lisa Griswold

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