| Action Date |
Action |
Description |
DEC Staff |
| 5/20/2005 |
CERCLA RI Report Approved |
The Focus Area was identified during the 2004 RI fieldwork and consists of an area of stressed vegetation at the northwestern portion of the former Port Heiden RRS, located approximately 200 feet west of the Former Composite Building foundation.
PCGBs were detected in soil in sample RRS-SS-06-S01-0 at 5.4 mg/kg "J". DRO and RRO contaminated surface soil are present at a possible 20' x 20' spill site in the northwest portion of the Former Facility Area pad. At 0 to 2 feet bgs, 12,000 mg/kg "J" DRO and 19,000 mg/kg J" RRO soil contamination was found only in the surface sample at this location. 0.87 mg/kg (870 ug/kg) TCE was found at 49-51' bgs in smear zone soil underlying the northwest portion of the Former Facility Area pad. This is associated with a large TCE plume underlying the Former Facility Area pad. One surface soil sample collected in the southeastern portion of the Former Facility pad contained PCBs above the screening criteria of 1 mg/Kg.
|
Louis Howard |
| 10/31/2008 |
CERCLA Proposed Plan |
Proposed Plan received. It presents the cleanup alternatives proposed by the Air Force and
reviewed by the ADEC for an Environmental Restoration Program (ERP, formerly Installation Restoration Program) site known as the Former Facility Area. While there are other sites at the
Port Heiden RRS that the Air Force has studied, this Proposed Plan looks at cleanup alternatives for only this site. Cleanup plans for other sites at Port Heiden RRS will be prepared in the future. The fuel contamination at the Port Heiden RRS will be addressed in the future by the Air Force under Alaska State law and environmental regulations.
The Preferred Cleanup Alternative as described in this Plan is comprised of one alternative each for surface soil and groundwater, and is as follows: Surface Soil Alternative 10 – Soil Excavation, Washing, and Off-Site Disposal in a Permitted Landfill, Groundwater Alternative 2 –Natural Attenuation and Long-term Monitoring. |
Louis Howard |
| 3/27/2009 |
CERCLA ROD Approved |
Record of Decision (ROD) received. The Port Heiden Radio Relay Station Site includes the following CERCLA Source Areas: Former Composite Building (OT001), Septic Tank and Septic System Outfall (SS004), Landfill and Debris Burial Areas Including LF07 (Radio Relay Station Landfill)
Other Areas (Non-Numbered) Identified in the RI Report: Antenna Pads, Contaminated Soil Removal Areas, Drum Storage Area and the Focus Area. One area of stressed vegetation in the northwestern portion of the RRS Facility Area was identified through this exercise. The area
appeared to be relatively small in size (approximately 35 feet in diameter) and possibly the result of a surface release.
The selected remedy for soil is Alternative 10 - PCB Excavation (> 1 mg/Kg), Soil Washing to
Reduce PCBs to < 10 mg/Kg, and Disposal in Class III Landfill. The selected remedy for groundwater is Alternative 2 Institutional Controls, Natural Attenuation, and Long-term Monitoring. |
Louis Howard |
| 6/24/2010 |
Update or Other Action |
1st Explanation of Significant Differences received. Since the ROD was signed in March 2009, data collected during the 2009 remedial action gave new information to the agencies and the Native Village of Port Heiden (NVPH). Specifically, Significant differences in the quantity of PCB-contaminated soil were discovered. With the discovery of greater quantities of PCB-contaminated soil, the final disposition of the soil will be limited to barging it off-site to a permitted facility for disposal. (Shipped to a disposal facility in the Lower 48.) |
Louis Howard |
| 9/2/2014 |
CERCLA ROD Periodic Review |
1st 4 Yr Review received for the sites: OT001, WP002, SS004, LF007, and Four Unnumbered Sites (Antenna Pads, Contaminated Soil Removal Areas, Drum Storage Area, and Focus Area) at the Former Port Heiden Radio Relay Station. Based on the findings of this first five-year review, the actions performed for soil and groundwater at ERP
Sites OT001, WP002, SS004, LF007, and four unnumbered sites (Antenna Pads, Contaminated Soil Removal Areas, Drum Storage Area, and Focus Area) are considered protective in the short-term because exposures appear to be under control, and no unacceptable risks are occurring. The remedy is ongoing, however, and it is not clear yet that the selected remedy, when complete, will be protective in the long-term because the quantities of soil to be remediated has changed since the decision documents were issued. In addition, soil stockpiling practices should be reviewed and modified to ensure contaminated soil stockpiles are contained in a manner that prevents exposure and cross contamination due to wind erosion or runoff of PCB-contaminated soil.
The remedy selected for groundwater at the former Port Heiden RRS remains protective of human health and the environment in the short-term. To assess long-term protectiveness of groundwater, an MNA evaluation should be conducted, prior to the second five-year review, using the groundwater analytical results from 2004, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 sampling
events. The ICs required by the ROD should be implemented to formally prevent groundwater use.
See site file for additional information. |
Louis Howard |
| 4/25/2016 |
Update or Other Action |
Interim Data Report received. Focus area soils have been removed as part of the Site Road PCB removal action. |
Louis Howard |
| 4/16/2018 |
Update or Other Action |
2nd Explanation of Significant Differences received. Based on the data collected for all sites
currently addressed in the ROD or 2010 ESD since the publication of the ESD, the only
differences identified as significant and warranting the publication of this current ESD are: Significant increases in PCB-contaminated soil quantity were identified. The increase in quantities of PCB-contaminated soil will result in increased overall costs.
These differences have arisen as additional site data have become available. Sampling to
support the excavation, offsite transport, and disposal of PCB-contaminated soil has identified
additional areas of PCB contamination that were not fully characterized during the Remedial
Investigation/Feasibility Study. Although the total cost to dispose of these additional
contaminated soils has increased, the disposal cost per ton has not changed significantly. The
public could have reasonably anticipated these changes.
See site file for additional information. |
Louis Howard |
| 1/24/2019 |
Update or Other Action |
2016-2018 PCB Contaminated Soil Removal Action Report received. The Focus Area was included as par of the Soil Removal Area 2 (OT001) actions. TSCA and non-TSCA grids targeted for future excavation activities and proposed characterization sample locations are presented in figures in Appendix A. An estimated 5,419 tons of non-TSCA soil and 77 tons of TSCA soil remain onsite to be excavated. Contamination at the North Landfill will be addressed under a separate contract.
See site file for further information. |
Louis Howard |
| 11/14/2019 |
Site Added to Database |
A new site has been added to the database |
Mitzi Read |
| 8/25/2021 |
Exposure Tracking Model Ranking |
Initial ranking with ETM completed for source area id: 80512 name: Focus Area |
Darren Mulkey |
| 3/4/2022 |
Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other |
ADEC approved the 2022 Work Plan PCB-Contaminated Soil Removal Action at Port Heiden Radio Relay Station, Alaska, Final, January 28, 2022. The work plan describes the further characterization of the North Landfill and the planned remedial actions to remove PCB contaminated soil at the Radio Relay Station in Port Heiden, Alaska. The sites included in this report are the Former Composite Building OT001, the Landfill LF007, the Black Lagoon WP002, Septic Tank Outfall SS004, the Contaminated Soil Removal Areas, the Focus Area, the Antenna Pads, and the Drum Storage Area. |
Ginna Quesada |
| 10/17/2023 |
Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other |
DEC reviewed the Draft Preliminary Assessment Report for Aqueous Film-Forming Foam Areas Port Heiden Radio Relay Station, Alaska, Dated October 2023. The preliminary assessment describes the document search and interviews to identify the potential presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) associated with aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) at the Port Heiden Radio Relay Station, Alaska. No evidence of AFFF use at the site was encountered. The assessment recommended no further remedial action planned for the site.
|
Ginna Quesada |
| 11/1/2024 |
CERCLA ROD Periodic Review |
The DEC reviewed and provided comments for the Third CERCLA Five-Year Review for Sites OT001, WP002, LF007, and Four Unnumbered Sites (Antenna Pads, Contaminated Soil Removal Areas, Focus Area, and Drum Storage Area) and Second Non-CERCLA Periodic Review Report for Site SS006 at the Former Port Heiden Radio Relay Station, Alaska. The comment matrix and response letter were sent to the PM on 11/1/2024. The DEC is in disagreement with the Air Force regarding the protectiveness statement. Not enough of the remedy has been implemented since the second FYR to achieve a Protectiveness Statement of Short Term Protective. Based on the provided information, evidence, and DEC’s interpretation of FYR guidance and expected answers to Questions A, B, and C, the DEC requests that the Protectiveness Determination remain Protectiveness Deferred. |
Matthew Fleetwood |
