Site Report: Shungnak School HOT
| Site Name: | Shungnak School HOT |
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| Address: | 6 W River Road, Shungnak, AK 99773 |
| File Number: | 490.38.007 |
| Hazard ID: | 27821 |
| Status: | Active |
| Staff: | Lisa Krebs-Barsis, 9072697691 lisa.krebs-barsis@alaska.gov |
| Latitude: | 66.889007 |
| Longitude: | -157.134968 |
| Horizontal Datum: | WGS84 |
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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
Two tanks on Northwest Arctic Borough School District property were connected to a three-way valve used by the school, local utilities, and the Shungnak Native Store. During a fill, the three-way valve was improperly opened, allowing fuel to flow into the two opened top school tanks. This caused one tank to overfill. Spilled diesel traveled south across the hill before turning east and flowing downhill towards the Kobuk River. Silty sand substrate allowed the majority of diesel spilled to percolate into substrate at top of the hill. However, a significant, yet unknown amount flowed downhill. The 2021 field report confirms downhill contamination has moved closer to the river, but ground water was not encountered during delineation. Field investigations also do not indicate the Kobuk River, a source of drinking water, or groundwater has been affected as of 2021. Contamination at the top of the hillside appears to be 10ft below ground surface and may also overlap a previously unreported historical spill that was discovered during 2020 delineation. Some contaminated soils were removed and sent to the landfill, while the rest of the contaminated soils remain at the site in a stockpile.
Action Information
| Action Date | Action | Description | DEC Staff |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11/8/2022 | Site Added to Database | A new site has been added to the database | Mandy Salminen |
| 11/8/2022 | Potentially Responsible Party/State Interest Letter | Letter sent by Jade Miller of PPR on 6/23/2020 | Mandy Salminen |
| 11/8/2022 | Spill Transferred from Prevention Preparedness and Response Program | Shungnak School Heating Oil 15000gal; Spill #: 20389917201; File #:20389917201; PPR Staff: Jade Miller | Mandy Salminen |
| 11/9/2022 | Update or Other Action | Contaminated Sites Program (CSP) project manager met with DEC Drinking Water Program staff about the sample results from the Shungnak drinking water intake in the Kobuk River. Laboratory analytical results from December 2021 revealed non-detectable concentrations for volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Samples have not yet been collected for 2022, Shungnak is required to do so by the end of the year. Results will be sent to the CSP once received. | Naomi Mason |
| 12/13/2022 | Potentially Responsible Party/State Interest Letter | Potentially Responsible Party letter and Work Plan Request letter sent to the Alaska Native Industries Cooperative Association (ANICA), Inc. on this date. | Naomi Mason |
| 1/17/2023 | Potentially Responsible Party/State Interest Letter | Potentially Responsible Party letter, Information Request, and Work Plan Request letter sent to the Native Village of Shungnak on this date. | Naomi Mason |
| 1/17/2023 | Potentially Responsible Party/State Interest Letter | Potentially Responsible Party letter and Work Plan Request and Drum Disposal letter sent to the Northwest Arctic Borough School District on this date. | Naomi Mason |
| 3/21/2023 | Update or Other Action | Continued correspondence with the Native Village of Shungnak: they are still looking for funding for site characterization and cleanup. Correspondence on this date with the IGAP coordinator that she is working with the school to obtain the status of the drums storing free-product on the school property and come up with a final disposal plan. ADEC continues to stress that the drums need to be immediately secured to prevent spills and leaks. Reached out to the Drinking Water Program (DWP) on this date, after multiple reminders from the DWP, Shungnak did not submit their VOC samples in 2022. DWP will continue requesting these samples. | Naomi Mason |
| 5/5/2023 | Exposure Tracking Model Ranking | Initial ranking with ETM completed for source area id: 81252 name: Shungnak School HOT | Naomi Mason |
| 6/1/2023 | Update or Other Action | On May 30, 2023, the Shungnak School Principal/Mayor called to confirm that no drums of free product were being stored at the school maintenance building. Private property owner called to report that the snow has melted and the river is broken up, there is a very strong diesel odor on his property. He said he stuck a stick in the ground and it was pure diesel free product 4-5 inches into the soil. At this time, it does not appear to be migrating toward the river, but the possibility of the fuel migrating into the river and contaminating the drinking water supply for Shungnak is his biggest concern. Shungnak residents have reached out to the Northwest Arctic Borough for support and they seemed concerned about the situation. Private property owner called ADEC on this date and confirmed again that no drums were being stored at the school property. It is unknown what happened to the drums. | Naomi Mason |
| 8/24/2023 | Site Visit | ADEC staff visited the site on this date. Pre-treatment drinking water samples were collected to be analyzed for diesel range organics (DRO), residual range organics (RRO), gasoline range organics (GRO) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). An inspection of the site and stockpiles was conducted. The stockpile at the school is approximately 700 cubic yards and is partially covered with a permeable, woven liner and is not contained. The contamination is migrating down the slope toward the Kobuk River and soil exhibiting visual and olfactory signs of contamination is present within 100 feet of the raw water line. Sheening and diesel odors have been reported downgradient of the HOT stockpile near the house immediately to the south. The source area is likely larger than originally documented in previous reports. Additionally, piping that is potentially related to an unregistered underground storage tank (UST) was noted on the south side of the School Maintenance Building. | Naomi Mason |
| 10/13/2023 | Update or Other Action | Samples collected from the community drinking water source were analyzed for diesel range organics (DRO), gasoline range organics (GRO), residual range organics (RRO), and volatile organic compounds (VOC). Petroleum contamination was not detected in the drinking water source for the community. | Lisa Krebs-Barsis |
| 10/25/2023 | Update or Other Action | EPA Emergency Management personnel and contractors conducted stabilization and investigation activities at the site October 2nd through October 7th. Activities included moving and covering the contaminated soil stockpile at the school and investigation including advancing soil borings and monitoring wells and collecting samples. Stockpiles at the landfill were not part of the scope of work. Results have not yet been received. | Lisa Krebs-Barsis |
| 5/10/2024 | Site Characterization Report Approved | Reviewed Removal Site Evaluation (RSE) Report for the Shungnak Heating Oil Release prepared by Weston for EPA Region X. The goal of the RSE was to evaluate the threat to the Kobuk River from the June 2020 heating oil release. 47 soil borings were advanced to a depth of 20 feet bgs and 39 analytical soil samples were collected to evaluate the extent of soil contamination; monitoring wells were installed into four of the soil borings and three were sampled to evaluate groundwater impacts and two drinking water samples were collected from the municipal water system-one prior to treatment and one after. The approximate 700-cy stockpile of contaminated soil was moved onto an impermeable liner and covered to prevent secondary contamination. The stockpile was then sampled and samples were also collected from beneath the former stockpile location. Stockpile samples contained DRO, 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene, and naphthalene above the cleanup level Soil samples contained concentrations of DRO above the migration-to-groundwater cleanup level at 5 locations ranging from 463 mg/kg to 9,480 mg/kg primarily within or downgradient of the source area. Field screening and analytical sampling indicated the highest concentrations were slightly deeper in the soil column on top of and below the hillside and more shallow along the hillside. 3-D subsurface modelling using both Petroflag and laboratory analytical results indicated concentrated areas of DRO contamination near the source area and below the hillside, with lesser concentrations along the hillside itself. The report however notes additional potential sources of petroleum contamination including a leaky fuel header, an abandoned UST, discarded petroleum containers, and anecdotal evidence of fueling vehicles in the area. Of the four monitoring wells installed, the well nearest the source area was dry so no sample was collected. The two wells at the bottom of the bluff along the Kobuk River did not contain detectable concentrations of contaminants. The mid-hillside well, MW-11 contained DRO at 1.04 mg/l, below the cleanup level of 1.5 mg/L. DRO was not detected in the samples from the Municipal water supply. | Bill O'Connell |
Contaminant Information
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There are no documents for this site report.
No associated sites were found.