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Site Report: AKARNG Savoonga FSA

Site Name: AKARNG Savoonga FSA
Address: Unnamed Road, Savoonga, AK 99769
File Number: 670.38.002
Hazard ID: 3099
Status: Active
Staff: Jenny Gates, 9072628203 jenny.gates@alaska.gov
Latitude: 63.695351
Longitude: -170.482766
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

Updated Feb. 2024- The Savoonga FSA is a known petroleum-contaminated soil source area, resulting primarily from an estimated 500-gallon heating oil spill to the ground surface from a 3,000-gallon AST. In 1985, 200 gallons of Jet A fuel leaked from drums stored near the AST. In 1992, a leak of an unknown quantity of heating oil from a fuel line. The primary chemicals of concern (COC) at the Savoonga FSRC in site soil are diesel-range organics (DRO), benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene, and total xylenes (BTEX).The primary COCs in site groundwater are gasoline-range organics (GRO), DRO, residual-range organics (RRO), benzene, ethylbenzene, and toluene. Previous investigations reported concentrations above cleanup levels in both soil and groundwater on site. Several investigations have been completed at the Savoonga FSA to determine the nature and extent of contamination at the site.

Action Information

Action Date Action Description DEC Staff
1/30/1998 Site Characterization Report Approved (Old R:Base Action Code = SA1A - Phase I Site Assessment Approval). Received Final Report Preliminary Assessment/Site Investigation prepared by Ogden Environmental and Energy Co., Inc. Site matrix score indicated an Level C cleanup standard. DRO reported below Level C cleanup level in five surface soil samples at concentrations ranging from 12 to 160 mg/kg. Report recommends no further action. Scott Pexton
1/30/1998 Update or Other Action Received Preliminary Assessment/Site Investigation report prepared by Ogden Environmental. Scott Pexton
6/18/1998 Site Ranked Using the AHRM Site ranked by staff. Scott Pexton
6/18/1998 Site Added to Database Site added by staff. Scott Pexton
7/27/1998 Update or Other Action Received Preliminary Assessment Records Review report prepared by Hart Crowser, Inc. Scott Pexton
8/18/1998 Site Characterization Workplan Approved Letter sent with approval of sampling plan prepared by Hart Crowser, Inc. Scott Pexton
2/1/1999 Update or Other Action Received Draft Remedial Investigation Report prepared by Hart Crowser, Inc. Scott Pexton
2/8/1999 Update or Other Action Letter sent with comments on draft remedial investigation report. Scott Pexton
4/30/1999 Update or Other Action Received Final Remedial Investigation Report prepared by Hart Crowser, Inc. Scott Pexton
10/15/1999 Site Ranked Using the AHRM Site reranked based on information in the 1999 Final Remedial Investigation Report. Scott Pexton
3/12/2004 Update or Other Action ADEC received draft Alternate Cleanup Level Demonstration Project. Beatrice Egbejimba
4/9/2004 Update or Other Action File number assigned: 670.38.002. Sarah Cunningham
2/4/2005 Update or Other Action Staff reviewed the July 2004 final workplan that was recieved Oct 04 for the Alternate Cleanup Level Project. The work plan in general meets requirements. Debra Caillouet
2/18/2005 Update or Other Action A letter was sent to the AKANG providing conditional approval of the workplan. Debra Caillouet
5/4/2006 Update or Other Action Staff reviewed the Draft Alternative Cleanup Level Demonstration Project Report, Savoonga FSA, March 2006 DEC provided the following comment: The boring log for SAV-ACL-003 shows that the sample was obtained in a soil horizon different from the areas that are impacted. Specifically the soil is identified as grayish, brown silt, some organics. Samples in impacted areas are identified as brown silty sand and gravel. Sample 003 should not be used for determination of background soil characteristics. Removing Sample 003 from the data set yields an average TOC for the site of .014 g/g. Please use this value to calculate a site specific cleanup level. Debra Caillouet
5/9/2006 Update or Other Action The Draft Alternative Cleanup Level Demonstration Project Report, Savoonga FSA, March 2006 was reviewed and a comment letter sent to the AKARNG. Debra Caillouet
4/2/2008 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking Initial ranking with ETM completed. Debra Caillouet
4/25/2008 Site Characterization Report Approved The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) received the Alternative Cleanup Level Demonstration Project, Savoonga FSA, May 2006 on April 14, 2008. The report incorporated acceptable response to comment provided by DEC on the draft. The report provides additional site characterization data and is approved under 18 AAC 75.335. DEC is not providing a determination on an alternative cleanup level at this time. Debra Caillouet
2/3/2010 Meeting or Teleconference Held Staff participated in the Installation Action Plan meeting. Debra Caillouet
11/30/2010 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Staff reviewed and sent comment to the Alaska Army National Guard on the Draft Work Plan for Site Characterization at 21 Alaska Federal Scout Readiness Centers, November 2010, including the Site Specific Plans for Akiak, St. Mary’s and Tuntutuliak. Debra Caillouet
4/19/2011 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Draft Site Specific Work Plans, Fort Yukon, Kwethluk, Nightmute, Savoonga, and Toksook Bay, Federal Scout Armories, March 2011 Debra Caillouet
5/23/2011 Site Characterization Workplan Approved Final Work Plan for Site Characterization at 21 Alaska Federal Scout Readiness Centers, April 2011 approved. Debra Caillouet
1/25/2013 Site Characterization Report Approved Savoonga Federal Scout Readiness Center, Data Gap Investigation Report, January 2013 The investigation defined the areas of the site with contamination from diesel range organics (DRO) remaining. Suprapermafrost groundwater had been impacted by DRO and benzene and appears to be migrating off-site. The extent of the suprapermafrost groundwater contamination has not been defined. The hydrocarbon risk calculator was used to calculate proposed alternative cleanup levels based on the mass fraction of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons in the diesel range. The HRC was also used to back calculate cleanup levels for the migration to groundwater pathway. This resulted in proposed cleanup levels of 11,015 mg/kg DRO and 0.13 mg/kg benzene based on the migration to groundwater pathway. ADEC has no objection to the use of these cleanup levels. Debra Caillouet
6/10/2013 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking A new updated ranking with ETM has been completed for source area 74074 Spills/leaks. Debra Caillouet
12/17/2015 Update or Other Action Staff changed to Danielle Duncan and hard file transferred to the Juneau office. Kristin Thompson
12/23/2015 Update or Other Action Should be receiving a work plan for additional site sampling and groundwater sampling. Also scoped for a ROD soon. Danielle Duncan
3/3/2016 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Rec'd the draft site characterization plan this date. Danielle Duncan
4/6/2016 Update or Other Action Reviewed the draft site characterization plan for the site. Sent letter and comment table requesting that the Figure 2 which is for Gambell be removed and that the plan be reviewed and re-submitted for ADEC review. Note: Savoonga drinking water comes from a 180 ft bgs well located approximately 3/4 mile southeast and upgradient from the site. The well is adjacent to the runway. Danielle Duncan
5/18/2016 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Rec'd the revised Site Characterization plan this date. Danielle Duncan
6/9/2016 Risk Assessment Report Approved Sent comments on the Draft SCP Rev 1. The current work is a groundwater investigation only. No soil samples will be collected as prior investigations have adequately characterized soil conditions on site. Five permanent groundwater monitoring wells will be installed. I requested that the locations be staggered more. Also requested modification to the CSMs. Danielle Duncan
6/27/2016 Site Characterization Workplan Approved Approved the Final Site Characterization Plan this date. My comments were adequately addressed and the new monitoring well locations are suitable for groundwater characterization. Danielle Duncan
12/28/2016 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Reviewed the draft Site Characterization Report this date and provided comments. Danielle Duncan
6/20/2017 Site Characterization Report Approved Reviewed and approved the report titled: Final Savoonga Site Characterization Report dated May 2017. The Report details the installation of 5 permanent groundwater monitoring wells at 6.5-6.6 feet below ground surface. MW2 and MW3 located on the eastern side of the site have DRO concentrations (1,500-2,900 µg/L) equal to or above the 18 AAC 75.340 Table C groundwater cleanup level of 1,500 µg/L. The ADEC concurs with the reported conclusion that contaminated groundwater appears to be migrating offsite to the east. MW4 located northwest of the armory also had a DRO concentration (2,900 µg/L) greater than ADEC cleanup levels. Danielle Duncan
6/20/2017 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking A new updated ranking with ETM has been completed for source area 74074 Spills/leaks. Danielle Duncan
11/6/2017 Update or Other Action Reviewed the Final Site Characterization report this date - the report has already been approved. The Guard plans on finishing the feasibility study, preliminary assessment, etc. and prepare a Record of Decision. Long-term monitoring is not underway. Danielle Duncan
12/1/2017 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Reviewed a draft Record of Decision and commented. The proposed alternative cleanup levels are not protective of the ingestion of groundwater pathway and are not approved. Danielle Duncan
4/9/2018 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking A new updated ranking with ETM has been completed for source area 74074 Spills/leaks. Danielle Duncan
7/30/2018 Update or Other Action The USACE is working on a cleanup scope. Danielle Duncan
1/20/2020 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other ADEC has received "Draft Decision Document for Federal Scout Readiness Center Savoonga, Alaska” dated January 2019. ADEC is in the processing of reviewing and providing comments on the referenced document dated January 2020. The Decision Document describes the selected remedies for the Federal Scout Readiness Center at Savoonga. Rachael Petraeus
3/26/2020 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other ON March 26, 2020, ADEC received response to comments on "Draft Decision Document for Federal Scout Readiness Center Savoonga, Alaska” Dated January 2019. ADEC will review response to comments. Rachael Petraeus
7/30/2020 Cleanup Level(s) Approved On July 30, 2020, ADEC approved alternative cleanup levels. ADEC received the request and calculations for AKARNG Savoonga FSA submitted via email on June 25, 2020. The cleanup levels proposed are based on a site specific total organic carbon (TOC) content in the soil of 0.01278 g/g rather than the default 0.001 g/g. ADEC concurs with the use of the TOC value. This results in the gasoline range organics (GRO) soil cleanup level being capped at the maximum allowable level of 1,400 mg/kg and chrysene being capped at human health cleanup level of 1,200 mg/kg. GRO 1,400 mg/kg, DRO 3,000 mg/kg, RRO 10,000 mg/kg, Benzene 0.13 mg/kg, Toluene 47 mg/kg, Ethylbenzene 1.2 mg/kg, Xylenes 13 mg/kg, Chrysene 1,200 mg/kg, Fluorene 460 mg/kg, Naphthalene 0.43 mg/kg, Pyrene 1,100 mg/kg, 1-Methylnaphthalene 4.9 mg/kg, and 2-Methylnaphthalene 15 mg/kg. Rachael Petraeus
3/31/2021 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other On March 24, 2021 ADEC received "Draft Final Decision Document for Federal Scout Readiness Center" dated December 2020. Rachael Petraeus
5/23/2022 Update or Other Action The ADEC provided comments to a draft work plan that was submitted on 5/23/2022. Flannery Ballard
7/7/2022 Site Characterization Workplan Approved ADEC approved the "Final Work Plan/ UFP/QAPP" this date. Flannery Ballard
8/17/2022 Offsite Soil or Groundwater Disposal Approved The ADEC approved the transport of 30 tons of contaminated soil that will be transported and disposed of at the Columbia Ridge Landfill. Flannery Ballard
11/3/2022 Update or Other Action Update from RP: more contaminated soil was encountered than was originally suspected. An additional round of excavation will be necessary. Site Characterization report will be submitted shortly. Flannery Ballard
5/24/2023 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other The DEC reviewed the Remedial Action report for the Savoonga FSA, dated February 2023. The DEC is providing comments, which should be addressed before the report is re-submitted for approval. Flannery Ballard
6/15/2023 Site Characterization Report Approved The DEC approved the Remedial Action report for the Savoonga FSA. The report details the excavation of 30 CY of contaminated soil in and around the sources area; the excavation of 10 test pits for delineation purposes, and an attempt to sample suprapermafrost porewater. There were exceedances of DRO, BTEX, and multiple VOCs and PAHs in soil, and in groundwater. The ADEC concurs with the report's conclusions that more investigation is needed. A final version of the report will be uploaded to the database when received. Flannery Ballard
2/22/2024 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Statement of Work for a Data Gap Analysis, Savoonga Federal Scout Armory, received 02.22.2024. ADEC comments sent to AKARNG on 03.14.2024. Jenny Gates

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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
TDD: 800-770-8973
Physical Location: 410 Willoughby