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Site Report: USFS Thorne Bay Landfill

Site Name: USFS Thorne Bay Landfill
Address: 1.5 Mi. W. of Thorne Bay, Thorne Bay, AK 99919
File Number: 1528.38.002
Hazard ID: 3141
Status: Active
Staff: Alena Voigt, 9072697556 alena.voigt@alaska.gov
Latitude: 55.693645
Longitude: -132.562457
Horizontal Datum:NAD83

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

This site refers to two of three landfills 1.5 miles from Thorne Bay. While the landfills sites are predominantly solid waste, there were many hazardous wastes that were dumped in the area in mostly unknown quantities including: paint, waste oil, old gas, diesel fuel, batteries, paint thinner, waste solvent, PCB transformers, arsenic-based pesticides. Metals are leaching from the site into nearby waterways. Forest Service conducted an engineering Removal Action under CERCLA authority; NFRAP with long-term monitoring planned.

Action Information

Action Date Action Description DEC Staff
1/6/2000 Site Ranked Using the AHRM Initial ranking. Meilani Clark
1/11/2000 Site Added to Database Metals, paint, waste oil, old gas, and diesel fuel. Meilani Clark
4/3/2001 Interim Removal Action Approved Lead contaminated soil removed from soil scrapings pile used for target practice. See letter at G:\SPAR\Spar-Contaminated Sites\SITES\T. B. Landfill Lead Closure.doc. Bill Janes
7/16/2002 Update or Other Action Both KPC and the USDA/FS have done their own part of the cleanup but the USFS is paying for ADEC oversight. Anne Marie Palmieri
10/4/2002 Meeting or Teleconference Held Meeting held with USFS and KPC. Anne Marie Palmieri
10/24/2002 Update or Other Action Site visit with KPC and ADF&G (Mark Minnillo). Anne Marie Palmieri
10/30/2002 Update or Other Action Iron was found in the water of ditch creek and south creek at levels that violate AWQS. A&WQ and ADF&G have been pulled in. Also, dioxin was found at 20 ng/kg in the sediment of ditch creek near the culvert by the USFS. Anne Marie Palmieri
11/22/2002 Meeting or Teleconference Held Meeting held with USFS and KPC. Anne Marie Palmieri
1/3/2003 Meeting or Teleconference Held Weekly teleconferences scheduled to occur through November 03. Anne Marie Palmieri
1/3/2003 Update or Other Action USFS is going to conduct an EE/CA to close out the site. KPC has proposed taking over the EE/CA. Anne Marie Palmieri
3/25/2003 Update or Other Action Memorandum of proposed action commented on by staff. Anne Marie Palmieri
5/19/2003 Update or Other Action Draft EECA workplan comments provided to FS. Anne Marie Palmieri
6/12/2003 Site Characterization Workplan Approved EECA workplan approved. Anne Marie Palmieri
6/23/2003 Update or Other Action Fieldwork begins. Anne Marie Palmieri
7/28/2003 Update or Other Action Risk Evaluation Report provided. Anne Marie Palmieri
8/18/2003 Update or Other Action Risk Evaluation Report discussions began with DNR-Habitat around this date. Anne Marie Palmieri
10/28/2003 Meeting or Teleconference Held Teleconference held with WQ staff to discuss iron and manganese exceedences in surface water. Anne Marie Palmieri
12/16/2003 Meeting or Teleconference Held Public meeting held in Thorne Bay. Comment period begins. Anne Marie Palmieri
12/26/2003 Long Term Monitoring Established DEC requested annual monitoring of surface water for iron and manganese and a fish survey for 10 years. At that time, we will determine the frequency of future monitoring. CERCLA 5-Year-Reviews also need to be conducted on this site. Anne Marie Palmieri
12/26/2003 Site Characterization Report Approved EE/CA approved this date. DEC requests annual monitoring of water for 10 years and annual fish survey. Anne Marie Palmieri
2/28/2005 Update or Other Action Long-Term Monitoring report (2004) reviewed and approved. Report includes a fish survey and water quality samples for iron and manganese. Results will be used to establish a trend during the 5-Year Review. Anne Marie Palmieri
2/1/2006 Update or Other Action Long-Term Monitoring report (2005) reviewed and approved. Report includes a fish survey and water quality samples for iron and manganese. Results will be used to establish a trend during the 5-Year Review. Anne Marie Palmieri
9/20/2007 Update or Other Action Long-Term Monitoring report (2006) reviewed and approved. Report includes a fish survey and water quality samples for iron and manganese. Results will be used to establish a trend during the 5-Year Review. Anne Marie Palmieri
2/28/2008 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking Initial ranking with ETM completed. Anne Marie Palmieri
4/4/2008 Update or Other Action Long-Term Monitoring report (2007) reviewed and approved. Report includes a fish survey and water quality samples for iron and manganese. Results will be used to establish a trend during the 5-Year Review. The 5-Year Review will be conducted in 2008. Anne Marie Palmieri
9/1/2009 Update or Other Action Five Year Review Report reviewed and approved. Modifications for long-term monitoring made as such: Ditch Creek: sampling results for the past 5 years at the CK-7 and CK-11 (closest to Thorne Bay Estuary) have met water quality standards for iron and manganese for the past 5 years, no additional sampling is needed here. South Creek: sampling results for CK-15, CK-8, CK-14, and CK-13 still show AWQS exceedences for iron and manganese at all locations; monitoring should continue. Toe Creek: sampling results for CK-6 show decreasing concentrations; this sampling location can be eliminated. Fish monitoring in all creeks can be ceased due to the lack of established trends as concluded in the Five Year Review. Anne Marie Palmieri
3/7/2012 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Review and approval of long-term monitoring reports; 2009, 2010, and 2011 sampling events. Anne Marie Palmieri
8/24/2016 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other 2015 surface water monitoring report approved this date. Anne Marie Palmieri
9/2/2016 Update or Other Action On this date, DEC sent a letter to the USFS requesting action on a number of sites. For this site, DEC stated: The USFS addressed the Thorne Bay Landfills under an Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis in 2003 and have been collecting annual surface water samples since then. In a letter dated August 24, 2016, DEC approved the 2015 sampling report and requested that the USFS conduct a Five Year Review or another report which conducts a data trend analysis. The USFS stated in 2014 and 2015 that it intended on conducting this evaluation, but has not done so. DEC requested that the USFS reply in writing regarding its intention regarding this evaluation within 30 days of that letter (September 23, 2016). Anne Marie Palmieri
10/11/2017 Meeting or Teleconference Held DEC, EPA, and USFS met to discuss roles and responsibilities for each agency. Specific actions regarding this site were not discussed at this meeting. Anne Marie Palmieri
2/14/2018 Meeting or Teleconference Held DEC, EPA, and USFS met to discuss roles and responsibilities for each agency. The USFS and DEC agreed to work together to determine criteria and a path forward from the long-term monitoring phase to closure. Anne Marie Palmieri
5/8/2019 Meeting or Teleconference Held DEC and the USFS met on this date to discuss many sites and how to move the sites forward in the cleanup process. A next meeting was scheduled for August. Anne Marie Palmieri
8/12/2019 Meeting or Teleconference Held CS Staff met with the USFS to discuss site issues on this date. Anne Marie Palmieri
10/8/2019 Meeting or Teleconference Held CS Staff met with the USFS to discuss general coordination issues on this date. Anne Marie Palmieri
2/12/2020 Update or Other Action USFS has completed a draft regression analysis for discussions about how to proceed with evaluating the trend for the surface water monitoring. DEC is aware that small alders are growing on top of the landfill and puncturing the synthetic membrane of the cap. This increases the amount of leachate that is produced. DEC has requested that the USFS remove the alders. Anne Marie Palmieri
2/12/2020 Meeting or Teleconference Held CS Staff met with the USFS to discuss general coordination and site issues on this date. Anne Marie Palmieri

Contaminant Information

Name Level Description Media Comments

Control Type

Type Details

Requirements

Description Details

There are no documents for this site report.

No associated sites were found.

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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