| Action Date |
Action |
Description |
DEC Staff |
| 5/2/1995 |
Update or Other Action |
DEC received a US Coast Guard situation report describing its response to a report of sheen entering marine waters. Valves on fuel tanks owned by the village were found to be leaking and were repaired. They noted approximately 250 WWII era drums around the village and stated that many had leaked their contents and others were still full. |
John Halverson |
| 12/1/1995 |
Update or Other Action |
DEC received a Draft Landfill Closure Report from the Corps of Engineers. It describes cleanup work done in 1986 as including removal of Quonset huts and other buildings, 150 cubic yards of asbestos containing material, drums and fuel tanks, fuel pipelines that were visible, marsten matting (runway matting) that was visible and the old pier. |
John Halverson |
| 6/10/1998 |
Update or Other Action |
Staff reviewed and commented on a draft Site Inspection workplan prepared by the Corps. The Corps planned to conduct limited sampling to rank the site using the DOD relative risk ranking model. |
John Halverson |
| 8/8/1998 |
Update or Other Action |
The Corps provided DEC Preliminary Trip Report Notes from the Atka Site Inspection. Solid waste from the '86 cleanup disposal sites B and C is partially exposed due to wind erosion. Petroleum contaminated soil was observed at a former power plant building foundation and a former motor pool building foundation. Residents had pointed out areas of concern including old military drums that were reportedly buried beneath the village tank farm area and a disposal site near the village dock. |
John Halverson |
| 1/23/2002 |
Preliminary Assessment Approved |
Superfund Technical Assessment and Response Team (START) site inspection report received. A records review and site visit were conducted. Metal and other debris were observed protrudinng from landfills B and C, a reported fuel disposal area south of the village along Puganax Creek was inspected and limited soil/surface water sampling conducted - ~100 drums were reportedly buried when a nearby bluff sloughed and covered them. Approx 20 drums were observed during the inspection, one within 50' of the creek and bay was leaking a black oily substance. A soil sample from stained soil contained 27,000 mg/kg RRO, 4800 mg/kg DRO, 0.15 mg/kg benzene, several SVOCs and low level inorganics.
One sediment and surface water sample were collected from Korovin Lake, near Disposal Site A and a former WWII hospital complex that has been demolished. The water sample contained low level xylenes (0.37 ug/L).
A disposal site near Dock Creek contained metal floats from antisubmarine netting; orange precipitated was observed on te streambed. One sediment sample was collected from the creek and contained low level inorganics.
A sediment/soil sample from a drywell/sump at the former motor pool building pad contained pentachlorophenol at 860 ug/kg. |
Bruce Wanstall |
| 6/24/2002 |
Update or Other Action |
Attended meeting with the COE, DOT, and FAA. The DOT is intending to expand the runway and apron area in 2003. They are planning on acquiring the project property and current airport site fee simple from the Axtam Native Corporation. The DOT is soliciting guidance from the ADEC on the environmental concerns at the site (COE RP). They believe all the known impacted areas (three disposal sites, former generator building and motorpool) can be avoided, except perhaps the motorpool site. |
Bruce Wanstall |
| 7/2/2002 |
Update or Other Action |
DEC accompanied DOT, USFW, Corps and SHPO staff on a site inspection trip to Atka to assist in coordination on an upcoming airport improvement project. DOT is considering acquiring more property around the airport and is concerned about contaminants and solid waste in the area related to the Formerly Used Defense Site. Marsten matting and other solid waste were observed eroding from the landfill sites. Stained soil observed in the Snow removal equipment building. |
John Halverson |
| 8/26/2002 |
Site Characterization Workplan Approved |
DEC approved a Site Characterization Workplan, prepared by Oasis Environmental for AK DOT. |
John Halverson |
| 11/19/2002 |
Site Characterization Report Approved |
DEC received the final site characterization report prepared by Oasis Environmental for AK DOT. Soil and groundwater samples collected during this assessment did not exceed applicable cleanup levels with the exception of selenium in one soil sample. The assessment did not characterize the entire area. DOT does not plan further work at this site since it is not on State land, potential contamination appears minimal and the site will not affect the airport improvement project. |
John Halverson |
| 1/14/2003 |
Update or Other Action |
The Corps of Engineers submitted a draft Inventory Project Report to DEC proposing Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS) projects to investigate and remove any remaining military underground storage tanks, 55 gallon drums, to evaluate military responsibility for oil/grease drums (some of which were buried when the adjacent bluff sloughed) at Pugankix Creek, and to abandon the dry well at the former generator or motor pool building.
DEC replied via email that investigation into potential munitions or explosives of concern may also be warranted and the DEC does not concur further investigation for military munitions is not warranted. |
John Halverson |
| 1/24/2003 |
Site Added to Database |
Atka AF Auxiliary Airfield expanded into a total of four unique sites from the original. |
John Halverson |
| 6/29/2004 |
Site Characterization Report Approved |
DOT has conducted property acquisition studies and assessment work around the Atka airport. Near an old WWII motor pool building, previous site samples had detected low levels of mercury in the immediate vicinity of the foundation. ADOT&PF is planning to acquire the property within fifty feet south, east, and north of the building foundation. Airspace improvements require excavation into the soils comprising the hillside approximately 100 feet east of the motor pool foundation. Two additional samples and one duplicate were collected and analyzed from this area and mercury was not detected above method reporting limits. DOT should be able to proceed with excavation plans without having to conduct further characterization or waste management with respect to soil near the motorpool.
Test pits were dug to follow up on geophysical survey work conducted in 2002 that indicated ares with potential buried drums. One test pit did contain partially buried drums, but they were did not contain liquids and were partially or completely full of sand. Other pits contained solid waste and clay with various aggregates that likely produced the GPR anomolies. |
John Halverson |
| 6/18/2008 |
Exposure Tracking Model Ranking |
Initial ranking with ETM completed. |
Evonne Reese |
| 8/18/2008 |
Site Number Identifier Changed |
File number changed from 2513.38.001 to 2513.38.004 per John Halverson. |
Nicole Hurt |
| 10/7/2014 |
Meeting or Teleconference Held |
While meeting with USACE and contractors to discuss remediation/investigation at Cape Kudugnak USACE announced that Atka AF Auxiliary Airfield will be addressed during the 2015 field season. Planning for this activity is beginning. Scoping meetings will be held. |
Guy Warren |
| 1/28/2015 |
Meeting or Teleconference Held |
Attended TPP meeting for Remedial Investigation at Atka Auxiliary Airfield. The USACE has conducted Historical Photo Analysis and extensive GIS interpretation. Plan for 2015 is to perform reconnaissance of all former structures associated with the facility. The reconnaissance will allow USACE to identify and prioritize areas for future investigation and remediation activity. The RI is planned to occur in three phases (2015 through 2017). |
Guy Warren |
| 6/2/2015 |
Update or Other Action |
Submit comments to USACE on the Phase I RI work plan for the Atka AFAA FUDS. Comments focused on using consistent terminology and a lack of inspections for the landfills created during the 1980's. |
Guy Warren |
| 4/21/2016 |
Site Visit |
ADEC, Ahtna, and APIA visited the project site in Atka. A public meeting was held at the Atka School from 4:30-5:45pm. Ahtna gave a PowerPoint presentation on Phase II RI site work proposed for summer 2016; the community was in support of the project. Ahtna provided ADEC with the Draft Phase II RI Work Plan. |
Holly Weiss-Racine |
| 7/8/2016 |
Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other |
ADEC approved the “Phase II HTRW Remedial Investigation Work Plan – Atka Air Force Auxiliary Field FUDS”. Although there were no major issues with the work plan, field work for the Phase II investigation began in late May, prior to work plan approval. The objective of Phase II work is to investigate the 352 features determined to have evidence of potential environmental impacts identified during the Phase I(2015). Phase II will identify the presence/absence of contamination at each of the 352 sites. If time allows, contamination will be delineated. The majority of contamination delineation is proposed for the Phase III (anticipated in 2017).
|
Holly Weiss-Racine |
| 7/21/2016 |
Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other |
ADEC approved the Final Phase I RI Report; Phase II of the RI is ongoing. |
Holly Weiss-Racine |
| 6/8/2017 |
Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other |
ADEC received and reviewed the Draft 2016 Phase II HTRW Remedial Investigation Report, Atka Air Force Auxiliary Field, FUDS, May 2017. This report provides the results of an RI completed at 352 features of assessment (FOAs), presents a preliminary conceptual site model (CSM), and introduces planning considerations for Phase III RI activities. |
Darren Mulkey |
| 6/28/2017 |
Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other |
ADEC received and reviewed the Phase III HTRW Remedial Investigation Work Plan Addendum, Atka Air Force Auxiliary Filed, FUDS, June 2017. This Phase III RI is essentially an extension of the Phase II RI work that was not completed in 2016. The objective of Phase III RI is to complete the investigation started in 2016 under Phase II. This planning document is an addendum to the Phase II HTRW Remedial Investigation Work Plan, Atka Air Force Auxiliary Field, July 2016 (Phase II Work Plan). Data gaps identified in the 2016 Phase II RI Report are carried forward into the Phase III RI Work Plan for resolution. |
Darren Mulkey |
| 6/14/2019 |
Update or Other Action |
Site location was updated on this date. Coordinates for this site are used to determine the presence and position of the site on BLM’s ANCSA Conveyed Land web map. |
Rebekah Reams |
| 10/22/2019 |
Risk Assessment Report Approved |
This report provides the cumulative results of the investigations completed at 354 features at the Atka AF AUX FLD, including the nature and extent of contamination in surface and subsurface
soil, surface water, sediment, and groundwater; defines the conceptual site model (CSM) for each
feature; and then evaluates both human health and ecological risk. |
Darren Mulkey |
| 10/22/2019 |
CERCLA RI Report Approved |
The RI was completed to gather data to ascertain the presence or absence of contamination and,
where necessary, to delineate the extent of contamination at 354 features of assessment (FOAs)
previously identified by the Phase I HTRW RI as showing some evidence of potential environmental impact warranting further investigation. Lines of evidence used by the Phase I RI
to determine the potential for environmental impact included: 1) type of feature (such as fuel tank, pipeline, or drum); 2) current visual evidence (such as staining, sheening, odor, or stressed vegetation); and 3) historical or current debris (such as a pile of drums, found battery, or large buried object). The RI was conducted across three field seasons, from May 23 to September 7, 2016; from June 2 to September 22, 2017; and from and from July 15 to September 15, 2018, to investigate the FOAs from previous military operations. Each FOA was assessed independently, with the rare exception of when contaminant plumes crossed geographical boundaries, in which case those FOAs were combined. A write-up for each FOA has been completed summarizing the known historical information available, identifying field efforts performed (and discussion of any work plan deviations), summarizing field screening and analytical results (and identifying any potential data gaps), discussion and update of the conceptual site model, and presenting the determination of the investigation outcome. Included with the write-up for each FOA is a table summarizing analytical results, a figure(s) showing investigation locations, all UVOST logs, soil boring logs, well installation and development logs, and associated site photos. |
Darren Mulkey |
| 9/30/2022 |
CERCLA Proposed Plan |
DEC provided comments for the "Draft no further action (NFA) proposed plan (PP) under CERCLA for 317
features identified in the 2019 Atka AF Remedial Investigation (RI), Undated," to the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (USACE). 317 features were evaluated and assessed for No Action under CERCLA. |
Erica Blake |
| 2/22/2023 |
CERCLA FS |
DEC reviewed and emailed comment letter and table for the Revised Draft Feasibility Study PMA-BG-003 Former Material Handling Building, Atka Air Force Auxiliary Field, FUDS No. F10AK0851-02, Atka Island, Alaska Dated January 2023. |
Daniela Fawcett |
| 5/8/2023 |
Meeting or Teleconference Held |
DEC, the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) and legal met to discuss comments for the "Atka Draft Feasibility Study PMA-BG-003." Comments regarding the risk range and migration to groundwater cleanup levels used in the document were discussed for a potential path forward to resolution. |
Erica Blake |
| 5/18/2023 |
CERCLA FS |
DEC provided responses to comments for the "Feasibility Study PMA-BG-003 Former Material Handling Building, Atka Air Force Auxiliary Field, FUDS No. F10AK0851-02, Atka Island, Alaska, Revised Draft, dated January 2023" to the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (USACE). The response to comments letter stated DEC will not be able to approve the document where there are no remedial alternatives cleaning up PMA-BG-003 to the most stringent cleanup levels. Continued disagreement on the risk range was recommended to be captured in the Record of Decision as an applicable or relevant and appropriate requirement (ARAR) between the State and USACE. |
Erica Blake |
| 6/19/2023 |
CERCLA Proposed Plan |
DEC provided responses to comments for the "Proposed Plan for No Action Atka Air Force Auxiliary Field FUDS on Atka, Alaska, Undated" to the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (USACE). Responses to comments were received April 4, 2023. The revised redline of the Proposed Plan removed petroleum only sites, and only addressed sites with CERCLA contamination being recommended for No Further Action (No Action). 293 features of interest are being recommended for No Action under CERCLA with this Proposed Plan. |
Erica Blake |
| 9/15/2023 |
CERCLA Proposed Plan |
DEC provided additional responses to comments for the "Proposed Plan for No Action Atka Air Force Auxiliary Field FUDS on Atka, Alaska," Undated to the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (USACE). There continues to be disagreement on a few unresolved comments regarding remaining contamination remaining at areas of concern above DEC's migration to groundwater cleanup levels. |
Erica Blake |
| 12/14/2023 |
Meeting or Teleconference Held |
DEC project manager (PM) had a teleconference to discuss the site with the USACE FUDS PM. |
Sarah Bernhardt |
| 12/20/2023 |
CERCLA FS |
DEC provided an acknowledgement of receipt for the Feasibility Study PMA-BG-003 Former Material Handling Building, Atka Air Force Auxiliary Field, Atka Island, Alaska, Final (dated June 2023) to the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. Several comments were not resolved prior to the document finalization. The expectation is that DEC and the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers will continue discussing the most appropriate remedial alternatives for PMA-BG-003 during development of the Proposed Plan, and that the remedies proposed will meet all applicable regulatory requirements. |
Erica Blake |
| 8/9/2024 |
CERCLA Proposed Plan |
DEC received notice of public comment for two proposed plans (PPs) prepared by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Formerly Used Defense Site (FUDS) Program to inform and invite public comment on the path forward for Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) features located within the Atka Air Force Auxiliary FUDS. These two PPs include:
• The Proposed Plan for further action at the CERCLA feature PMA-BG-00 creosote timber pile
• The Proposed Plan for No Further Action at 293 other CERCLA features.
DEC provided initial comments on the draft Proposed Plan for further action at the CERCLA feature PMA-BG-00 creosote timber pile in July 2024. DEC provided additional Response to Comments in July 2024 on The Proposed Plan for No Further Action at 293 other CERCLA features, dated September 2022. Public comment directed to USACE FUDS will be accepted on either of the Proposed Plans prior to September 23, 2024. The plans are posted online.
|
Sarah Bernhardt |
| 9/20/2024 |
CERCLA Proposed Plan |
On this date DEC provided comments during the public comment period for two proposed plans: 1. Atka Air Force Auxiliary Field FUDS F10AK085102 – Proposed Plan for PMABG-003. The preferred alternative presented in the plan, Alternative 6, for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soil at PMA-BG-003 is Creosote Timber and Soil Removal with Off-site Landfilling. 2. No Further Action (NFA) Proposed Plan (PP) Under
CERCLA for 293 Features at Atka Aux Field. |
Sarah Bernhardt |
