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Site Report: Shungnak Native Store

Site Name: Shungnak Native Store
Address: Jim Street between Andy Lane & Back Street, Shungnak, AK 99773
File Number: 490.38.002
Hazard ID: 3832
Status: Active
Staff: Bill O'Connell, 9072693057 bill.oconnell@alaska.gov
Latitude: 66.887987
Longitude: -157.140579
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

Numerous historic spills and leaks have occurred at the Shungnak Native store. In 1993, 450 gallons of heating fuel released at the Store’s unlined bermed day tank area. Approximately 250 gallons of product was recovered by sorbent pads, which were put in plastic bags; and some was scooped from depressions and put in to 55 gallon drums. Fate of these drums and bags is unknown. In 1994, 275 gallons of gas Spilled from the store’s broken flex hose. The quantity of recovered free product is unknown. In 1998, five gallons of gasoline leaked from the store’s pipe during fill operations. The contaminated soil was removed and place in the tank farm (TF) area. In 2001, at the Shungnak Store and AVEC pipeline, contamination was discovered 6 ft. bgs while a hole was being dug to install a utility pole between the store TF and the power plant TF. The product was allegedly gasoline from the 1994 Shungnak Native Store 275 gallon gas spill. The tank and pipeline responsible for the release was repaired. In 2002, 20 gallons of diesel spilled during fueling. Five gallons of free product was recovered and impacted snow and gravel was removed and disposed in the landfill. In 2002, Harry Commack reported an old pipeline had leaked fuel onto his property. According to him, the old pipeline was built around 1976 and might have been associated with the Public Health Service or possibly AVEC. He also mentioned a newer pipeline associated with the Native Store that had a large crack in it. The pipelines were decommissioned in 2005, and the contamination associated with the pipelines was addressed. A PERP 2002 site inspection and discussions with the contractors excavating a pipeline in Shungnak indicated that gross contamination near the corner of Jim Street and Back Street at the Shungnak Store remains, but no free product was observed. This site (Hazard ID 3832) also includes spill no. 18389918101; spill date = 6/30/18; substance = diesel; quantity = ~250 gallons; source: lateral above ground tank at tank farm; cause: improper tank shut-down procedures resulted in release; PPRP file no. 490.02.001.

Action Information

Action Date Action Description DEC Staff
10/27/2003 Site Added to Database GRO and DRO contamination. Deborah Williams
9/6/2005 Meeting or Teleconference Held DEC met with representatives from AVEC including teleconference with representatives from BIA. AVEC will be mobilizing to the site to remove the two old pipelines and excavate impacted soil. Excavated soil will be landfarmed within the landfill area to be used as cover material as appropriate. The pipelines will be disposed of in the landfill. David Pikul
9/15/2005 Update or Other Action LC 14158060 established David Pikul
12/16/2005 Update or Other Action Corrective Action Plan Summary Report Shungnak, Alaska dated December 2005, submitted by Travis/Peterson Environmental Consulting, Inc. and recieved by the ADEC on this date. Two pipelines, the upper and lower, were removed, chopped in to small pieces, and dumped in the Shungnak landfill. The upper pipeline contained no product, but the lower one did. The contents of the lower pipeline were drained into two 55 gal. drums. The pipeline was than wiped clean with absorbant pads. The pipeline was taken apart, cut into smaller pieces and transported to the landfill. 14 cubic yards of soil was removed from areas of contamination from the lower pipeline, and used for landfill cover. Confirmation samples collected 18 inches bgs under the pipeline, contained contamination below ADEC cleanup levels. At the upper pipeline, contaminated soil was not removed below the pipeline, due to proximity of overhead powerlines and steepness of the slope. Only one of the soil samples collected 18 inches bgs from this area indicates DRO contamination of 1,200 mg/kg. Grant Lidren
6/4/2008 Update or Other Action Based on the Corrective Action Plan Summary Report Shungnak, Alaska dated December 2005, submitted by Travis/Peterson Environmental Consulting, Inc., cleanup is considered complete for the upper and lower pipelines. One sample indicates DRO up to 1,200 mg/kg, but is below ADEC cleanup levels for ingestion and inhalation. Thus the only pathway that still needs to be addressed is the Shugnak Store, which is located on Jim Street across from the powerplant. Grant Lidren
6/4/2008 Update or Other Action Site name changed from "Shungnak Store and AVEC Pipeline" to "Shungnak Native Store." Grant Lidren
8/3/2010 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking Initial ranking with ETM completed for source area id: 74807 name: two fuel pipelines Grant Lidren
8/3/2010 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking Initial ranking with ETM completed for source area id: 78927 name: Shungnak Native Store ASTs Grant Lidren
8/19/2010 Update or Other Action In 2010, ANTHC plans to replace buried water and sewer mains, manholes, hydrants and service lines at Shungnak. ADEC approved this work pending comments regarding contamination located at the Native Store. Grant Lidren
2/17/2011 Potentially Responsible Party/State Interest Letter On this date, ADEC sent a PRP letter to The City of Shungnak, The Shungnak Native Store, and Alaska Native Industries Cooperative. Grant Lidren
5/17/2011 Update or Other Action On this date, ADEC received a letter from Alaska Native Industries Cooperative Association (ANICA). The letter was in response to the February 17, 2011 PRP letter sent by the ADEC. ANICA indicates that they are only a purchasing cooperative for Native Villages and don’t operate the stores or tank farms. Grant Lidren
1/13/2012 Potentially Responsible Party/State Interest Letter On this date, ADEC sent a 2nd PRP letter to The City of Shungnak, and The Shungnak Native Store. Grant Lidren
5/16/2014 Update or Other Action On this day, a letter was sent to the RP requesting a site characterization be performed. A response to the letter was requested by July 1, 2014. Joshua Barsis
8/6/2015 Update or Other Action Information letter sent on this day. Request for contact. Joshua Barsis
6/2/2016 Update or Other Action Sent work plan request letter to IGAP environmental coordinator and Native Village of Shungnak president. Work plan is due September 1, 2016. Erin Gleason
9/2/2016 Update or Other Action Spoke with Lorretta Custer the Shungnak IGAP coordinator and Chris Durah at Shannon and Wilson in Fairbanks. S&W is currently putting a proposal together for the work plan. Deadline extended to November 1, 2016 Erin Gleason
5/11/2017 Update or Other Action Sent overdue work plan letter to B.Lee at Native Village of Shungnak. Erin Gleason
5/21/2018 Workplan Requested Sent overdue work plan letter today to Native Village of Shungnak. Erin Gleason
5/29/2018 Update or Other Action Received email update from IGAP coordinator in Shungnak. They do not have funding to pursue cleanup/characterization at this time. Conditions at the site have not changed. Erin Gleason
7/6/2018 Potentially Responsible Party/State Interest Letter Potentially Responsible Party / State Interest Letter sent by PPRP staff Colin Taylor to Shungnak Native Store regarding spill no. 18389918101. Mitzi Read
7/10/2018 Update or Other Action There was a release of 250 gal diesel (spill no. 18389918101 ) from the horizontal tank at the Native Store Tank Farm on 6/30/2018. Erin Gleason
8/6/2019 Spill Transferred from Prevention Preparedness and Response Program Spill transferred by PPRP staff Colin Taylor. Spill no. 18389918101; spill date = 6/30/18; substance = diesel; quantity = ~250 gallons; source: lateral above ground tank at tank farm; cause: improper tank shut-down procedures resulted in release; PPRP file no. 490.02.001. Mitzi Read
6/11/2020 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other ADEC received work plan from S&W on behalf of Shungnak Native Village. ADEC will review and provide comment. Erin Gleason
7/14/2020 Update or Other Action ADEC reviewed the work plan and is requesting revisions. Letter send to Native Village of Shungnak on this date. Erin Gleason
9/2/2020 Site Characterization Workplan Approved Received revised work plan from Shannon and Wilson on 8/28/20. All changes were made as requested and the work plan is now approved. ADEC request that a report of findings be submitted to ADEC within 60 days of receipt of analytical data. Erin Gleason
3/1/2022 Meeting or Teleconference Held ADEC met with AVEC and Travis-Peterson (TPECI, representing AVEC) to discuss upgrade plans for the Shungnak Native Store tank farm and the AVEC Tank Farm. Plans were sent to ADEC on 2/7/2022 to review. ADEC is strongly encouraging for Shungnak Native Store to conduct characterization during demolition and construction activities to delineate the horizontal and vertical contamination. All parties are aware that it is highly likely that contamination will also be encountered on the AVEC site and to take steps needed to prepare. Naomi Mason
9/20/2022 Update or Other Action Waste Management Plan submitted by Travis-Peterson (AVEC) on 8/11/2022 to address waste media generated during bulk fuel upgrades planned for Spring 2023. Following two meetings with the City of Shungnak and one with the City and Travis-Peterson, a letter was sent on this date to the City of Shungnak and the Native Village of Shungnak to urge them to conduct characterization during/before AVEC construction of a new tank farm. Naomi Mason
4/5/2023 Update or Other Action NANA plans to install a modular office including a 200-foot excavation for water and sewer lines that will be approximately 310 feet northwest of the Shungnak Native Store and Shungnak AVEC Tank Farm contaminated sites. CSP consulted with the Division of Water (DOW) and informed them of the free product found during utility replacements on Jim Street in 2001. Therefore, ADEC is requiring a daily discharge log during dewatering activities, sorbent material and Granulated Activated Carbon (GAC) filtration to be available in the event that sheen is observed in the excavation dewatering discharge. Naomi Mason
8/24/2023 Site Visit Site visit conducted on this date. An approximately 300 cubic yard soil stockpile was present at the site and exhibited a strong diesel odor. The stockpile was unaccounted for and was uncovered/uncontained, near homes, and kids had been using it for a bike jump. ADEC staff consulted with the contractor on-site and they covered the stockpile with plastic liner and set up temporary fencing around it. ADEC is working with the responsible party on a final disposal plan for the soils. Naomi Mason
9/22/2023 Update or Other Action Approval to transport 123 cubic yards for long term stockpiling at overburden site. Requested photos of stockpiles after stockpile construction then every six months beginning in May 2024. Lisa Krebs-Barsis
10/24/2023 Update or Other Action Long term stockpile constructed at overburden site October 3-5. Received photo log, next one due May 2024. Lisa Krebs-Barsis
3/15/2024 Update or Other Action Received photos of stockpile, next photos due May 2024. Lisa Krebs-Barsis
3/20/2024 Update or Other Action Meeting with AVEC about potential landfarming at overburden site. Lisa Krebs-Barsis
7/25/2024 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Reviewed landfarming work plan for Shungnak Native Store. The 123 cubic yards of contaminated soil generated in 2023 will be landfarmed in an area formerly used as the honey-bucket lagoon. The landfarm will be tilled, sampled to evaluate contaminant concentrations, then ultimately disposed of in the Shungnak landfill in coordination with the DEC solid waste program and Native Village of Shungnak. Bill O'Connell

Contaminant Information

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Control Type

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Description Details

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