Skip to content Skip to content

Site Report: Bear Creek Mining Claim

Site Name: Bear Creek Mining Claim
Address: ~9 Mi. NE of Granite Mt., Near Conf. with Bob Creek, Koyuk, AK 99753
File Number: 610.38.002
Hazard ID: 3835
Status: Active
Staff: Laura Jacobs, 9074512911 laura.jacobs@alaska.gov
Latitude: 65.540684
Longitude: -161.060153
Horizontal Datum:

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

The Prevention and Emergency Response Program (PERP) received a spill report for approximately 50 to 100 gallons of oil spilled and approximately 50 batteries that have been abandoned at an old mining claim due to poor mining practices.

Action Information

Action Date Action Description DEC Staff
9/13/2000 Potentially Responsible Party/State Interest Letter Sent to Sandtech Mining Company, Deweyville, UT by NART - PERP. (edit 9/3/2015) John Carnahan
1/6/2003 Site Added to Database Heavy oil contamination left over from poor mining practices. Also, approximately 50 batteries left out on the ground. Deborah Williams
1/6/2003 Site Ranked Using the AHRM Preliminary ranking. Unknown about surface water potential contamination. The responsible party states that they do not use the creek as a drinking water source but unknown. Deborah Williams
7/15/2003 Update or Other Action Received a call from Roger (479-8330) at Brooks Fuel who said that he had just hauled out a pallet full of batteries from the Bear Creek Mine. He disposed of the batteries at ABS in Fairbanks. Deborah Williams
12/4/2006 Update or Other Action Called DNR staff for update on site. Referred to Jack Kerin in the Fairbanks office for more info. Mike Jaynes
4/23/2008 Update or Other Action Spoke with Roger Brooks from Brooks Fuel. He picked up batteries from site sometime between 2002-2003. Has no knowledge of who is operating or managing the claim currently or what happened with tanks present on site. Tamara Cardona-Marek
4/23/2008 Exposure Tracking Model On Hold Not enough information for an ETM ranking at this time. Tamara Cardona-Marek
11/6/2009 Update or Other Action Transferred site management from Tamara Cardona-Marek to Jim Fish. Janice Wiegers
1/4/2011 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking Initial ranking with ETM completed for source area id: 74810 name: auto-generated pm edit Bear Creek Mining Claim Jim Fish
7/1/2013 Update or Other Action Planned for Prelimary Assessment in FY15 CIP request Jim Fish
2/4/2014 Update or Other Action Site transferred from Burgess to Dieffenbacher. Rebecca Bryan
7/31/2014 Update or Other Action Staff changed from Amy Dieffenbacher to Melody Debenham. Kristin Thompson
9/1/2015 Update or Other Action Project management changed from Debenham to Carnahan. John Carnahan
9/2/2015 Update or Other Action Project not slated for FY15 funding or any funding through CIP in near future. Need to re-engage all potentially responsible parties. John Carnahan
9/3/2015 Update or Other Action Send correspondence to DNR seeking information on site status and potential lessee. John Carnahan
9/14/2015 Potentially Responsible Party/State Interest Letter PRP letter sent to current owner/operator of site, Kenneth Upchurch Joy Whitsel
9/15/2015 Potentially Responsible Party/State Interest Letter PRP letter sent to current mining claim holder, Floyd Ehmann Joy Whitsel
10/8/2015 Update or Other Action Clarification letter from former Claim holder, Ehmann, who reportedly released claim back to DNR Sept 2015 and did not operate at the site. John Carnahan
5/25/2016 Update or Other Action Receive email regarding communication between State Coordinator and DNR. DNR planning site visit and requested information on collection of data and its use. John Carnahan
7/12/2016 Update or Other Action Received information that batteries were hauled out but no further confirmation of site status. Request project moved to state-owned site management. John Carnahan
12/14/2016 Update or Other Action Review status. John Carnahan

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.

Missing Location Data

Because the GIS location data for this site has not been entered, we cannot direct you to its position on the map. Click "Continue" to proceed to the Contaminated Sites Web Map or "Close" to return to the site report.
Continue     Close