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Site Report: Chalkyitsik School HOT Spill

Site Name: Chalkyitsik School HOT Spill
Address: Salmon Avenue and, Fishhook Drive, Chalkyitsik, AK 99788
File Number: 720.38.001
Hazard ID: 3959
Status: Cleanup Complete - Institutional Controls
Staff: IC Unit, 9074655229 dec.icunit@alaska.gov
Latitude: 66.649948
Longitude: -143.726929
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

A 250-gallon fuel tank containing heating oil for a Yukon Flats School District (YFSD) owned building failed over the weekend of October 19 and 20, 2002 when the school generator shut down. The fuel pump continued to push heating oil into the day tank and flowed downhill along a trail before it pooled onto the adjacent airport land owned by the ADOT. YFSD calculated the fuel loss to be about 730 gallons of heating oil. Travis/Peterson Environmental Consulting, Inc. personnel estimated the affected area to be approximately 300 feet by 25 feet. Approximately 260 to 270 cubic yards of contaminated soil were stockpiled on-site. A 12 mil top liner was secured in place with logs, blocks, steel poles, wood, pipes, etc. Excavation was not conducted around the day tank area due to the stability of the building and tank. An estimated 20 to 25 cubic yards of contaminated soil remain around the day tank area. Soil sampling conducted of the excavated area had one sample of 7,690 ppm DRO. Contamination at the seven plus foot depth could be more extensive. The area is located 22 feet south of the leaky tank's southeast support leg and three feet east. The rest of the samples collected were below 2,000 ppm DRO. Site transferred from PERP (file number 720.02.004, spill number 02309928901). A soil stockpile remains on site. On June, 15 2011, during an ADEC site visit, the stockpile could not be located. the excavation depression was capped with clean fill in 2012.

Action Information

Action Date Action Description DEC Staff
9/24/2002 Update or Other Action Chalkyitsik Site Characterization Project Report, submitted by Oasis Environmental, dated April 25, 2003, and received by ADEC on this date. As part of a Denali Commission site reconnaissance, a soil sample collected 1 ft. underneath visually stained soil below the HOT located at the south end of the Southern Teacher’s Housing building contained DRO up to 27,700 mg/kg and xylenes up to 90.7 mg/kg(see file# 720.38.002 Chalkyisik School Bulk Fuel Storage for more information). Grant Lidren
12/1/2002 Update or Other Action Chalkyitsik School Diesel Spill Field Report dated December 2002 submitted by Travis/Peterson Environmental Consulting, Inc. On October 19th, 2002 approximately 750 gallons of diesel spilled at an above ground heating oil tank (HOT). The diesel fuel flowed downhill on to the west side of a trail away from the black river slough where it pooled on DOT&PF land. To quantify the impacted area, nine trenches were excavated down gradient. A soil sample collected 6 feet bgs from trench-one, located 20 feet down gradient of the HOT, contained DRO at 19,000 mg/kg. A soil sample collected 5.5 feet bgs, from trench nine located 275 feet downgradinent of the HOT, contained DRO at 35 mg/kg. Grant Lidren
5/8/2003 Update or Other Action ADEC received the Trench Excavation to Divert/Contain Fuel From a Surface Release, dated May 8, 2003, submitted by Travis/Peterson. On May 1, 2003 a 71 foot long by 2.5 foot wide diversion trench was excavated 230 feet down-gradient from the AST to protect contamination from flowing into Black River during snow melt. The diversion trench was equiped with a sump pump,lined with visqueen, petroleum pads, and a boom to capture fuel oil. Grant Lidren
10/17/2003 Update or Other Action Chalkyitsik School Spill Closure Report dated October 10, 2003, submitted by Travis/Peterson Environmental Consulting Inc., and received by the ADEC on this date. On September 15th, 2003, removal of contaminated soil was performed. The excavation area was 290 feet long and 30 feet wide. Contaminated soil was excavated from the surface to 3.5 or 6 feet bgs depending on area. The excavation was limited in some areas due to permafrost, grade of slope, proximity to AST, lack of clean backfill material, instability of excavation, and backhoe malfunction. Approximately 270 yards of contaminated soil was removed and stockpiled on a 20mil liner. Due to back-hoe malfunction, potentially contaminated surface soil, located 35 to 45 feet down-gradient of the AST, was not excavated. A dozer was used to spread the rest of the potentially contaminate soil throughout the spill area. Confirmation soil samples collected contained DRO up to 7,690 mg/kg. Three soil samples collected from the 270 cubic yard stockpile contained DRO up to 3,960 mg/kg. Due to lack of fill material the excavation was not backfilled. Instead the dozer smoothed out the soil to a 30 degree angle or less. Grant Lidren
10/27/2003 Spill Transferred from Prevention Preparedness and Response Program Administrative update. Site transferred from PERP (file number 720.02.004, spill number 02309928901). Bruce Wanstall
10/15/2008 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking Initial ranking with ETM completed for source area id: 74934 name: Day tank spill Grant Lidren
11/10/2008 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking Initial ranking with ETM completed for source area id: 78599 name: soil stockpile Grant Lidren
12/11/2008 Update or Other Action A communication with the DEC Drinking Water Program indicates the public water system for Chalkyitsik Village Water is a Class A water system consisting of 1 source intake(s). The water system is located in Chalkyitsik and the intake for this PWSID is a surface water source. The overall protection area received a susceptibility rating of "very high". In addition, this water system has received a vulnerability rating of "high" for bacteria/viruses, "medium" for nitrates/nitrites, "medium" for volatile organic chemicals, "medium" for heavy metals, "medium" for other organic chemicals, and "medium" for synthetic organic chemicals. Grant Lidren
5/26/2011 Update or Other Action Per a phone conversation with SLR on this date, despite efforts to obtain cleanfill, no clean fill was able to be obtained/stockpiled during the Spring of 2011, due to logistical problems. Grant Lidren
6/15/2011 Site Visit Southern Teacher Housing HOT Spill is located at the GPS coordinate 66.64993, -143.72687. The historic bermed stockpile, which was located north of the sewage lagoon at the GPS coordinate 66.64976, -143.72729 was not present (note: local equipment operators hired in October 2012 indicated that the soil had been blended into roadbed material when the road between the main village and the school was improved, and to their knowledge proper State approvals were obtained before the work was accomplished. ADEC was unable to verify this information). A concave area was present south of the HOT from the previous soil excavation activity, but it was overgrown with vegetation. Immediately adjacent to the HOT was stained soil from spills and leaks. Grant Lidren
8/19/2011 Potentially Responsible Party/State Interest Letter PRP letter sent to YFSD Superintendant on this date. Grant Lidren
3/13/2012 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking A new updated ranking with ETM has been completed for the source areas: Former Stockpile and HOT Spill Grant Lidren
4/18/2013 Update or Other Action On this date, ADEC received the Chalkyitsik School and Airport Site Activities Report submitted by SLR dated April 2013. As part of this effort, clean gravel was used to backfill the 2002 HOT spill site excavation. The depression remaining closest to the HOT was filled with 5 to 6 feet of gravel, tapering to 2 to 3 feet of fill toward the access road. The access road to the area was filled and leveled with 1.0 feet of clean fill. Although previous contaminated soil excavation had removed 2 to 3 feet of material from the access road, the road was in regular use and did not appear to be ponding water (Travis/Peterson 2003). Grant Lidren
4/26/2013 Update or Other Action ADEC received the Chalkyitsik School and Airport Site Activities Report submitted by SLR dated April 2013. In addition to the limited surface soil sampling conducted in June 2011, the report discusses work completed in October 2012. The October 2012 work included: collecting pid samples and GW samples from 11 well point boreholes, collecting surface water samples from the downgradient slough, breaking down the biocell area, and capping the contaminated areas with Six hundred yd3 of cleanfill. Grant Lidren
5/8/2013 Cleanup Complete Determination Issued The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC), Contaminated Sites Program, has completed a review of the environmental records associated with the Chalkyitsik School HOT Spill. Based on the information provided to date and the administrative record, the ADEC has determined that the contaminant concentrations remaining for this site do not pose an unacceptable risk to human health or the environment. No further remedial action will be required as long as the site is in compliance with established institutional controls. Grant Lidren
5/8/2013 Institutional Control Record Established Institutional Controls established and entered into the database. Grant Lidren
10/7/2014 Institutional Control Compliance Review IC compliance review conducted and staff changed from Grant Lidren to IC Unit. Reminder system set to follow-up with the responsible party in 2018. Kristin Thompson
6/18/2018 Institutional Control Compliance Review IC compliance review conducted. Closure/IC Details updated. We never received the signed ICs Agreement and Signature Page. A letter was issued with a request for the ICs Agreement Page to be signed and returned to ADEC. Reminder system set to follow-up on the agreement page in one month, and for future compliance reviews to occur every five years. Kristin Thompson
6/7/2024 Institutional Control Compliance Review IC compliance review completed on this date. An IC reminder letter was issued to the landowner. The next review will be in five years’ time. Gaige Robinson

Contaminant Information

Name Level Description Media Comments
DRO Between Method 2 Migration to Groundwater and Human Health/Ingestion/Inhalation SoilSoil

Control Type

Type Details
Signed CS Determination

Requirements

Description Details
Advance approval required to transport soil or groundwater off-site. Standard condition.
Groundwater Use Restrictions Installation of groundwater or drinking water wells at this site will require approval from ADEC.
When Contaminated Soil is Accessible, Remediation Should Occur The soil contamination located under the Southern Teacher's HOT is currently inaccessible. When the HOT is removed and/or the soil becomes accessible, the soil must be evaluated in accordance with an ADEC approved work plan.
Movement or use of contaminated material (including on site) in a manner that results in a violation of the water quality standards is prohibited (18 AAC 70) Standard condition.
Other YFSD will report to ADEC every five years to document land use, or report as soon as they become aware of any change in land ownership and/or use.
Hazard ID Site Name File Number
4648 Chalkyitsik School Bulk Fuel Storage 720.38.002
25748 Chalkyitsik School Pipeline Release

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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