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Site Report: FIA - Don Bennett Firing Range

Site Name: FIA - Don Bennett Firing Range
Address: SW end of small aircraft runway, Fairbanks International Airport, Fairbanks, AK 99709
File Number: 100.38.186
Hazard ID: 4032
Status: Active
Staff: Robert Burgess, 9074512153 robert.burgess@alaska.gov
Latitude: 64.797778
Longitude: -147.879167
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 is a shooting range that has been used for training since at least the late 1960s by airport police as well as other Alaska peace officers. Assessment activities began in the 1990s and consisted of sampling for lead and other metals while range closure was being considered. Closure was postponed for several years until the FAA required its closure around 2017, at which point additional assessment and characterization activities resumed. The range was closed on December 31, 2022 and final characterization and cleanup resumed under the oversight of both DEC and the EPA RCRA program.

Action Information

Action Date Action Description DEC Staff
5/20/2005 Site Added to Database Lead contamination found in the surface soils and limited in the groundwater. Deborah Williams
5/20/2005 GIS Position Updated Using Figure 2, from "Shannon and Wilson, Inc.'s Site Assessment Report, Don Bennett Shooting Range," in conjunction with TopoZone Pro, entered coordinates for this site. Metadata include NAD83, No Topo Base Map, TopoZone Pro Black and White Aerial Photo, on a Large Size Map at 1:10,000 View Scale. Moderate to High degree of confidence in accuracy of location. Deborah Williams
5/20/2005 Site Ranked Using the AHRM Preliminary ranking of the site. Deborah Williams
12/28/2007 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking Initial ranking with ETM completed. Neal Everson
4/17/2009 Meeting or Teleconference Held Meeting w/ Rebekah Cadigan of FIA, John Carnahan of DEC: brownfields/ R&R. Discussed necessary cleanup actions and funding to facilitate moving the shooting range. Neal Everson
6/18/2009 Brownfields Award FY 2010 State of Alaska Capital Improvement Project (CIP) funds $22,679 awarded to Fairbanks International Airport for an Environmental site evaluation and corrective action planning at the FIA Don Bennett Airport Firing Range. NTP # 18902815036. Current status: Had USACOE assistance to address this project using TRIAD Systematic planning. EPA has also provided TBA funding for feasibility study. Cascade Galasso-Irish
6/24/2009 Update or Other Action Talked with EPA about the partnering to conduct a Systematic Planning session using USACOE facilitator to coordinate planning for cleanup and development of new facility. EPA Is amenable to providing consultant through their cooperative agreement with the USACOE. Also discussed the potential to use a Targeted Brownfield Assessment to complete feasibility testing and additional site characterization. John Carnahan
4/14/2010 Site Visit Site visit with USACOE, EPA and FAI representative. Tour the site and the end of the GA runway area. Walk the site and evaluate site conditions for upcoming Triad meeting. John Carnahan
4/15/2010 Meeting or Teleconference Held Triad Sysatematic Planning meeting held at FAI conference room. Attendees included FAI environmental, FAI engineering, FAI security, APOA representatives from the City of Fairbanks and AK State Troopers, EPA Brownfield Program, USACOE (facilitators) and DEC COntaminated Sites and Reuse and Redevelopment Program. One day session clarifying issues that pertain to the remediation and redevelopment of the APOA range. John Carnahan
5/1/2012 Update or Other Action The Alaska Peace Officers Association withdrew from the project due to a lack of support from the Airport Manager and his determination that this was not a priority for the airport. As such, the FIA DOT&PF should assume the responsibility for further action on this site in a timely manner. John Carnahan
7/28/2015 Update or Other Action Reviewed status and little change has happened in the management of the shooting range. Will coordinate with the FIA CS manager and determine the best course to raise the issue of necessary site characterization with the Airport Manager, who stopped the previous facilitated effort to move forward with assessment, cleanup, and moving the shooting range off the property and out of the flight line. John Carnahan
6/2/2017 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Received work plan for site characterization of Don Bennett Shooting Range. New interest due to requirement from FAA to remove shooting range. John Carnahan
6/13/2017 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Provide comments on draft SAP for shooting range, to include monitoring well installation. John Carnahan
6/28/2017 Site Characterization Workplan Approved Approved Brice Work Plan for assessment of Don Bennett Shooting Range, to evaluate both metals and PFOS in soil and groundwater. John Carnahan
5/31/2018 Site Characterization Report Approved Provide general comments for Site Characterization that included recommendations and a user exposure assessment. John Carnahan
12/17/2019 Meeting or Teleconference Held DEC met with FAI to discuss plans for the shooting range cleanup/removal. The characterization report included treatment options, and the FAI selected excavation and offsite transport to a treatment facility as the preferred option. The range will be closed for use on December 31. Robert Burgess
5/1/2020 Meeting or Teleconference Held DEC met with FAI for a general airport overview. Funding issues related to COVID-19 have resulted in delays to the Firing Range cleanup project, however the FAI is working with their environmental consultants to develop a work plan for removal in 2021. Robert Burgess
8/28/2020 Site Characterization Workplan Approved DEC approved the 2020 Site Characterization work plan. The work plan describes field screening and sampling the area outside of the berms for lead and other metals in order to account for overshot and and/or contaminated soil spreading through wind or erosion. Robert Burgess
4/1/2021 Site Characterization Report Approved The DEC approved the 2020 Don Bennett Shooting Range Characterization Report. The report documents evaluation of particulate metals, field screening of soils, and collection of samples for laboratory analysis outside of shooting range berms to determine if metals contamination extends beyond the berms due to particulate transport. The report documents that concentrations of contaminants of concern for the site are below applicable cleanup levels outside of the bermed area. Robert Burgess
4/1/2021 Update or Other Action The DEC met with staff from the EPA RCRA program to discuss site characterization and cleanup work. RCRA staff will evaluate the Soil Excavation Work Plan and the agencies will coordinate on a response. The DEC provided historical site characterization reports and the Soil Excavation Work Plan to RCRA staff for review. Robert Burgess
9/23/2021 Site Characterization Report Approved The DEC and the EPA (Region 10 RCRA) approved the final Site Characterization Work Plan that documents ISM sampling for metals and propellants within the shooting range footprint. Work is scheduled for October 2021. Robert Burgess
10/1/2021 Update or Other Action The EPA approved a request to delay site investigation field work due to early snowfall in Fairbanks that prevents field work from taking place. Work should take place as soon as snow is clear from the site in spring, and the EPA expects that final remedial actions will take place during the 2022 field season as previously planned. Robert Burgess
10/13/2021 Update or Other Action Because much of the snow that fell in early October subsequently melted, project staff were able to access project areas to begin clearing vegetation and conducting sampling as planned. The DEC and EPA approved changing the location of the background decision unit based on a figure provided by the environmental consultant. The request to change locations was made due to the previous background decision unit being less snow-free than other suitable areas. Robert Burgess
4/22/2022 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other The DEC provided comments to the 2021 Don Bennett Shooting Range Site Characterization report, which reported results of ISM soil sampling of several decision units as well as groundwater well installation and sampling. A revised report is expected following comments from the EPA RCRA program. Robert Burgess
5/6/2022 Site Characterization Report Approved DEC and EPA approved the final site characterization report documenting the results of ISM sampling of multiple decision units. This information will be used to develop the removal action work plan. Robert Burgess
6/29/2022 Update or Other Action Consultants for the Fairbanks International Airport submitted the Draft Don Bennett Shooting Range Removal Action Work Plan describing plans to excavate and dispose of lead contaminated soils. Robert Burgess
7/14/2022 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other The EPA submitted comments to the Draft Removal Action Work Plan. The DEC reviewed the plan and EPA comments and expressed concurrence with EPA comments. Robert Burgess
7/18/2022 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other The DEC and EPA received responses to comments for the Draft Removal Action Work Plan. Both agencies agreed with responses and requested a final work plan. Robert Burgess
7/22/2022 Cleanup Plan Approved The EPA Region 10 RCRA program and the DEC approved the final Removal Action Work Plan. The plan describes removal of materials and contaminated soils and segregation based on hazardous classification, disposal of RCRA hazardous materials in a RCRA waste disposal facility and non-hazardous materials in suitable landfills. The plan also describes testing the club house for hazardous building materials. Work is planned for August and the DEC project manager requested to visit the site during work. Robert Burgess
5/24/2023 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other After consultation with the EPA, DEC approved the Removal Action Report for the Don Bennett Shooting Range. Confirmation sampling indicates that residential and industrial cleanup levels have been met in all decision units, based on results of incremental sampling methodology. One decision unit appears to have lead that exceeds background levels. Groundwater sampling has not detected elevated lead in the past and no drinking water wells are nearby or allowed to be installed based on airport policy. The airport leasing and environmental offices will maintain a record of the extent of contamination and ensure that remaining contamination that is below cleanup levels is managed safely. Robert Burgess
10/9/2023 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other DEC reviewed the Clubhouse Characterization and Demolition report documenting activities associated with the removal of the clubhouse building. Building materials were sampled for hazardous materials, and due to the historical fire PFAS samples were taken from burned materials in the clubhouse crawl space and surrounding soils. No hazardous building materials were identified. Following building removal, soils were excavated due to PFAS exceedances. Confirmation samples from the excavation exceeded migration to groundwater levels for PFOS. A liner was placed in the excavation to demarcate the boundaries of clean fill in the event of future remedial activities or other excavation. The PFAS contamination will be managed under the FIA - Sitewide PFAS contaminated site (100.38.277). Robert Burgess

Contaminant Information

Name Level Description Media Comments

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Type Details

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Description Details

No associated sites were found.

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