Skip to content Skip to content

Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation

You are here: DEC / SPAR / CSP / SPAR Online Services / Contaminated Sites Search / Site Report

Site Report: Young's Gear

Site Name: Young's Gear
Address: 1711 Van Horn Road, Fairbanks, AK 99701
File Number: 100.38.197
Hazard ID: 4242
Status: Cleanup Complete - Institutional Controls
Staff: Shawn Tisdell, 9074512752 shawn.tisdell@alaska.gov
Latitude: 64.812568
Longitude: -147.744882
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

Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) contamination was discovered in groundwater monitoring wells during site characterization of the Sourdough Fuel gas station to the east of this property. Initially the contamination was believed to have migrated from the gas station, but additional monitoring suggested the possibility of an on-site source. Benzene contamination in monitoring well YG-1 is consistently at least an order of magnitude higher than contamination in upgradient wells. In addition, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes have been observed in YG-1; these analytes are typically nondetect or below cleanup levels in the Sourdough Fuel wells.

Action Information

Action Date Action Description DEC Staff
5/4/2006 GIS Position Updated GIS position collected with TopoZone Pro, scale 1:10,000. Kim DeRuyter
5/4/2006 Site Added to Database Site added to the database. Kim DeRuyter
5/5/2006 Site Ranked Using the AHRM Site ranked high due to contaminants in the groundwater. On-site well is reportedly used as a drinking water source. Most properties nearby are on the municipal water system. Kim DeRuyter
5/10/2006 Meeting or Teleconference Held Met with Ron and Lila Young and Daryl McGhan to discuss possible sources of the groundwater contamination in YG-1 and YG-2. The shop has floor drains which discharge into a collection system with an oil water seperator. The used oil drums are filled in a containment system. The business has been on the municipal sewer system since the sewer main was installed on Van Horn Road. Ron was not aware of an injection well prior to or since he purchased the business. The contamination in YG-1 and YG-2 would be up or cross gradient of routine site activities. Kim DeRuyter
1/5/2009 Potentially Responsible Party/State Interest Letter Sent letter requesting information regarding property, insurance existing wells, and other potentially responsible parties. Tamara Cardona-Marek
1/26/2009 Update or Other Action Received call from Ron Young. He received DEC's letter and considers it "threatening". Will come to the DEC office for a meeting to dicuss the site and its history. Tamara Cardona-Marek
1/29/2009 Meeting or Teleconference Held DEC staff (Wiegers, Light, and Cardona-Marek) met with site owner to discuss contamination on site and contents of the letter previously sent. Site owner answered questions on the letter and requested this information to be documented in the file. Meeting was documented and a letter was hand-delivered to site owner on January 30, 2009. Tamara Cardona-Marek
2/2/2009 Update or Other Action Letter documenting meeting was corrected per site owners request. Copy was picked up at DEC by site owner. Tamara Cardona-Marek
2/10/2009 Update or Other Action Contacted EPA to clarify information on their database regarding potential existence of a UIC (regulated underground injection well). A floor drain is present on site, however, this floor drain discharges into an oil/water separator and then to the city sewer. Confirmed with Golden Heart Utilities that Young's Gear is connected to city sewer. Therefore, although there is a floor drain on site, it is NOT a UIC. Tamara Cardona-Marek
12/17/2009 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking Initial ranking with ETM completed for source area id: 75207 name: automotive repair shop, unknown source Tamara Cardona-Marek
1/8/2014 Update or Other Action Site symbol visually adjusted using ArcGIS and documents from file. 1/8/14; MLB. 64.812681, -147.745474. Michelle Barnes
5/25/2016 Update or Other Action DEC project managers completed a review of the site file for the adjacent site located to the east of the Young's Gear property in order to evaluate the possibility that contamination on the Young's Gear property was originating off site. The answer is inconclusive, however documented concentrations of benzene in groundwater are lower on the property to the east than those documented on the Young's Gear property. Property owners will be re-engaged and perform additional characterization to delineate the contaminant plume. Robert Burgess
12/5/2016 Update or Other Action The DEC has requested additional site investigation into contamination (GRO, DRO and BTEX were observed above cleanup levels) in monitoring wells at Young’s Gear. This contamination appears to be due to source area separate from the neighboring contaminated site at Sourdough Fuel (DEC file 102.26.107) A response deadline of January 14th, 2017 was requested. Shawn Tisdell
12/14/2016 Update or Other Action Phone conversation with PRP to discuss why the DEC was requesting additional site investigation action and selection of an environmental consultant. Shawn Tisdell
1/25/2017 Potentially Responsible Party/State Interest Letter PRP letter sent to current landowner of Denali Drivelines (Young's Gear). Shawn Tisdell
3/13/2017 Update or Other Action DEC received a phone call from the RP indicating questions regarding site action request. A meeting has been set up with the RP and the DEC to discuss DEC decision to request site action. Shawn Tisdell
3/20/2017 Meeting or Teleconference Held DEC staff met with RP to discuss the DEC site action request letter, previous site correspondence,site characterization results and billing concerns. The RP does not believe that the contamination observed on or near Young's Gear is a result of activities on the Young's Gear site, but would consider the DEC request for selecting an environmental consultant. The RP was also considering sampling the 85 foot deep on-site well that is used for drinking water. A letter will be provided by the RP to the DEC detailing their concerns and proposed action. Shawn Tisdell
4/25/2017 Potentially Responsible Party/State Interest Letter PRP letter sent to DaJo Enterprises. Shawn Tisdell
2/20/2018 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Laboratory results of a sample collected by DEC staff on 4/24/2017 from a supply well located on the site property indicated that DRO, GRO and VOCs were not detected with the exception of chloroform which was detected at a level of 2.2µg/l. Shawn Tisdell
4/16/2021 Workplan Requested The DEC requested a workplan to conduct characterization of contamination observed in groundwater on the property between 2003 and 2006. Deadlines to the request are: May 15, 2021 to retain a QEP, June 15, 2021 to submit a workplan and submittal of a site characterization report by December 1, 2021. Shawn Tisdell
4/23/2021 Meeting or Teleconference Held DEC staff held teleconference with the responsible parties to talk about the April 14, 2021 letter requesting site characterization. They have contacted one consultant and may be talking with others. We discussed minimum initial site characterization to include at least 3 locations, one near the former YG-1 monitoring well location, and to include soil and groundwater samples. Shawn Tisdell
5/13/2021 Update or Other Action Responsible party called and indicated they had selected a consultant to prepare a work plan for additional site characterization. This notice meets the May 15, 2021 milestone to select a qualified environmental professional. Shawn Tisdell
6/1/2021 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Sampling and Analysis Plan received from TPECI for site characterization of groundwater contamination. This submittal satisfies the June 15 workplan submittal deadline. Soil and groundwater samples will be collected at three locations. One will be near the former YG-1 well location, one upgradient and another down gradient to the former YG-1 well. Analysis will be for GRO, DRO, VOCs and PAHs. Two soil samples and one groundwater sample will be collected from each location. Site work is anticipated for July, 2021. Shawn Tisdell
6/28/2021 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other ADEC staff reviewed and provided comments on the Sampling and Analysis plan submitted on June 1, 2021. Shawn Tisdell
7/2/2021 Cleanup Plan Approved Sampling and Analysis Work Plan (Plan) V1.1 received on 7/1/2021 has been reviewed and approval was provided to proceed. Shawn Tisdell
7/28/2021 Site Visit Soil and groundwater sampling was observed by the ADEC project manager at two of the three sampling locations at the site. Work was being conducted in accordance with the approved work plan. Shawn Tisdell
9/10/2021 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Received site characterization report of July, 22, 2021 sampling event. Three boring were advanced to 12 feet below ground surface, two soil samples and one groundwater sample was collected from each boring. Shawn Tisdell
10/8/2021 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other The July 22, 2021 site characterization sampling event provided evidence that contamination has decreased near both former monitoring well locations (YG1 and YG2) that had been located on or adjacent to the Young’s Gear property since they were first sampled in 2003, remains near the YG1 area, and does not extend to boring B3 approximately 100 feet northwest of the former YG1 location. The July 2021 sampling event also provides evidence that contamination does not appear to be moving onto the Young’s Gear property from neighboring properties. Benzene was observed at 0.0126 mg/L,still exceeded groundwater cleanup levels. Screening and sampling of soil indicated soil was impacted by contamination between 4 and 10 feet below ground surface. Several VOC and PAH chemicals exceeded migration to groundwater cleanup levels, however all results were below human health cleanup levels. Shawn Tisdell
2/7/2022 Meeting or Teleconference Held Project manager talked with RP about the need for additional sampling to complete delineation of contamination at the site in accordance with 10/8/2021 DEC report review letter, to meet site cleanup closure requirements. Shawn Tisdell
6/7/2022 Site Characterization Workplan Approved Reviewed the June 6, 2022 Addendum to Young's Gear Sampling and Analysis plan and approved of the plan to advance a boring 50 feet west of boring MWKYG1 to collect two soil samples and one groundwater sample. The consultant agreed in a follow up phone call that if contamination is encountered at this location, up to two additional borings would be advanced further west to delineate the extent of contamination. Shawn Tisdell
10/24/2022 Site Characterization Report Approved DEC received a site characterization report on September 8, 2022. On August 12, 2022 one soil boring (B4) was advanced 50 feet West of boring YG1 (2021). A photoionization detector was used to screen the soil core every two feet using the heated headspace sampling method. Analytical soil samples were collected at 6 and 10 feet below ground surface and a temporary groundwater well (MWB4) at was installed in the boring and sampled. All results were beneath applicable DEC cleanup levels. The consultant recommends the site be closed. Shawn Tisdell
10/24/2022 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking A new updated ranking with ETM has been completed for source area 75207 automotive repair shop, unknown source. Shawn Tisdell
9/15/2023 Update or Other Action Environmental Covenant recorded with Alaska Recorders Office. Shawn Tisdell
10/4/2023 Cleanup Complete Determination Issued The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, Contaminated Sites Program (DEC) has completed a review of the environmental records associated with the Young's Gear located at 1711 Van Horn Road, Fairbanks. Based on the information provided to date, it has been determined that the contaminant concentrations remaining on site do not pose an unacceptable risk to human health or the environment and no further remedial action will be required as long as the institutional controls are maintained and effective, and no information becomes available that indicates residual contamination poses an unacceptable risk. Shawn Tisdell
10/4/2023 Institutional Control Record Established Institutional Controls established and entered into the database. Shawn Tisdell

Contaminant Information

Name Level Description Media Comments
1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene Between Method 2 Migration to Groundwater and Human Health/Ingestion/Inhalation Soil
1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene Between Method 2 Migration to Groundwater and Human Health/Ingestion/Inhalation Soil
1-Methylnaphthalene Between Method 2 Migration to Groundwater and Human Health/Ingestion/Inhalation Soil
Benzene Between Method 2 Migration to Groundwater and Human Health/Ingestion/Inhalation Soil
Benzene > Table C Groundwater
Ethylbenzene Between Method 2 Migration to Groundwater and Human Health/Ingestion/Inhalation Soil
GRO > Human Health/Ingestion/Inhalation Soil
Isopropylbenzene Between Method 2 Migration to Groundwater and Human Health/Ingestion/Inhalation Soil
n-Propylbenzene Between Method 2 Migration to Groundwater and Human Health/Ingestion/Inhalation Soil
Naphthalene Between Method 2 Migration to Groundwater and Human Health/Ingestion/Inhalation Soil
Xylenes (total) Between Method 2 Migration to Groundwater and Human Health/Ingestion/Inhalation Soil

Control Type

Type Details
Environmental Covenant
Other No groundwater wells shall be installed in the contaminated site without prior DEC approval.
Other Contaminated groundwater underlying the contaminated site may not be pumped, drained, or dewatered; or used for irrigation, dust control, or any other purpose without prior DEC approval. If that use is approved under this Covenant, that use is still subject to all applicable treatment, monitoring, disposal, and permitting requirements.
Other DEC must be notified in advance of any subdivision or replat of the Property. This Covenant must be included as part of future Property transactions and attached to subsequent associated parcels, as determined applicable by DEC.
Other Groundwater throughout Alaska is protected for use as a water supply for drinking, culinary and food processing, agriculture including irrigation and stock watering, aquaculture, and industrial use. Contaminated site cleanup complete determinations are based on groundwater being considered a potential drinking water source. In the event that groundwater from this Site is to be used for other purposes in the future, such as aquaculture, additional characterization and treatment may be required to ensure the water is suitable for its intended use.

Requirements

Description Details
Advance approval required to transport soil or groundwater off-site.
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)
Hazard ID Site Name File Number
24440 Sourdough Fuel (Former Fbks. Fuel) 102.26.107
23123 Sourdough Fuel/Tanana Petroleum Inc. UST #2 2004 102.26.110

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

Public Notices  •  Regulations  •  Statutes
Press Releases  •  Contact

 

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