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Site Report: Seward Ship's Drydock

Site Name: Seward Ship's Drydock
Address: Mile 7 Nash Road, P.O. Box 944, Seward, AK 99664
File Number: 2332.38.036
Hazard ID: 4505
Status: Cleanup Complete
Staff: No Longer Assigned, 9074655229 dec.icunit@alaska.gov
Latitude: 60.084708
Longitude: -149.350548
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

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) received a complaint regarding the Seward Ships Drydock site. EPA undertook site assessment activities at the site and determined that no further action was warranted on their part under the Federal Superfund Program. EPA provided ADEC with a copy of their report which identified soil contamination at the site exceeding ADEC cleanup levels. Contaminants include arsenic, chromium, copper, nickle, tributyltin, Benzo(a)pyrene, and Diesel Range Organic Hydrocarbons.

Action Information

Action Date Action Description DEC Staff
11/27/2007 Site Added to Database Site added to the database. Mitzi Read
12/5/2007 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking Intitial Ranking Complete for Source Area: 75492 (Autogenerated Action)
1/3/2008 GIS Position Updated GIS Position and Legal Description updated using Google Maps and the KPB Parcel Lookup. Alyce Hughey
6/10/2009 Site Characterization Workplan Approved DEC approved the June 3, 2009, Cleanup, Investigation & Site Characterization Workplan for the Seward Ship’s Drydock, Inc. site. This approval is for sampling that will fall outside of the Multi Incremental sampling effort. A Multi Increment soil sampling work plan will be submitted to ADEC for review and approval prior to implementation of the multi increment sample collection activities. Don Fritz
9/8/2009 Update or Other Action Tellus Ltd. submitted an Interim Field Summary Report for petroleum sampling at the SSDI facility. No petroleum contamination was encountered above default cleanup levels. EPA's term contractor had encountered some low leve petroleum contamination, however, their report failed to depict whether they had collected their samples from stained soils, or randomly. Don Fritz
9/10/2009 Update or Other Action Review Scott Erdmann's Site Inspection notes for the SSDI work and begin reviewing Interim Field Summary report. Don Fritz
9/21/2009 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Review Interim Field Summary report. Don Fritz
9/21/2009 Meeting or Teleconference Held Phone conversation with Scott depicted that he would be working on the multi increment sampling work plan. funding for this had been approved by DJ Whitmann. Don Fritz
10/29/2009 Update or Other Action Conversation with Deric, and then Paul, regarding sand blast grit to be disposed at the Solid Waste Landfill. Deric has been contacted by the borough to approve the grit transport to the landfill based on a "synthetic leaching test". I told Deric that I was not sure whether the test would be appropriate to determine whether the waste constituted a hazardous waste and thus whether it could be taken to the landfill. According to Deric, the leachate is recirculated within the lined landfill, thus if not a hazardous waste, my belief is that it likely would not be problematic. Don Fritz
11/5/2009 Update or Other Action Phone call with Earl regarding SSDI work plan and his review status. Discuss decision units, and lacking info. Review work plan, review Earl's comments, and place call to Scott to discuss. Don Fritz
12/3/2009 Update or Other Action Staff reviewed the October 29, 2009, Site Cleanup, Investigation & Site Characterization Workplan using Multi-Incremental Sampling Methodology for the Seward Ship’s Drydock, Inc. Staff provided comments to the responsible party that needed to be addressed in order to facilitate an approvable plan. Don Fritz
1/4/2010 Update or Other Action Staff was provided an update from Scott Erdmann regarding the multi increment sampling work plan. Scott Erdmann indicated that he would be meeting with Jim Pruitt within the next few days to obtain authorization to submit a revised MI work plan to the department. Don Fritz
1/19/2010 Update or Other Action Contaminated Sites staff was advised that effective 1/19/2010, Scott Erdmann (TELLUS, Ltd.) will no longer be performing any work for the Seward Ships' Drydock site. The department had requested a revised multi increment sampling work plan from the responsible party, which is presently overdue. Staff had conversed with Scott Erdmann a few weeks ago, at which time Scott indicated that he would be meeting with Jim Pruitt to determine if he had authorization to undertake the work. Scott Erdmann advised that David Mayberry (Crowell & Moring LLP.) would be contacting us in the near future with additional information. Don Fritz
1/19/2010 Update or Other Action E-mail message and discussions with Scott Erdmann regarding Tellus no longer being involved with SSDI project oversite. Discuss project and Tellus departure with Paul. Don Fritz
1/22/2010 Update or Other Action Sent e-mail to Steve Ross and Linda advising that Scott Erdmann has withdrawn from the SSDI project. Discuss Seward Ship Drydock issues with Paul and identify potential paths forward based on what is learned from Jim Pruitt/Dave Mayberry. Don Fritz
2/3/2010 Update or Other Action Phone call with Linda and draft a site summary for the SSDI site for Linda/Melanie's use. Don Fritz
2/18/2010 Update or Other Action Staff received a phone call from David Mayberry (Crowell & Moring LLP). Mr. Mayberry told me that he is one of the attorneys working for Jim Pruitt at the Seward SSDI site. Mr. Mayberry told me that after the death of Mr. Whitman, Jim Pruitt, the main owner of SSDI took over oversight of the facility, and began looking at the expenses for the project. Mr. Mayberry stated that Mr. Pruitt was surprised to determine that approximately $250,000 had been spent on assessment actions so far. Mr. Mayberry stated that Mr. Pruitt wanted to reach out and see if there was an alternate solution for work at the site. Mr. Mayberry advised that the grit that had been cleaned up had been sampled, and that perhaps it was possible to utilize that information in seeking an alternate cleanup level. Mr. Mayberry told me that Scott Erdmann had expressed a need to develop alternate cleanup levels for the site. I asked Mr. Mayberry if he could send me a quick e-mail documenting the information we had discussed. Mr. Mayberry told me that he would do so. Mr. Mayberry called me back and advised that I would be receiving a phone call directly from Mr. Pruitt. Don Fritz
8/10/2010 Update or Other Action Phone conversation with Jim Pruitt regarding the Seward Ship’s Drydock site. Mr. Pruitt had received my recent letter and was calling me with regards to the status of the site. Mr. Pruitt advised that DJ Whitman had died the prior year, and until that time, Whitman had been pretty much in charge of dealing with site issues. Mr. Pruitt told me that he was quite surprised to see that Whitman had been spending so much money. Mr. Pruitt felt that his attorney bill and his environmental bill appeared that he was being grossly overcharged for the services provided. Mr. Pruitt felt that it is unknown whether a problem actually exists at the site. Mr. Pruitt stated that after going through all of the costs, he was left wondering if there was anything that could be done to more cost effectively deal with the remaining issues at the site. Mr. Pruitt told me that they had a lot of sample results for the sandblast grit, and was hopeful that data could be used. I identified the possibility of seeking an alternative cleanup level based on the industrial use of the site, and possibly using the total metals concentrations for the sandblast grit to compare against an alternative cleanup level. I told Mr. Pruitt that I was not certain if we had any sample results for the grit that were analyzed for total metals, other than the work done by E&E on behalf of EPA. I asked Mr. Pruitt if he could provide me a written response to my letter, identifying the costs he had incurred, and his request for evaluating alternatives. Mr. Pruitt stated that he would. I asked Mr. Pruitt if he had received any cost recovery information from us. Mr. Pruitt advised that he had. I explained that the AG’s office had asked the status of that, Mr. Pruitt advised that he had not paid it as he was not sure if it was proper to cost recover for a site that has no real issues. I explained to him that I was not necessarily the person to talk with regarding that, but because of the contaminants found on site that exceeded cleanup levels, we incurred a significant amount of time on the project. Mr. Pruitt indicated that he was hopefully that the costs could be negotiated. I told him that while I was not the person to discuss that with, he should at least make that request Don Fritz
11/16/2011 Update or Other Action Site transferred from Don Fritz to Peter Campbell per Paul Horwath. Alyce Hughey
3/29/2012 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking A new updated ranking with ETM has been completed for source area 75492 Seward Ships Drydock. Paul Horwath
3/29/2012 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking Initial ranking with ETM completed for source area id: 75492 name: Seward Ships Drydock Paul Horwath
3/13/2013 Cleanup Complete Determination Issued A March 11, 2013 Cleanup Complete determination letter was issued to James T. Pruitt, President, Seward Ship's Drydock, Incorporated. The letter was also sent to the City of Seward Harbormaster and City Manager. Average soil contaminant concentrations were calculated from the September 2007 EPA site inspection soil sample data. These 2007 samples were collected from locations anticipated to exhibit higher than average contaminant concentrations, having been collected from locations likely to have been impacted from Seward Ship's Drydock (SSDI) facility operations. The average contaminant concentrations were compared to 18 AAC75.341 Table B1 (residential-based) ‘direct health’ soil cleanup levels. Benzo[a]pyrene and arsenic were the two contaminants of concern detected at an average concentration exceeding ADEC Table B1 ‘direct contact’ cleanup levels. However, arsenic occurs naturally in Alaska soils, and the concentration of naturally occurring arsenic detected in ‘background’ soil samples collected near this facility also exceeded the ADEC Table B1 ‘direct contact’ soil cleanup level. Benzo[a]pyrene is not produced or used commercially but is ubiquitous in that it is formed as a result of incomplete combustion of organic materials. At the SSDI facility, benzo[a]pyrene was only detected in soil samples collected within, and adjacent to, the covered (roofed) sandblasting area, and from the spent sandblast media stockpiles. Exhaust emissions from internal combustion engines is the likely source, with the benzo[a]pyrene collecting on the spent sandblast media during sandblasting operations, and on soils in the immediate presence of these exhaust fumes. The spent sandblast media is periodically excavated and disposed of at the Kenai Peninsula Borough landfill. As such, the benzo[a]pyrene is also periodically removed from the facility with the spent sandblast media, as an industrial waste product. Paul Horwath
1/13/2014 Update or Other Action Notification from EPA's Brandon Perkins that EPA will be moving forward with re-assessing the site based on a citizen's preliminary assessment petition received in early calendar year 2013. Bill Janes

Contaminant Information

Name Level Description Media Comments
Arsenic - Total < Method 2 Most Stringent Soil Arsenic exceeded the ADEC 18 AAC 75.341 Table B1 'direct health' soil cleanup level, but the concentration of naturally ocurring arsenic detected in the background soil samples also exceeded this ADEC soil cleanup level.
Benzo(a)pyrene < Method 2 Most Stringent Soil This contaminant was detected in spent sandblast media within, and adjacent to, the covered sandblasting area. It is a byproduct of incomplete combustion, appears to collecting on sandblast media from engine exhaust. The spent sandblast media is an industrial waste, and is disposed of at the Kenai Peninsula Borough landfill. The benzo(a)pyrene is concurrently being removed from the site with the spent sandblast media.

Control Type

Type Details
No ICs Required

Requirements

Description Details
Advance approval required to transport soil or groundwater off-site.

No associated sites were found.

Missing Location Data

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