Problems/Comments

The Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) currently owns land, structures, and associated abandoned tank farm that resides within the community. Of the two primary buildings on the site, one is slated for future demolition and the other is of new enough construction to warrant repair and reuse. The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) built the school on this site in 1957, and there was suspected asbestos and lead paint associated with the structures, petroleum associated with the tank farm, and reported polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) that would be associated with former power generation and transformers. Subsequent site investigation in 2008 identified lead paint and asbestos issues, PCBs at concentrations below cleanup levels beneath the building, and petroleum contamination at low levels in soil at the site. In 2009, ADEC received the Site Characterization Report for the former BIA School property in Tuntutuliak. This report involves the characterization of the former BIA school building and property. Four areas of concern were identified during the investigation: the area east of the generator building; the used oil ash box; the tank farm; and the former day tank area. The area of east of the generator building has been impacted by historical fuel releases. Although during this investigation, groundwater was not sampled, the consultant suspects that there may be some groundwater contamination. Surface soil samples were collected but the DRO levels did not exceed health-based cleanup levels. The tank farm area had localized areas of impact and the presence of surface water. The consultant stated that it is not practicable to excavate impacted soil in this area because of the surface water. The used oil ash box area had staining in the subsurface soils and arsenic and chromium concentrations in the soil exceeding migration to groundwater cleanup levels. Although the arsenic and chromium results were within the upper range of background concentrations for the area, this area is impacted from historical human activities. Groundwater in the area is within 2 to 3 feet bgs. SLR estimates the volume of stained soil above the groundwater is approximately 5 cubic yards. The former day tank area has some surface soil estimated at a volume of 40 cubic yards of DRO-contaminated soil with concentrations greater than migration to groundwater cleanup levels. The soil samples that were collected did not exceed DEC health-based cleanup levels. All the groundwater and surface water samples met cleanup levels. Samples collected from the siding of the former school building and generator building contained asbestos and the interior of the generator building was covered with lead-based paint. In 2012, The State of Alaska Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) began the process of addressing excessed schools in communities in rural Alaska. Some of the schools and associated structures have known environmental and hazardous materials that must be addressed prior to final disposal of the property. DEED retained NORTECH to develop Excess School Decommissioning and Site Restoration Plans (ESDSRP) for excessed school buildings in the communities of Tuntutuliak, Rampart, Telida and Newtok. The ESDSRP is to identify the most appropriate and cost effective approach to decommission the buildings through analysis of historical documentation, interviews with regional and village representatives, and site visits to identify the current conditions of each facility. Demolition of the former BIA school is planned. According to the Capital Projects Manager of Lower Kuskokwim School District, the design of the school project, including BIA remediation/abatement/demolition will take a year to complete. LKSD plans to award a construction project in January 2018. The contractor will likely have 2 to 3 years to complete the project. FKA file no. 2452.57.001.

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No associated sites were found.