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Site Report: Nikiski Airstrip

Site Name: Nikiski Airstrip
Address: Near Arness Dock Road, Nikishka Beach Road, Nikiski, AK 99635
File Number: 2323.38.001
Hazard ID: 669
Status: Cleanup Complete - Institutional Controls
Staff: IC Unit, 9074655229 dec.icunit@alaska.gov
Latitude: 60.736708
Longitude: -151.314062
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

In 1988 report of oily wastes, Bunker C fuel, drums containing unknown wastes, and garbage being disposed of in pits adjacent to abandoned airstrip near Nikiski. Petroleum hydrocarbons exceeding cleanup levels detected in soils and groundwater during 9/90 site assessment. Preliminary investigation revealed the possible location of two pits off the west side of the airstrip. A letter has been sent to the KPB Mayor requesting the cooperation of the Borough in this investigation. The Borough responded that they are willing to supply a backhoe and operator to aid in the installation of test pits. Background investigation revealed this site was used to dispose of petroleum products (possibly from the Liberty Ships at OSK Dock). Initial clean up was done in 1981 and 1985. There is no clear documentation that the cleanup was adequate, although it was signed off in 1986. Recommending site assessment to document the site as being clean or determine if additional cleanup work needed. Site assessment received in 9/90. Last staff assigned was Seagren.

Action Information

Action Date Action Description DEC Staff
5/1/1990 Update or Other Action (Old R:Base Action Code = SI - Site Investigation). Shannon and Wilson drilled two soil borings and installed one monitoring well. Boring NIK-90-1 was drilled to 95 feet. TPH detected ranged from ND to 306 ppm from a soil sample at 90 feet. Low level TEX detected. Boring NIK-90-2, drilled to 105 feet detected TPH ranging from 27 ppm to 77,000 ppm. Benzene was detected at 11 and 13 ppm. Soils heavily tainted with TPH and BTEX between 15 and 20 feet below the surface. A groundwater sample was taken from the monitoring well installed in Boring NIK-90-2. This sample was analyzed for volatile organic by EPA 502.1. BTEX was detected at 71.7 ppb with 0.7 ppb benzene. Ten other compounds were detected. Donald Seagren
7/24/1991 Site Ranked Using the AHRM Initial ranking. Donald Seagren
1/1/1992 Site Added to Database Petroleum hydrocarbons. Donald Seagren
11/11/1992 Update or Other Action (Old R:Base Action Code = SA1R - Phase I SA Review (CS/LUST)). KDO reviewed the submitted report for monitor well surveying and discovered that the surveyor had made a major error in monitor well elevation results (approximately 80 feet). Donald Seagren
12/9/1992 Site Ranked Using the AHRM Insufficient comments provided to allow proper audit. Former Staff
6/30/1993 Update or Other Action (Old R:Base Action Code = SLSW - State Lead Scope of Work). Donald Seagren
8/5/1993 Update or Other Action (Old R:Base Action Code = SA2 - Phase II Site Assessment (General)). Site assessment activities occurring. Donald Seagren
8/5/1993 Update or Other Action (Old R:Base Action Code = SA2R - Phase II SA Review (CS)). Based on results received from previously performed assessment work, decisions made by KDO staff to revise additional assessment tasks. Donald Seagren
10/2/1993 Update or Other Action (Old R:Base Action Code = SLSW - State Lead Scope of Work). Prepare FY95 funding proposal and scope of work. Donald Seagren
11/18/1993 Update or Other Action (Old R:Base Action Code = TECH - Technical Assistance). Drafted annual report for response fund following a request from CO. Donald Seagren
11/23/1993 Update or Other Action (Old R:Base Action Code = FI - Field Inspection (General)). Field inspection with driller to select monitoring well sites to be installed the week of 11/29/93. Donald Seagren
11/24/1993 Update or Other Action (Old R:Base Action Code = TECH - Technical Assistance). Reviewed hydrocarbon sampling plan for new monitor wells. Provided comments and changes to the sampling plan. Donald Seagren
11/30/1993 Update or Other Action (Old R:Base Action Code = FI - Field Inspection (General)). Site inspection to coordinate the installation of 3 additional monitor wells with term contractor, Hart Crowser. Donald Seagren
1/15/1994 Update or Other Action (Old R:Base Action Code = OSLP - Oversite of State Lead Projects). Review throughout the month of expenditures, discussions on draft report, additional work required. Donald Seagren
1/18/1994 Site Characterization Report Approved (Old R:Base Action Code = SA2R - Phase II SA Review (CS)). Reviewed site assessment report and discussed further assessment/work with central office. Issued notice to proceed for additional monitoring work. Donald Seagren
3/15/1994 Update or Other Action (Old R:Base Action Code = SLSW - State Lead Scope of Work). Drafted FY 95 scope of work and sent to SCRO for review and comment. Donald Seagren
4/8/1994 Update or Other Action (Old R:Base Action Code = SLSW - State Lead Scope of Work). KDO finalized the scope of work for the FY94 funds. Donald Seagren
6/27/1994 Update or Other Action (Old R:Base Action Code = FI - Field Inspection (General)). Inspection of area to determine off-site well locations for possible sampling. Former Staff
7/7/1994 Update or Other Action (Old R:Base Action Code = OSLP - Oversite of State Lead Projects). Sent letter to Hart-Crowser revising workplan. Donald Seagren
7/13/1994 Update or Other Action (Old R:Base Action Code = FI - Field Inspection (General)). Site inspection to observe field sampling of monitor wells. Donald Seagren
11/2/1994 Cleanup Assumed by ADEC (Old R:Base Action Code = SLC - Site Lead Cleanup). Oversight of State Lead Projects (OSLP). Review draft report on 1994 work at site. Provide consultant with comments for final report. Donald Seagren
10/9/1998 Update or Other Action The Ground Water monitoring plan, prepared by Shannon and Wilson, was reviewed and approved. Access to the site is being coordinated with OSK and KPB. A conditional use permit is being obtained from KPB. This information will provide a picture of the current conditions and will be used to support a risk assessment. Donald Seagren
2/26/2004 Update or Other Action Reviewed and commented on S&W CIP proposal. Coordinated site access through OSK. Homeland Security rules apply. S&W to coordinate access. Donald Seagren
4/2/2004 Update or Other Action File number assigned and entered into the Fileroom DB and CS DB. Alyce Hughey
4/27/2004 Update or Other Action Approved assessment work plan. Conference call with S&W to coordinate assessment work. Site work to begin on Monday, 3 May 04. Donald Seagren
4/28/2004 Update or Other Action Site access authorization for Arness property faxed to S&W. Donald Seagren
5/17/2004 Update or Other Action Continued problems with boulders at depth in drilling MWs. Out of 7 proposed MWs, 5 were completed. 2 were abandoned after 2 attempts at completion. Donald Seagren
5/19/2004 Update or Other Action MW installation completed 18 May 04. MW sampling, including Arness, done today. S&W coordinated with surveyor to survey in all MWs. Donald Seagren
7/9/2004 Update or Other Action Received electronic version of Draft Additional Site Characterization report. Reviewed and awaiting comments from Jim Frechione before responding. Donald Seagren
7/27/2004 Site Characterization Report Approved Reviewed additional site characterization report. Coordinating with KPB (landowner) on future use of site, ICs, etc. in order to make a management decision. Donald Seagren
9/13/2004 Update or Other Action Draft Notice of Environmental Contamination & Record of Decision sent to Tom Barrett, Kenai Peninsula Borough for review and comment. KPB is developing a site map, using aerial photos, that shows the location of the MWs and the disposal pit area. Donald Seagren
12/15/2004 Meeting or Teleconference Held Met with land managers and environmental staff of Kenai Peninsula Borough. KPB currently has no plans to subdivide or develop the property. The Deed Notice will be amended in the future, should the Borough develop the area. The long term monitoring plan was amended to a sampling event every other year, beginning in 2006. The plan will be reviewed after the completion of 5 sampling events. Both KPB and the State will seek funding for the long term monitoring program. KPB will provide review comments on both the Notice of Environmental Contamination (deed notice) and the Record of Decision, so that these documents can be finalized. KPB will review the historical file information on Friday, 17 December 04. Donald Seagren
2/28/2005 Record of Decision Long Term GW Monitoring to be funded by the State and Deed Notice to restrict GW usage required. If the property is subdivided in future, legal description on ROD and Deed Notice will be changed. Donald Seagren
2/28/2005 Institutional Control Record Established Deed notice restricting groundwater use established. Donald Seagren
2/28/2005 Conditional Closure Approved ROD requires LTM unless site conditions change, at which time the site will be re-evaluated to ensure protection of human health and the environment. Donald Seagren
3/1/2005 Long Term Monitoring Established The LTM will be an extension of the current GW monitoring program. Sampling will be every other year, starting in 2006. ADEC will conduct the monitoring events subject to availability of funding. Otherwise, the owner and/or operator of the property (Kenai Peninsula Borough) will be responsible for monitoring events. Donald Seagren
9/19/2005 GIS Position Updated Using Figures 1 and 2 from a Soil and Groundwater Assessment Nikiski Airstrip, from Shannon & Wilson, dated September 1990, in conjunction with TopoZone Pro and the KPB Parcel Lookup, entered the coordinates for this site. Metadata includes No Topo Basemap, TopoZone Pro Street Maps, Black and White Aerial Photo, on a Medium Size Map, View Scale 1:10,000, Coordinated Datum NAD83. High degree of confidence in accuracy of location. Alyce Hughey
2/16/2006 Update or Other Action Reviewed and approved a GW monitoring well sampling and analysis work plan for 2006. Donald Seagren
3/17/2006 Update or Other Action Received a copy of the Notice of Environmental Contamination that was filed in the Kenai Recorders office. Donald Seagren
6/16/2006 Update or Other Action Telephone call received from Bob Braunstein regarding the recent sampling. They inadvertantly forgot to request GRO sample analysis. The lab still has the samples, however they have been in warm storage and are over the holding time for analysis. Since the primary contaminant is Bunker C, BGES was instructed to provide an explanation in the report and not to worry about GRO this round of sampling. Discussed with the landowner, KPB. Donald Seagren
6/26/2006 Site Characterization Report Approved Reviewed and approved draft monitoring report. Told BGES to finalize and submit 2 hard copies for distribution to ADEC & KPB. GRO analysis inadvertently not requested. MW 15 & MW 16 will need repairs/improvements during or prior to next sampling event. Numerous qualifiers included in the lab data report case narrative, primarily holding time problems. Samples analyzed past 7 day hold time but within 14 day ADEC hold time. May have biased results low in many samples. Donald Seagren
7/20/2006 Update or Other Action Reviewed the final sampling report. No changes from the draft report. Will need to inspect MW 15 & 16 as part of the next monitoring event to ensure integrity of the wells and make any necessary repairs/upgrades. A copy of the final report was hand delivered to Tom Barrett, KPB. Donald Seagren
3/16/2007 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking Exposure Tracking Model ranking performed. Donald Seagren
12/7/2007 Update or Other Action Discussed site and monitoring with Tom Barrett, KPB. The State will continue to conduct the LTM program in 2008, based on funding availability. There have been questions about the accuracy of the well survey that was conducted previously. The KPB will work to obtain funding to re-survey all the existing MWs. This work will be done prior to the next monitoring event in late summer 2008. Donald Seagren
6/11/2008 Update or Other Action Site transferred from Don Seagren to Paul Horwath per Linda Nuechterlein. Alyce Hughey
11/6/2008 Update or Other Action ADEC approved a monitoring well network survey and maintenance work plan that was prepared by ADEC term contractor BGES, Incorporated. The work plan is schedule to be implemented in the fall of 2008. Paul Horwath
7/20/2010 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Reviewed the Nikiski Airstrip Monitoring Well Work Report, dated June 8, 2010, from BGES, Inc. for Paul Horwath. During the 2009 field activities, twelve of the existing thirteen monitoring wells were located and surveyed by a professional registered land surveyor. Only monitoring well (MW-16) was not located during the 2009 field activities and it is believed to have been destroyed during the expansion of the OSK parking lot expansion. Other field activities included MW-17 was converted from an above-grade to a flush-grade monitoring well, holes were drilling into the protective steel casing of four of the monitoring wells near ground level to allow for drainage and to prevent future corrosion of the well casings, well caps were replaced on seven of the monitoring wells, and the well casing lock was replaced on one of the wells. Alyce Hughey
1/3/2011 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking A new updated ranking with ETM has been completed for source area 71648 Illegal disposal of Bunker C . Paul Horwath
4/3/2012 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking A new updated ranking with ETM has been completed for source area 71648 Illegal disposal of Bunker C . Paul Horwath
6/25/2014 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Paul Horwath approved the Shannon & Wilson's June 9, 2014 Work Plan for Groundwater Sampling for the Nikiski Airstrip site. Alyce Hughey
11/6/2014 Institutional Control Update Current project manager chooses to retain management of the site at this time. Kristin Thompson
3/12/2015 Update or Other Action Lat/long collected and verified using CS Internal ArcGIS.com web map (PH) 60.736708 -151.314062 Paul Horwath
2/24/2016 Long Term Monitoring Complete An updated Record of Decision was issued, enclosed with a transmittal letter, the Marcus Mueller, Land Management Officer, with the Kenai Peninsula Borough. The updated ROD removes the requirement for long term groundwater quality monitoring. The transmittal letter asks the Kenai Peninsula Borough to let ADEC know whether or not they want to retain the groundwater monitoring wells, and to let ADEC know of their decision. Paul Horwath
5/18/2016 Update or Other Action ADEC and Kenai Peninsula Borough come to agreement to preserve monitoring wells NIK 93-7, and B6MW. All other MWs will be decommissioned. Paul Horwath
10/11/2016 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other Approved a work plan from ADEC term contractor Shannon & Wilson to decommission all but two of the GW MWs at this site. Field work scheduled to occur during 3rd week of October, 2016. Paul Horwath
10/20/2016 Update or Other Action ADEC term contractor Shannon & Wilson began oversight of the decommissioning of the remaining GW MWs at this site. Two monitoring wells were preserved for future Kenai Peninsula Borough use. Monitoring wells B6MW and Nik 93-7 were preserved. All other MWs that could be located were decommissioned. MW-15 could not be located, and was presumed damaged lost within the OSK parking Lot. Paul Horwath
12/5/2016 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other ADEC reviewed and offered edits and comments on ADEC term contractor Shannon & Wilson's final report, covering the decommissioning of the groundwater monitoring wells. S&W incorporated the comments and issued their Final report. Paul Horwath
12/16/2016 Institutional Control Update All required assessment work is considered complete. ADEC has determined that routine long term groundwater monitoring is no longer necessary. Groundwater contamination exceeding ADEC groundwater cleanup levels remains at this site. A deed notice restricting groundwater use for drinking water was established in 2005, and remains in effect. Paul Horwath
12/20/2016 Institutional Control Compliance Review Staff changed from Paul Horwath to IC Unit. IC compliance review conducted. Information added to Closure/IC Details. Groundwater monitoring requirement removed. Reminder system set to follow-up every three years. Kristin Thompson
5/7/2019 Institutional Control Update An Institutional Controls reminder letter mailed to the responsible party/landowner on this date. Mossy Mead
5/16/2024 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
Benzene Between Method 2 Migration to Groundwater and Human Health/Ingestion/Inhalation Soil
Benzene > Table C Groundwater
DRO Between Method 2 Migration to Groundwater and Human Health/Ingestion/Inhalation Soil
DRO > Table C Groundwater

Control Type

Type Details
Notice of Environmental Contamination

Requirements

Description Details
Groundwater Use Restrictions Groundwater well installation is prohibited. Groundwater from this site is not to be used as a drinking water source.
Advance approval required to transport soil or groundwater off-site. Standard condition.
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.

No associated sites were found.

Missing Location Data

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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