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Site Report: Whittier Incinerator & Impound Yard

Site Name: Whittier Incinerator & Impound Yard
Address: Depot Road, Near Old Powerplant, Whittier, AK 99693
File Number: 2114.38.001
Hazard ID: 680
Status: Cleanup Complete
Staff: No Longer Assigned, 9074655229 dec.icunit@alaska.gov
Latitude: 60.777118
Longitude: -148.670965
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

Soil sampling done by VECO reported detection of petroleum products and low levels of PCBs. Lots 1, 2 and 3, Block 11, City of Whittier Subdivision. Main file contains documents regarding and/or referencing the Gilman Subdivision, the Water Improvement System and Pipeline activity.

Action Information

Action Date Action Description DEC Staff
9/25/1990 Preliminary Assessment Approved The site should be further evaluated by ADEC and EPA to determine if removal of contaminated soil from waste storage area is appropriate and evaluate the status of waste oil currently being stored on site. Former Staff
1/1/1992 Site Added to Database Site added by staff. Former Staff
6/15/1995 Site Ranked Using the AHRM Initial ranking. Action code added because it wasn't when the site was originally ranked. Former Staff
9/8/1995 Notice of Violation Letter sent after petroleum sheen was observed flowing from the impound yard onto the street and into Passage Canal, about 200' away. Spill number 95-2101-250-01 was assigned. John Bauer
7/25/1996 Update or Other Action Letter sent requesting an interim report on the status of the impound yard. John Bauer
9/5/1996 Update or Other Action ADEC received draft Sampling Plan prepared by USACOE for adjacent property. Scott Pexton
7/9/1997 Update or Other Action (Old R:Base Action Code = RPL3 - RP Determined and Action Request). Letter sent that identifies the City of Whittier as the landowner of the impound yard and the responsible party for cleanup costs. Jeff Ginalias
9/15/1997 Update or Other Action "Chemical Data Report" for the Site Investigation of the Former Military Power Plant, prepared by USACOE describes the results of an investigation of an adjacent site. Scott Pexton
10/10/1997 Cleanup Assumed by ADEC Department proposal to remove drums and sample soil in the impound yard to mitigate an immediate threat and to provide preliminary information on the extent of contamination in soil. Jeff Ginalias
11/24/1997 Update or Other Action Letter sent with status report on state lead removal. Ninety 55 gallon drums, seventeen 85 gallon overpacks, and six pallets holding 114 5-gallon buckets were removed. Additional containers to be removed in December 1997. Jeff Ginalias
3/13/1998 Cleanup Plan Approved (Old R:Base Action Code = CAPA - Corrective Action Plan). Letter sent granting approval to landspread approximately 200 cubic yards of stockpiled soil currently located at the impound yard. The soil was sampled during the 1997 removal; five samples were collected and DRO was reported ranging from 94.6 to 295 mg/kg in the stockpile. Jeff Ginalias
6/10/1998 Site Ranked Using the AHRM Site reranked by staff. Changed Toxicity Value from 4 to 2; and Quantity Value from 3 to 2. Scott Pexton
6/29/1998 Update or Other Action Letter sent to Carrie Williams (Whittier City Manager) requesting a written report regarding the status of contaminated soil near former incinerator building and impound yard. Scott Pexton
7/21/1998 Update or Other Action Letter sent to Carrie Williams (Whittier City Manager) requesting a work plan that proposes a treatment method for the petroleum contaminated stockpile near the former military power plant on Lot 1, Block 11, City of Whittier Subdivision. Scott Pexton
10/29/1998 Update or Other Action Letter received from Carrie Williams indicating that the contaminated soil stockpile was moved from Lot 1, Block 11 (near the former military power plant) and combined with another stockpile within Lot 3, Block 11 near the former impound yard area. Scott Pexton
7/27/1999 Update or Other Action Letter sent to Carrie Williams with request to characterize Lots 1, 2, and 3 of Block 11, City of Whittier Subdivision. Scott Pexton
3/8/2000 Update or Other Action Received Department of Law notification of receipt of a check from the City of Whittier to cover state response fund costs for the 1997 removal action. Scott Pexton
3/8/2000 Update or Other Action ADEC notified by Department of Law of receipt of cost recovery check in the amount of $36,654.44 from the City of Whittier to cover response action costs. Scott Pexton
4/17/2000 Update or Other Action Letter sent to Mr. Larry Gilman regarding site issues. Scott Pexton
6/30/2000 Interim Removal Action Approved Letter sent to Ray Spangler, Whittier Public Works Director, with approval of interim removal action to transport up to eighty cubic yards of stockpiled petroleum-contaminated soil to an offsite portable treatment facility operated by Cascade Environmental. Scott Pexton
10/10/2000 Update or Other Action Received report prepared by Montaulk Environmental Engineering for the City of Whittier with analytical results. Scott Pexton
10/13/2000 Update or Other Action Letter sent to Ray Spangler with approval to transport and dispose thermally treated soil as fill material on gravel roadways in Whittier. Scott Pexton
10/20/2000 Update or Other Action ADEC received "Draft Remedial Action Report" for Whittier Pipeline Testing, prepared by Oil Spill Consultants for the USACOE. Describes investigation of pipelines and soil sampling at or near the City of Whittier property. Scott Pexton
12/8/2000 Site Ranked Using the AHRM Site reranked based on laboratory results of soil samples collected near the above-ground tank location. Toxicity Value changed from 2 to 3, due to presence of lead, reported at 1,250 mg/kg. Scott Pexton
12/8/2000 Update or Other Action Letter sent to City Manager Matt Rowley with request to submit a site characterization plan by January 31, 2001. Scott Pexton
1/5/2001 Meeting or Teleconference Held Meeting with Whittier City Manager Matt Rowley, Eric Fjelstad, Larry Gilman, Scott Pexton and Jeff Brownlee to discuss site characterization work plan issues. Scott Pexton
2/12/2001 Meeting or Teleconference Held Meeting was held at ADEC office in Anorage with Whittier City Manager Matt Rowley and consultant Clifford Elsmann of Montauk Environmental Engineering to discuss site characterization issues. At the meeting, a Draft site characterization work plan prepared by Montauk was submitted to ADEC for review and comment. Scott Pexton
2/13/2001 Update or Other Action Received one-page addendum to draft site characterization work plan. Scott Pexton
2/23/2001 Update or Other Action Letter sent to Matt Rowley with comments on draft work plan prepared by Montauk Environmental Engineering. Scott Pexton
3/14/2001 Update or Other Action Received two-page fax transmittal from Montauk Environmental Engineering with revised proposed sample locations sketch that depicts proposed locations for three monitoring wells. Spoke with Cliff Elsmann on the phone and agreed with proposed well locations. Scott Pexton
3/15/2001 Update or Other Action Received final version of Site Characterization Work Plan prepared for the City of Whittier by Montauk Environmental Engineering. Scott Pexton
3/16/2001 Site Characterization Workplan Approved Letter sent to Whittier City Manager Matt Rowley with ADEC approval of site characterization work plan prepared by Montauk Environmental Engineering. Scott Pexton
6/6/2001 Update or Other Action Cost recovery check received by Department of Law on behalf of DEC. Scott Pexton
6/21/2001 Update or Other Action Received copy of RFP from City of Whittier seeking cost proposals for site characterization of Lots 1, 2, and 3, Block 11 in accordance with the approved work plan. Scott Pexton
1/7/2002 Update or Other Action Received Draft Phase II Environmental Site Assessment/Site Characterization prepared for the City of Whittier by Montauk Environmental Engineering. Scott Pexton
2/14/2002 Meeting or Teleconference Held Meeting held at ADEC offices in Anchorage with Matt Rowley, City of Whittier Manager, Ron Pflum of the U.S. Army COE, Larry Gilman, a prospective purchase of the property and his attorney, Jim Barnett, Cliff Elsman of Montauk Environmental Engineering, and Jeff Brownlee and Scott Pexton of ADEC. The Site Characterization Report prepared by Montauk Environmental Engineering was discussed. Larry Gilman operates a boat maintenance and storage facility on the property and indicated interest in looking into a prospective purchase agreement with ADEC in regards to cleanup issues on Lots 1, 2, and 3. Ron Pflum indicated that the USACE intends to perform a removal of one pipeline utilidor on the property during 2003. Scott Pexton
2/21/2002 Site Ranked Using the AHRM Site reranked based on information provided in Draft Phase II Environmental Site Assessment/Site Characterization report prepared for the City of Whittier by Montauk Environmental Engineering. Groundwater Exposure value changed from 0.4 to 1.0; Surface Water Environment valued changed from 2 to 3. Report documented DRO, lead, benzo(a)anthracene, benzo(a)pyrene, ideno(1,2,3-c,d)pyrene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, and dibenzo(a,h,i)anthracene in groundwater at concentrations exceeding Table C groundwater cleanup levels (DRO at up to 338 mg/L and lead at up to 2.97 mg/L). Scott Pexton
4/3/2002 Update or Other Action Letter sent to Whittier City Manager, Matt Rowley with review comments on draft site characterization report prepared by Montauk Environmental Engineering. Requested a final revised report that addressed the comments by June 1, 2002. Scott Pexton
4/4/2002 Meeting or Teleconference Held Meeting held at ADEC offices in Anchorage with City of Whittier Manager Matt Rowley; Ron Pflum and Robert Haviland of the U.S. Army COE; Larry Gilman, a prospective purchase of the property and his attorney, Jim Barnett; Alex Swiderski of the State Attorney General's Office; and Jeff Brownlee and Scott Pexton of ADEC. The cleanup process was discussed. Additional information such as the installation of off-property monitoring wells is needed to determine the extent of groundwater contamination and to better evaluate potential impacts to nearby surface water in Passage Canal, approximately 300 feet downgradient of the property. The decision process regarding proposed groundwater cleanup levels based on ten times the Table C levels was discussed; landowner and public consultation will be required. A prospective purchaser agreement is an agreement between the State and the purchaser only; it needs a thorough cleanup plan. Due to limited and uncertain funding and the potential for intermingled soil and groundwater contamination in soil and groundwater from multiple sources, a cleanup plan to address all areas of concern identified may take several months to years. Interim removal actions may be undertaken to address some of the known contamination sooner. ADEC will focus on initiating the administrative steps to establish alternative cleanup levels for soil and groundwater and summarize data needs and potential interim removal actions related to the various areas of concern identified to date. Scott Pexton
5/13/2002 Update or Other Action Received responses to comments from Montauk Environmental Engineering. A revised final report is anticipated to be delivered to ADEC by June 1, 2002. Scott Pexton
6/13/2002 Update or Other Action Received cost recovery check from City of Whittier (Bill #C025432). Scott Pexton
7/2/2002 Update or Other Action Received final report, Phase II Environmental Site Assessment/Site Characterization prepared by Montauk Environmental Engineering for the City of Whittier. Scott Pexton
7/23/2002 Update or Other Action Received notification from Department of Law of receipt of cost recovery check (Bill # CO15336) Scott Pexton
8/1/2002 Update or Other Action Project management transferred from Scott Pexton to Jeff Brownlee. See also related site Reckey 199821X12740). Scott Pexton
5/21/2004 Site Number Identifier Changed Corrcted Region from 21 to 24. Former Staff
7/27/2004 Update or Other Action File number issued 2114.38.001 Aggie Blandford
10/13/2004 Update or Other Action Contaminated Sites staff reviewed a file for sites in Whittier that are on City of Whittier property but may have areas of overlapping responsibility with the Corps of Engineers. Staff sent the City a letter outlining the various options (alternative cleanup levels) available to obtain No Further Remedial Action Planned status at the areas where it may apply Jeff Brownlee
2/24/2005 Update or Other Action Contaminated Sites staff has reviewed an alternative cleanup level request for the city of Whittier on three lots on the east side of town. There had been an impound yard for contaminated material from the Exxon Valdez spill and a contaminated soil stockpile on the property. The stockpile was generated from the cleanup of the impound yard. The soil was thermally treated and now there is residual petroleum contamination in surface soil at both locations. Contaminated Sites Management is scheduled to be briefed on the request Jeff Brownlee
6/24/2005 Meeting or Teleconference Held Contaminated Sites staff participated in a scoping meeting for contaminated sites associated with a Formerly Used Defense Site (FUDS) in Whittier, Alaska. The meeting was attended by the Corps of Engineers, the City of Whittier and their attorney and consultant, and Mr. Larry Gilman. The site has contamination from previous activity by the city and from a former power plant and large underground storage tank operated by the Army. Mr. Gilman has been leasing the property from the City and is in the process of purchasing it. The purpose of the meeting was to delineate responsibility for the contamination and discuss future work including a potential Brownfield grant to the city to complete characterization on sites they have responsibility for. Jeff Brownlee
6/7/2006 Meeting or Teleconference Held Staff participated in a site inspection and meeting with the COE and Alaska Railroad in Whittier at the former 1.5 million gallon Underground Storage Tank Formerly Used Defense Site. The inspection also includes the incinerator and powerplant area. The main topic of discussion was well placement to determine if site groundwater impacts are migrating to the marine environment. There are several site restrictions due to a rail track and a barge company operation. The COE proposed installing several temporary wells with push equipment to avoid having well hardware in an industrial area. We discussed that the wells may have to be advanced three or four times to establish a trend and to reflect any seasonal changes. Staff also met with a leaseholder on city property who is interested in purchasing contaminated property. We discussed the status of a DEC Brownfield grant to provide additional characterization data Jeff Brownlee
3/26/2008 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking Initial ranking with ETM completed. Jeff Brownlee
4/30/2008 Meeting or Teleconference Held Contaminated Sites staff met with a business owner, his contractor and attorney about a cleanup in Whittier. The business owner is attempting to buy land from the city of Whittier, but the city is not responding to requests to address issues with three contaminated sites on the property. The business owner has decided to clean up the sites using private funding with the hope that the property transaction can proceed without the complication of open contaminated sites. Staff went over a draft work plan and discussed the path forward to attempt to get the sites to closure Jeff Brownlee
10/29/2008 Cleanup Complete Determination Issued Soil removals from the former AST area, Soil Stockpile area and Impound Yard Area resulted in a cleanup with residual levels well below Method Two Direct Contact. A 75.350 Determination has been approved for the site. Area groundwater monitoring indicates no analyzed contaminants approaching Table C levels. Jeff Brownlee

Contaminant Information

Name Level Description Media Comments
DRO Between Method 2 Migration to Groundwater and Human Health/Ingestion/Inhalation Soil

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.

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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