Problems/Comments

Residence with 500-gallon home heating fuel tank leaked. Extent of contamination unknown and impact to human health unknown. Former ADEC staff assigned were Shryock, Eng, Olson, Krogseng, Sundet, and Seagren. At the end of 1988 Associated Island Brokers contracted Scott’s Heating Service to remove and replace the heating system boiler; however, it was not connected to the fuel lines at that time. At the end of 1989 the project site was owned by Mortgage Guarantee Insurance Corporation, and they enlisted the services of Associated Island Brokers of Kodiak to sell the house. In preparation to market/sell the house the 300 gallon heating fuel tank was filled with 200 gallons of heating fuel on December 1, 1989. On December 14, 1989 Scott’s Heating Service returned to the house to connect the boiler to the fuel lines and activate the heating system. Two days later the house was found unheated and tank empty. An additional 300 gallons of fuel was added and the system was turned on once again. On December 23, 1989 the house was once again found unheated and the tank empty. At this time the crawl space was inspected and fuel was found in the crawl space and the spilled fuel had penetrated the foundation wall. On March 21-23, 1990 Woodward-Clyde Consultants (WCC) performed the Preliminary Site Investigation and Phase 2 Work Plan. Approximately 36 cubic yards of contaminated soil was excavated and moved to the front of the house and placed on a double layer of reinforced visqueen and then covered with two layers of visqueen. Approximately 7 cubic yards of contaminated soil was left between the house and the excavation pit to protect the structural integrity of the house foundation. An approximate 475 gallons of heating fuel was the estimate for this release. The fuel lines were then cut and the fuel tank removed. There is no documentation of what was done with the decommissioned fuel tank. Groundwater was not encountered during the excavation, and the house and surrounding houses are on the Kodiak public water system. No known groundwater users (water wells) were identified in the area. When they entered the house and crawl space WCC noted a strong fuel odor. Approximately 2/3 of the crawl space area was estimated to have been contaminated. One TPH sample was taken from the stockpile of contaminated soil with results of 2,170 ppm TPH. Five TPH samples were taken for the bottom of the excavation with results ranging from 1,480 to 11,800 ppm. Seven HNU samples were taken from the crawl space ranging from 2 to 200 + ppm HNU. Possible cause for release of heating fuel? There were three fuel lines coming from the heating fuel tank. Two were connected to the boiler and one was not connected to the boiler. The line disconnected from the boiler had not been capped and sealed at the tank end, and the fuel likely escaped through this fuel line. On February 7, 1991 ADEC issued approval for the stockpiled soils to be moved to the back yard and placed on a liner. ADEC also issued approval to fill in the excavation pit with clean soil with the condition of lining the bottom and sides with visqueen. On May 14, 1991 Craig Johnson (Associated Island Brokers) sent us confirmation through photos that the soils had been moved to the back yard by Alan Boggs, owner of Environmental Hazards and Controls consulting company. On January 22, 1996 there is a record of a phone conversation between Craig Johnson and ADEC. Craig Johnson stated that nothing was done with soils under the house, but that Alan Boggs had added fertilizer to the contaminated soil stockpile and tested the soils, and had said that it was OK to place the contaminated soils in the stockpile back into the excavation pit. Also, ADEC was told that there was a renter in the house and the renter(s) was/were aware of the spill, and they had not expressed any complaints. No lab data is present in ADEC’s file confirming the stockpiled soils met the ADEC soil cleanup levels. There is no confirmation that the soils under the house were treated, tested, or cleaned up, and no confirmation that the contamination which remained next to the house foundation and in the excavation sidewall facing the house met ADEC soil cleanup levels. ADEC’s Don Seagren sent a letter requesting additional information regarding the status of response actions at this site on August 19, 2005; however, we never received any information or response to that letter. Updated as of August 21, 2008. PHorwath, ADEC.

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No associated sites were found.