| Action Date |
Action |
Description |
DEC Staff |
| 9/24/1986 |
Update or Other Action |
(Old R:Base Action Code = FI - Field Inspection (General)). Site inspection noted liquid-filled pole transformers. |
Former Staff |
| 7/27/1987 |
Preliminary Assessment Approved |
Tryck, Nyman and Hayes. Interview with Mr. Miller and Mr. Carter revealed 120 drums of "contaminated oil" or diesel fuel stored on site and possibly a few transformers. |
Former Staff |
| 3/1/1988 |
Update or Other Action |
(Old R:Base Action Code = FI - Field Inspection (General)). Drum sampling by Ben Lomond, Inc. in March 1988. Laboratory analysis of drum samples indicated waste oil exceeds limits for burning, including up to 51 ppm PCBs. |
Former Staff |
| 5/25/1988 |
Update or Other Action |
(Old R:Base Action Code = FI - Field Inspection (General)). Site inspection. Found approximately 150 drums of petroleum products, about 15 gallons Stoddard solvent, several hundred empty drums; 76 drums labeled "oil, grease, solvent, or styrene monomer", 40 gas cylinders, 3 pole-mount transformers, a 30 foot diameter pool of asphalt, and areas of stained ground. |
Jeff Mach |
| 8/16/1988 |
Update or Other Action |
(Old R:Base Action Code = SI - Site Investigation). Ecology and Environment. 75 drums observed. Study included sampling surface soil and groundwater from nearby wells. Soil sample analyses detected PAHs, phthalates, PCBs, zinc and lead. Off-site groundwater showed elevated levels of zinc. |
Former Staff |
| 11/2/1988 |
Notice of Violation |
Issued to Tom Carter for releases of materials and not determining whether wastes are hazardous. |
Former Staff |
| 6/1/1989 |
Site Characterization Report Approved |
(Old R:Base Action Code = SI - Site Investigation). Ecology and Environment Listing Site Inspection Report. Study involved 15 groundwater, 20 surface soil, 8 waste and 48 air samples. Tar samples contained volatile compounds at up to 14 ppm methylene chloride, and base neutral acids (BNAs). Samples from 6 drums did not indicate PCBs or pesticides. Up to 26,000 ppm xylenes and 286 ppm lead in drum samples. Soil sample analyses detected chlorinated and non-chlorinated volatile compounds, BNAs, pesticides, up to 710 ppb PCBs, and elevated lead. Lead detected in particulate air sample. Chromium and lead above MCL and 4-methyl-2-pentanone in on-site monitoring well. |
Former Staff |
| 8/1/1989 |
Update or Other Action |
(Old R:Base Action Code = RAPR - Remedial Action Plan Review (CS)). Ecology and Environment Field Operations Work Plan dated August 1989. |
Former Staff |
| 8/13/1990 |
Update or Other Action |
(Old R:Base Action Code = SI - Site Investigation). Ecology and Environment study included installation of 5 monitoring wells. Water sample analyses detected chromium, nickel, and lead above MCLs. Heptachlor epoxide also detected in water at 100 ppb. Soil analyses detected BNAs, chlorinated compounds, 10 ppb toluene, and 33 ppb xylenes. |
Former Staff |
| 12/17/1990 |
Site Ranked Using the AHRM |
Initial ranking. |
Former Staff |
| 6/24/1992 |
Update or Other Action |
(Old R:Base Action Code = RPL2 - Site Information Request Letter). Sent PRP-CS Database Notification Letter to PRP requesting update and additional environmental information concerning the contaminated site. As of this "complete date" no response has been received. |
Jeff Peterson |
| 6/30/1993 |
Site Ranked Using the AHRM |
QA and reranked per Project Manager and modifications to AHRM. |
Former Staff |
| 1/25/1994 |
Site Added to Database |
Multiple contaminants and hazardous wastes. |
Former Staff |
| 1/7/1999 |
Meeting or Teleconference Held |
Teleconference with Mr. Miller (RP) on requirements for site closure. |
Renee Evans |
| 3/3/1999 |
Update or Other Action |
Outline to RP on what is currently in file and how site was ranked. RP to provide information from the Corps when looking at land for possible military housing. |
Renee Evans |
| 5/17/2000 |
Update or Other Action |
Prepared summary of site characterization activities for FNSB Prospective Purchaser Agreements. |
Renee Evans |
| 6/15/2000 |
Meeting or Teleconference Held |
Meeting with Mr. Miller on site characterization and sit closure requirements. |
Renee Evans |
| 7/10/2002 |
GIS Position Updated |
Changed the Latitude, Longitude, Method Accuracy, Accuracy and Unit fields. |
Heather Goldman |
| 8/1/2005 |
Update or Other Action |
Mr. Miller subdivided this property, the western half was sold to Friends Community Church. |
Kim DeRuyter |
| 8/3/2005 |
Update or Other Action |
Met on site with John Dixon (PERP) and Nathen Hurley who manages one of two salvage yards currently being operated on the Miller property. Members of Friends Church frustrated by the pace of removal of solid waste (by MSI) from their property used a bull dozer to push a tanker car of tar over to the Miller property. The car was punctured and leaked tar onto the Miller property. Also on the Miller Property is a large pile of rock and tar which has grown over with vegetation. During warm summer days tar leaches out of this pile and has trapped dogs (2) and a cat which were not able to get out of the tar and died. PERP staff is working with Freinds Church and John Hurley to resolve the situation. The plan for the short term is to cover the tar with gravel so that no more animals are trapped. Photos of the visit are in the file. |
Kim DeRuyter |
| 3/12/2008 |
Exposure Tracking Model Ranking |
Initial ranking with ETM completed. |
Tamara Cardona-Marek |
| 3/18/2008 |
Update or Other Action |
Sent letter to Mr. Tom Carter requesting update on the site and stressing the need for further assessment. |
Tamara Cardona-Marek |
| 4/4/2008 |
Update or Other Action |
Site visit indicated that lot 1485 30th Ave is currently a Church. Debris was removed from lot; lot is clean and leveled. Lot to the east of 1485 belongs to RG Miller and continues to be a salvage yard. Lot 1307 belongs to Tom Carter and is currently MSI (Miller Salvage Inc.). |
Tamara Cardona-Marek |
| 10/8/2014 |
Potentially Responsible Party/State Interest Letter |
Potentially Responsible Party (PRP)/notification of contamination and liability letters sent to current and former property owners and operators of the former salvage yard. Letters were sent to Laverna Miller (owner of 1407 30th avenue and former owner of 1485), Friends Community Church (current owner of 1485), and Thomas Carter (current owner of adjacent lot and operator of Miller Salvage). |
Robert Burgess |
| 10/20/2014 |
Update or Other Action |
DEC project manager spoke with Tom Carter, current owner and past operator of MSI. Mr. Carter recalls the initial inspections and assessment work and believed that the conclusions were that no significant contamination was found. DEC informed him that based on available data and reports, follow-up investigations are likely necessary. Mr. Carter also stated that he believes monitoring wells at the site have been decommissioned, that former owners of the site are deceased, and that other individuals operated the site when he purchased the property on which MSI currently operates. In addition, Mr. Carter expressed concerns over tar remaining on the property as well as an odor of gasoline when cars were crushed at the site within the past two years. |
Robert Burgess |
| 7/13/2015 |
Update or Other Action |
Recorded a Notice of Environmental Contamination with the property deed at the state recorder's office. |
Robert Burgess |
| 7/13/2015 |
Institutional Control Record Established |
Institutional Controls established and entered into the database. |
Robert Burgess |
| 6/22/2017 |
Site Visit |
DEC staff from the Contaminated Sites Program (CSP) and the Prevention, Preparedness and Response program (PPRP) visited the site to observe environmental conditions as part of a preliminary assessment/site inspection and to respond to a complaint received by PPRP. Several drums containing unknown liquids are currently stored on site, in addition to a rail car full of and leaking tar. Soil staining was noted in several locations including around drums. The DEC plans to develop and execute a work plan to gather additional information on the nature and extent of contamination at the site. |
Robert Burgess |
| 7/26/2017 |
Site Visit |
DEC staff visited the site with the FNSB hazardous materials (hazmat) team to perform a preliminary inspection and identify site hazards. |
Robert Burgess |
| 8/10/2017 |
Cleanup Assumed by ADEC |
DEC has assumed state lead for this site due to the imminent and substantial risk posed by the hazardous materials on site. The Spill Prevention and Response (SPAR) division is taking a comprehensive division-wide approach to contain active leaks and releases, identify materials in drums, and begin soil and groundwater investigations. |
Robert Burgess |
| 8/22/2017 |
Site Visit |
DEC staff from the PPRP and CSP programs visited the site with contractors for a hazard assessment and to plan response actions at the site. |
Robert Burgess |
| 8/28/2017 |
Update or Other Action |
DEC's contractors for the emergency response portion of the state lead actions began work this week. Priorities are to clear brush around the perimeter of the eastern 11 acres where the vast majority of visible hazards are located in order to create a fire break and to allow for the installation of a security fence. Concurrent with this work, hazards including batteries are being collected and contained, drum contents are being field tested, and actively leaking drums are being contained. |
Robert Burgess |
| 8/29/2017 |
Update or Other Action |
Contaminated sites program staff began collecting samples as part of a preliminary assessment/site investigation under an EPA grant. Surface soil samples were collected from areas with visibly stained soil where non-petroleum contaminants are suspected. |
Robert Burgess |
| 9/6/2017 |
Meeting or Teleconference Held |
DEC staff met with the City of Fairbanks to discuss site hazards, ongoing actions, and building demolition to help prevent squatters from using the site. |
Robert Burgess |
| 9/19/2017 |
Site Visit |
DEC staff guided City of Fairbanks staff on an inspection of the buildings on site. These buildings have been used by transients as shelters; evidence on site also suggests drug use in the buildings. To protect the public and workers on the site, the city is evaluating the possibility to condemn and demolish the buildings so they are no longer an attractive nuisance. |
Robert Burgess |
| 10/25/2017 |
Site Visit |
Contaminated Sites and Prevention, Preparedness and Response staff visited the site with representatives of the EPA and their contractors, Ecology and Environment (E&E) in order to evaluate some of the physical hazards on the site, including asbestos containing materials. The EPA may be able to perform a removal of these materials on behalf of DEC. E&E took 60 samples of materials in buildings, drums, and debris piles that is suspected to contain asbestos. |
Robert Burgess |
| 10/27/2017 |
Site Visit |
Staff from the contaminated sites program (CSP) and the preparedness, prevention and response (PPR) programs visited the site to see the wrap-up of work by PPR contractors, including the consolidation and removal of compromised drums containing hazardous materials and shallow soil excavations targeting contaminant hotspots. While NRC's portion of the job is drawing to a close, contractors working under the CSP are beginning work on soil sampling at excavation locations as well as installing temporary well points for groundwater sampling. |
Robert Burgess |
| 2/2/2018 |
Site Characterization Workplan Approved |
DEC approved a workplan for an indoor air sampling effort at Friends Church. Shannon & Wilson wrote the workplan under contract with DEC. |
Robert Burgess |
| 6/26/2018 |
Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other |
DEC completed an abbreviated preliminary assessment report and submitted it to the EPA. |
Robert Burgess |
| 6/29/2018 |
Site Characterization Report Approved |
DEC received and reviewed the Site Characterization Report from Shannon & Wilson. The report documented the results of sampling soil, surface water, groundwater, and indoor air (at Friends Church). Recommendations include further assessment of the vapor intrusion pathway for the church building, groundwater monitoring and remediation, and additional characterization and remediation of contaminated soil. |
Robert Burgess |
| 10/19/2018 |
Site Characterization Workplan Approved |
DEC approved the workplan titled "Site Characterization Work Plan Addendum; Excavation Confirmation Sampling" submitted by Shannon & Wilson and describing the collection of several analytical samples at locations excavated by NRC. |
Robert Burgess |
| 6/10/2019 |
Interim Removal Action Approved |
Interim Removal Actions Report was received from Shannon & Wilson. The report describes removal of the rail car and contents as well as a pile of tar contaminated soil at the location where another rail car was thought to be buried, in addition to some additional removal of drums of contaminated soil and a few small excavation locations. Work on this phase of the project was overseen by the Prevention, Preparedness, and Response Program (PPRP) under spill number 17309913206. Contamination remains in soil and groundwater at the site. |
Robert Burgess |
| 7/20/2023 |
Meeting or Teleconference Held |
The DEC project manager met via telephone with Laverna Miller to discuss the site status, need for institutional controls via environmental covenant, and potential for sale of the property. DEC had previously provided a draft covenant to Mrs. Miller in September of 2022. The DEC project manager explained that the property can be sold at any time, and that the purpose of the covenant is to inform property owners or potential buyers of the remaining contamination, potential risks and land use restrictions. Following the call, DEC emailed the draft covenant to Laverna a second time. |
Robert Burgess |
| 8/15/2023 |
Exposure Tracking Model Ranking |
A new updated ranking with ETM has been completed for source area 71705 salvage yard. |
Robert Burgess |
| 8/7/2024 |
Potentially Responsible Party/State Interest Letter |
DEC sent a potentially responsible party (PRP) letter to Middle Fork, Inc. following their purchase of the eastern lot from Laverna Miller. |
Robert Burgess |
| 10/1/2024 |
Site Visit |
DEC visited the site to meet with the CEO of Middle Fork, Inc., discuss site status and requirements, and view the current condition of the site. All of the debris piles and vegetation have been removed and the structures have been taken down. The concrete pad for the shop building remains in place and appears to have a floor drain and dry well. Soil has been excavated from areas of the site away from known soil contamination, and clean fill has been brought in to prepare a pad for construction of a building. Middle Fork is storing equipment on site. DEC discussed requirements for contaminated site management and the process for implementing institutional controls through an environmental covenant. DEC staff also noted that the presence of a floor drain is new information that will require additional inspection and that the EPA's Underground Injection Control program should be notified. |
Robert Burgess |
