Alaska Pulp Corporation - Sitka Mill Site

Site Narrative

Description

The former Alaska Pulp Corporation (APC) pulp mill site is located on the north and west shores of Sawmill Cove, approximately five miles east of Sitka, in southeast Alaska. The mill, which operated from 1959 to 1993, employed 450 Sitkans at full capacity, producing wood fiber used primarily in the production of rayon fabrics and later used in paper manufacturing. Production wastes included wood waste, ash, general debris, stack emissions, and high volumes of pulp process wastewater which contained pulp processing residues.

Background

The first pollution control measures were implemented in the early 1970s. Contaminant studies began in 1990 when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and DEC, conducted a reconnaissance survey for organic and inorganic compounds in the Sitka area, including the mill site and adjacent Sawmill Cove. Following mill closure in the fall of 1993, the EPA conducted an expanded site inspection in 1994 and an integrated removal assessment in 1995.

DEC assumed oversight of the investigation and cleanup from EPA in the fall of 1995. A Commitment Agreement signed by APC and DEC required APC to investigate and remediate contaminants of concern present at the site in concentrations above levels determined to be a threat to human health and the environment. A number of other state, federal, and tribal organizations participated as members of the Site Investigation and Remediation Team.

In April 1999, DEC determined which remedial actions were needed to protect human health and the environment at the site. The remedial actions selected for the site considered public comments on a Proposed Plan, and the selected remedy described in a Record of Decision (which can be referenced on the Contaminated Sites database). The selected remedy for the site included bioremediation of petroleum-contaminated soils, disposal of non-hazardous drain system sediments and ash containing dioxin at a permitted local solid waste disposal facility. Remedial actions also included land use restrictions, and ecological natural recovery of Sawmill Cove.

To be protective of human health, a deed restriction limited land use to commercial/industrial until it was demonstrated to DEC's satisfaction that other uses would not present an unacceptable risk. DEC also determined that a portion of the Sawmill Bay study area, in western Sawmill Cove, required periodic monitoring and minimal disturbance of subsurface sediments. Because contaminants have remained on-site and in Sawmill Cove, an administrative review was required every five years after the commencement of the remedial action.

Public Health and Environmental Concerns

The pulp process generated wastewater discharges and air emissions containing chemical by-products. Sludge, boiler ash, wood waste disposal, and various spills and releases of oil and hazardous substances in and around the mill site contributed to overall contamination.

The mill used a magnesium acid sulfite process to produce high-grade wood fiber pulp. Chemicals used at the facility included sulfur, magnesium oxide, sodium hydroxide, and chlorine gas. Waste streams generated in the process included wood waste, boiler bottom ash, fly ash, wastewater, and wastewater treatment sludge. Wood waste or hog fuel was burned in the facility's power boilers, and was also disposed of in the Herring Cove Wood Waste Landfill. Over the lifetime of the mill, ash was disposed in several ways, including discharge through the mill stacks, on-site burial, and off-site burial at the Industrial Mill Waste Landfill and the Sitka Municipal landfill. For three months in 1990, ash was slurried with mill wastewater for discharge into Silver Bay. Wastewater was discharged via the facility's two permitted wastewater outfalls. Other outfalls were used to discharge stormwater runoff. Process effluent contained pulp process waste and, potentially, any chemicals used in or resulting from the manufacturing process. Stormwater discharges may have contained any chemical used at the site that spilled or leaked onto the ground. Other sources of contamination included spills and incidental releases of chemicals, including petroleum products, PCBs, and solvents. Contaminants of potential concern included petroleum hydrocarbons, dioxin, cadmium, nickel, ammonia, 4-methylphenol, and other wood waste degradation compounds in various combinations and concentrations.

Risks to human health were evaluated, considering exposure to individuals from both the Sawmill Bay Cove and developed Mill site areas. The human health risk assessment identified that people could possibly have been exposed to contaminants through inhalation, skin absorption, or accidental ingestion of contaminated ash, soil, or surface water. The ecological risk assessment documented that the Sawmill Cove sea floor community had been impacted by wood waste residues and chemical break-down products. Cleanup remedies were taken to prevent these forms of exposure to humans. DEC concluded that the Sawmill Cove ecology would naturally recover over time if left undisturbed.

Current Status

In 2004, the City and Borough of Sitka requested a change in land use to increase its development options for the site, now known as the Sawmill Cove Industrial Park. Specifically, a new tenant wished to construct housing for seasonal seafood industry workers. DEC has determined that the site can be safely occupied and used in an unrestricted manner. A benthic monitoring and bioaccumulation survey in Sawmill Cove was conducted in 2011. Due to the swift recovery of the marine ecosystem when compared to baseline data, the need for further surveys was determined unnecessary in 2014.

The site is currently in Cleanup Complete with Institutional Controls status. A revised Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was made between the State of Alaska and the City and Borough of Sitka to provide measures for implementing recorded institutional controls. This revised MOU can be found on the Contaminated Sites database. The revised Management Plan specifies the remaining work to be completed under a 1999 prospective purchaser agreement between the State and the City and Borough of Sitka for the former APC mill property.

A Revised Notice of Restricted Area in Sawmill Cove Relating to a Portion of Alaska Tidelands Patent No. 20, as described by Alaska Tideland Survey (ATS) No. 6 (signed July 23, 2014) was developed and recorded with the State of Alaska Recorder’s Office.

More Information

For documents and additional information related to this site, please visit the Contaminated Sites database.