SWMU 21, White Alice Upper Quarry CERCLA Site

SWMU 20

Background
This 3-acre site is an abandoned quarry along the access road to the former White Alice radar array facility, located about 2 miles west of downtown Adak. The site was evaluated under CERCLA because drums of PCB-containing oil were disposed of in the area and PCBs were identified in the soil at SWMU 21A. Although there are no formal records to confirm this, anecdotal information indicates that during demolition of the White Alice facility (1980 to 1982), drums containing transformer oil were disposed of at (or in the vicinity of) SWMU 21A. A removal action was conducted in 1992 to remove 780 cubic yards of PCB-affected soils. A 20-mil liner and soil cover were placed over areas of residual PCBs to minimize direct exposure to and possible migration of residual PCBs (US Navy 1995b). Removed soils were disposed of beneath the SWMU 67 cap.

The remedial action objectives are to maintain this area as an outdoor recreational area due to the presence of Aroclor 1260 at levels that result in an elevated residential ICR, and to maintain the protective cap. Excavation by non-Navy personnel is absolutely prohibited although recreational land uses, which add additional cover, may be permissible. Navy personnel will be allowed to excavate for the purposes of repairing caps, etc.

Identified Contaminants
Aroclor 1260 was identified in the OU-A ROD as the chemical of concern. It was detected at a maximum concentration 1.6 mg/kg which is above the ADEC residential soil cleanup level of 10.0 mg/kg. An estimated residential ICR of 1.4x10E-5 was calculated . The ICR for the current recreational use was 4x10E-7 and the industrial ICR was 2.5x10E-7.

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CERCLA Institutional Controls

Equitable Servitude

Inspections and Reporting
The ICs identified in this plan will be inspected and reported on an annual basis, or as necessary. Annual site inspection reports will present the results of inspections. The annual reporting requirements will be included in CERCLA 5-year reviews.

Land Use Restrictions
Outdoor recreational and commercial and industrial land uses for the CERCLA Downtown Area sites are allowable under the OU A ROD. Examples of recreational land uses include hiking, bird watching, hunting, nature watching or any other short-term, non-intrusive activity on the land. Examples of commercial and industrial uses include manufacturing, industrial research and development, utilities, commercial warehouse operations, retail gas stations, auto service stations, equipment repair and service stations, professional offices, financial institutions, publicly owned office buildings, retail business where the principal activity is the sale of food or merchandise, personal service establishments (health clubs, barber/beauty salons, mortuaries, photographic studios, etc.), churches providing worship services (excluding daycare services), and motels/hotels (excluding those that allow residences). The planned land use at the Downtown Area CERCLA sites (except landfills) is consistent with these land use restrictions.

Soil Excavation Restrictions
Excavation Notifications are required for all the Downtown Area CERCLA sites as an IC. The excavation notifications will be required for all proposed excavations below 2 feet at each of the ICs sites. The notifications will be evaluated to determine whether a proposed project at an IC site is consistent with the land use restrictions. The notifications are an additional tool for the Navy to receive timely information (in the absence of local zoning requirements) to monitor land use restrictions. The primary purpose of the IC Excavation Notification is to apprise the Navy of any changes in land use. Information regarding the depth to contamination present is available in the information repository on the second floor of Bob Reeves High School. In the event of an emergency excavation for utility repairs, the requester shall notify the Navy within three working days after the emergency repair has been completed to provide the name, location, depth, and duration of the excavation.

CERCLA Engineering Controls

Engineering controls encompass a variety of engineered remedies to contain or reduce contamination, or physical barriers intended to limit access to property. Engineering controls, as they relate to Adak Island, include fences, signs, caps or barriers, and treatment systems including monitoring wells. The engineering controls identified in the OU A ROD, petroleum cleanup sites, and those that will apply as interim measures to OU B are described below.

Under the OU A ROD signed in 2000, fishing advisory signs were posted for subsistence fishers because of low levels of PCBs detected in bottom fish (rock sole) and shellfish (blue mussels) of Sweeper Cove and Kuluk Bay. The OU A ROD Amendment removes the requirement for fish advisory signs. Instead, the Navy will provide an information pamphlet to the residents of the City of Adak, because they are the most likely people to eat locally caught fish and shellfish as part of a subsistence diet. Fish information pamphlets will be updated as new information is collected and trends are analyzed. Copies of the updated pamphlets will be put in residence mail boxes, and copies will be placed at the City of Adak and U.S. Fish and Wildlife offices. The consumption of rock sole or blue mussels by recreational fishers poses no unacceptable health risks.

Ordnance hazard signs are in place on fencing around the part of the perimeter of the access restricted area adjacent to Lake Andrew. As of the end of the 2002 field season, remediation has been completed on all areas outside the access-restricted area adjacent to Lake Andrew. For this reason, with the exception of the signs at the perimeter of the Lake Andrew area, these signs are no longer required and were removed in 2003. Fences and gates at the access-restricted areas adjacent to Lake Andrew will be retained and maintained until the OU B-2 ROD is executed. Thereafter, ICs and ECs will be subject to the terms of the OU B-2 ROD.

Other Engineering Controls
Other engineering controls/remedies listed in the Comprehensive Monitoring Plan, Revision 1 are listed below.

Excavation and treatment by thermal desorption of contaminated sediments and soils and recycling of treated sediment and soils as cover material at Roberts Landfill;
Placement of a soil cover on one non-landfill site;
Recycling of treated soils from CERCLA sites as cover material at Roberts Landfill;
Monitoring groundwater at CERCLA sites for volatile compounds and semivolatile compounds;
Removal and treatment of petroleum-contaminated soils to meet State of Alaska cleanup requirements;
Monitored natural attenuation of petroleum chemicals in soil and groundwater;
Free-product recovery to the maximum extent practicable as an interim remedial measure, followed by final remediation to achieve cleanup levels under State of Alaska requirements for soils and groundwater; and
Maintenance of an Munitions Awareness educational program for on-island residents and visitors.

swmu 21 survey