Client: USACE Alaska
Location: Eielsen AFB, Alaska
Scope of Work:
- Permitting
- Excavation/restoration
- Sampling
- Non-hazardous POL contaminated soil removal and disposal
- Hazardous RACRA contaminated soil removal and disposal
Brice performed the removal of drums and sediment/soil excavation and disposal at the Garrison Slough Pond (GSP). To execute the project, we developed a Work Plan (WP) in accordance with the Uniform Federal Policy for Quality Assurance Project Plan (UFP-QAPP) Manual, Field Sampling Plan (FSP), and a Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP). We ensured that land use permits were approved and in place prior to mobilization. Once onsite, we excavated and removed over 1,000 drums, both buried and submerged from the GSP and its shoreline. We cleared all brush and vegetation along a section of the shore adjacent to a cache of submerged and buried drums. Brice retrieved the submerged/buried drums without dispersing contaminated sediments, avoiding impact to the GSP and exposure of the field crew and underwater divers. Within the GSP, we used a silt curtain to minimize dispersion of contaminated sediments downstream. The retrieved drums were sampled, over packed, temporarily staged and/or washed for proper disposal or recycling.
In addition, Brice excavated and removed over 1,000 tons of contaminated soil/sediment associated with the drum removal. We performed sampling at different depths to guide the excavation. At project completion, we backfilled and stabilized the shoreline, contoured the backfill material to promote drainage, and placed sand bags and straw wattles to prevent erosion and storm water runoff from entering the GSP.
Eielson AFB is located approximately 25 miles southeast of Fairbanks, Alaska. The base was listed on the National Priorities List (NPL) in November 1990 and has had a signed Federal Facilities Agreement (FFA) in place since May 1991. The removal of submerged drums was conducted under CERCLA guidance, as part of the Eielson AFB FFA, and conforms to RCRA, TSCA, and state regulations as the contents of the drums were anticipated to be classified as hazardous waste prior to characterization.
Performance Highlights
- Completed the project with no safety incidents
- Received across the board ‘EXCEPTIONAL’ CPAR ratings
- Our USACE-compliant QA/QC program resulted in project delivery with no rejected chemical data nor deficient or non-compliant work
