Unknown

Problem Severity

Construction of the Northway Airport began in the spring of 1941. The air base served as a refueling and maintenance stop along the chain of air bases used to supply troops stationed in Alaska and transport aircraft to the Soviet Union as part of the lend-lease program. During World War Two (WWII), the airport served as a refueling depot for aircraft and as a staging area for work on the Alaskan Highway, the Canadian Oil pipeline project, and a defense fuel pipeline. During the height of operations at Northway, hundreds of buildings were built. By the end of WWII, the Army no longer used the Site and until 1966 the Site was largely owned and operated by the Civil Aeronautics Authority, now known as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). In 1966, the FAA transferred the right to use the lands and airport facilities to the State of Alaska. Since that time the State leased the property to various leaseholders for the providing lodging and refueling for planes. Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (ADOT&PF) applied to DEC for a DEC Brownfield Assessment in 2009 because of the suspected contamination at the site due to the historical use of the site. Characterization work was completed of this area during the summer of 2009. More information on this work can be found in file number 170.57.001. During the 2009 investigation, significant soil and groundwater contamination was identified throughout the lease lots. Petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated soil remains at the Site with concentrations of gasoline range organics (GRO), diesel range organics (DRO), and benzene above DEC soil cleanup levels. The estimated volume of remaining impacted soil above the most stringent DEC Method Two soil cleanup levels is 4,210 cubic yards of GRO-impacted soil, 12,377 cubic yards of DRO-impacted soil, and 13,430 cubic yards of benzene impacted soil. Groundwater field screening and analytical samples indicated a wide-spread area of benzene-contaminated groundwater and smaller areas of trichloroethylene (TCE)- and perchloroethylene (PCE)-impacted groundwater. The groundwater table in the study area appears relatively flat with only two feet of variation between the highest and the lowest ground water elevations, and the gradient is quite variable in the majority of the study area. This site record also encompasses the area formerly known as "Northway Staging Field OU7, Area 24" previously tracked under Hazard ID 4172, file no. 170.38.028. Previous database actions were transfered on 2/26/14. Area 24 is approximately 400 x 300 feet. Two subareas were mapped. Subarea 24A contains a variety of military and non-military durms, and non-military debris located in the sowthwest corner of the area. Subarea 24B consists on the eastern half of Area 24. Two building foundations were observed in Subarea 24B, pieces of 3-inch diameter pipe were present on the groundsurface near the building foundations. The pipe may be remnants of former fuel distribution pipelines. The ends of the pipe were visble, and the piping did not appear to be connected to any structures. The piping runs from near the builiding foundations toward Northway Road, and ends near the road. Surficial evidence of a UST was not observed.

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