ESTCP Project #1011, Rhizosphere
Final Report
of one million gallons were installed at various places on the island. Many government agencies
and private businesses conducted operations at the airfield throughout its history
The Metlakatla Indian Community currently owns the Annette Island site. Soil samples in 1988
indicated that substantial contamination of the surrounding soil existed near the tank farm. Of 12
samples taken, seven indicated benzene concentrations above Alaska Department of
Environmental Conservation (ADEC) Level A standards or 0.1 mg/kg. One-third of the benzene,
toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) samples showed concentrations exceeding the ADEC
level A standard of 10 mg/kg, with the highest reading of 44.6 mg/kg. TPH levels were also
elevated in all but three samples, with the highest reading being 2130 mg/kg. Our partner on
Annette Island was the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and we worked with ClearWater
Environmental, Inc.
The climate is wet and relatively mild by cold-regions standards. The area receives a high annual
precipitation averaging 155 inches a year, with an average temperature of 45.9 F. The site is
near the old tank farm and is a relatively flat area on the east side of Tangas Harbor; the site is
accessible by road. Access to Annette Island is by air or barge from Ketchikan.
3.3.2 Campion / Galena. Campion Air Force Station (AFS) is a former long-range radar
site located approximately six miles east of the interior town of Galena, Alaska (Figures 4, 9, and
10). Operational from 1952 to 1984, Campion served as a communications facility supporting a
high-frequency radio system, WACS, and a satellite communication system at various times
during its operation. The facility was replaced by a Minimally Attended Radar installed at
Galena Air Force Base and deactivated in 1984. The facility was demolished in 1986, and the
ground surface was graded smooth.
For storage of heating oil fuels, Campion AFS operated a tank farm that was serviced by
underground fuel pipelines from a barge-accessible fuel transfer facility on the Yukon River.
Based on the findings of the 1995 Remedial Investigation, the bulk of the site hydrocarbon
impacts to soil and groundwater at this site were diesel-range organic (DRO) compounds. Low
levels of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) compounds were also observed in
site soil. Soil samples taken in the tank farm area during the 1995 investigation revealed DRO
concentrations ranging from 36 mg/kg to 75,000 mg/kg and gasoline-range organics (GRO)
concentrations ranging from 59 mg/kg to 7,500 mg/kg, respectively. Soil BTEX levels ranged
from 0.2 mg/kg to 33.9 mg/kg. The hydrocarbon distribution and GRO/DRO ratios indicated
possible prior storage of gasoline fuel or arctic-grade heating oil or both. Our partners at
Campion were ClearWater Environmental, Inc.; the Louden Tribal Council; and the Air Force
611th CES.
The Campion site is about 250 miles west-northwest of Fairbanks, about 6 miles east of Galena,
and 350 miles northwest of Anchorage. This site is interior Alaska and is cold and somewhat
dry. Precipitation and surface winds are generally light with a mean annual precipitation of about
12 inches. Temperature variations between winter and summer can be extreme with a mean
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