SWMU 25 - Roberts Landfill ADEC Solid Waste Site

Background
This site was operated on Adak Island under Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (Alaska DEC) solid waste regulations. The landfill operated from the early 1950s until 1972 and from 1975 until 2002. The site was used to dispose of sanitary trash, metal debris, batteries, solvents, waste paints, and construction rubble. From 1975 on, the landfill only accepted sanitary trash.

The landfill was closed in 1997 by placing a low permeability soil cover over the landfill, implementing access restrictions, installing surface erosion controls, and placing a vegetative cover. In March 2002, the State of Alaska approved resumption of operations at Roberts Landfill through 2002 to dispose of inert demolition waste monofill and one cell for disposal of approximately 10 cubic yards of asbestos-containing material. Alaska DEC approved closure of the landfill in 2002.

Identified Contaminants
Metals and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in groundwater and surface water

Current Actions
The Navy maintains and inspects institutional controls (ICs) annually. The Navy conducts groundwater monitoring at four wells and surface water monitoring at five locations annually.

Landfill Institutional Controls

ICs at the landfills complement previous actions taken, such as installation of groundwater monitoring systems, and the placement of soil cover. The ICs will minimize potential human exposure to site chemicals by implementing land use restrictions and imposing restrictions on soil excavations.

To ensure the integrity of the landfill covers, containment, and monitoring systems currently in place, the future landowner(s) and/or user(s) will be prohibited from performing activities that will disturb the soil cover or monitoring systems or impact the drainage and erosion controls developed to protect the soil cover.

Equitable Servitude

Groundwater Restrictions
Domestic use of groundwater in the Downtown Area is restricted because of the potential presence of petroleum compounds and other chemicals in the groundwater. Domestic groundwater use is defined as that used by households or transients for human and animal consumption, cooking, bathing, showering, gardening, irrigation, or use on consumable food products, watering animals and any other domestic use. The excavation notification program at individual sites provides one barrier to drilling; enforcement of the prohibition will also occur through periodic visual inspections. The visual inspections will focus on unauthorized wells in the restricted area. Groundwater use restrictions are included in the equitable servitude.

Inspections and Reporting
The ICs identified in this plan will be inspected and reported on an annual basis, or as necessary. Signs will be inspected for wear and tear, and replaced as necessary. The annual reports will assess the need for more or less inspection requirements, as well as determine whether the ICs in place are effective. The annual reporting requirements will be included in CERCLA 5-year reviews.

Land Use Restrictions
The landfills may be used for recreational use or any other activity that does not adversely impact the integrity of the landfill covers, containment, or monitoring systems. Examples of acceptable recreational uses include hiking, bird watching, hunting, nature watching, or any other short-term, non-intrusive activity.

Soil Excavation Restrictions
Landfill excavation by non-Navy personnel is absolutely prohibited. Excavation for the purpose of digging a domestic groundwater use well is also prohibited. Recreational land uses that add additional cover (e.g. ball fields, golf course) may be permissible. Navy personnel will be allowed to excavate for the purposes of repairing caps, etc.

Landfills Engineering Controls

The following engineering control, as stipulated in the OU A ROD, is required at landfill sites.

Sign and Soil Cover Maintenance
Signs and soil cover are in place at the landfills. The signs and soil cover will be inspected annually, or as necessary, to ensure that the signs are legible, and that the soil cover remains in place.

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