In the Preliminary Assessment, MIC Environmental with Ridolfi Engineers identified 87 sites suspected to contain materials hazardous to the natural state of Annette Island's Metlakatla Peninsula. We conducted an asbestos survey and a lead-based paint survey at these sites. We are also doing an environmental contamination investigation. The results of the sampling are discussed below.

Asbestos Surveys

What was found: We took 274 samples at 25 sites; 23 sites were confirmed to have asbestos-containing materials. These sites include the Hangar, MPL office building (White Alice Station), and the Tamgas Apartments (FAA Housing) area.

We found over 235,000 square feet of asbestos-containing building material and 5,000 linear feet of asbestos-containing insulation. To put it in perspective, the asbestos-contaminated building material would cover almost 5 football fields.

The Annette water line insulation--over 45,000 linear feet or 8 miles of it--also contains asbestos.

Lead-Based Paint (LBP) Surveys 

What was found: We took 219 samples at 34 sites; 32 sites were confirmed to have lead-based paint. These sites included the runway approach lighting system, antenna towers, and the remains of burned buildings, as well as the Hangar, MPL office building, and the Tamgas Apartments area. 

We found 80% lead in the paint on the antenna towers, and lead-contaminated soil at most of the sites surveyed. The highest concentration level was 11,000 ppm. There are almost 22,000 cubic yards of lead-contaminated soil involved.

Limited Remedial Investigation (LRI)

Above-ground Storage Tanks (ASTs): We found evidence of AST's at 31 sites, 21 of which had existing AST's; and 27 existing tanks still in active use. At the 21 sampled sites, 81 individual tanks were identified. Sizes range from 120 to 80,000 gallons. Most contain some remaining fuel, and some had more than 1,000 gallons. Nineteen sites contained contaminants at levels above recommended cleanup levels for health.

Underground Storage Tanks (USTs): UST's have been found at 15 sites to date. Thirty individual UST's were identified, three of which are still in active use. We measured 20 of the 30 UST's, and found that 19 of them contain some remaining fuels. The amounts range from a trace to more than 1,000 gallons.

Ten of the 15 UST sites showed signs of fuel-related contamination, so soils were sampled. Many of those sites had contaminants at levels above recommended cleanup levels for health.

Barrels, Spills, and Disposal Sites: We found 21 sites to date, and sampled soils at 14 sites. Soil cleanup standards for fuel-related contaminants were exceeded at 5 of those sites. The contaminants found include petroleum fuels, PCB's, metals, pesticides, herbicides, and volatile and semi-volatile organics.