Ahtna was contracted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to abate and demolish three two-story housing buildings and associated infrastructure at remote Lake Minchumina in Interior Alaska. The scope also included remediation of the top 18 inches of a 15,000-square-foot landfarm and two stockpiles of petroleum-contaminated soil.

The demolition of the three 1,800-square-foot housing buildings involved the abatement, transport, and disposal of lead-, PCB-, and asbestos-containing building materials and soil.

The remediation of the landfarm and stockpiles was successfully accomplished by collecting baseline samples of the soil to quantify the initial microbial populations and nutrient concentrations; designing and preparing a bio-augmented slurry containing the optimized microbes and nutrients; mixing that slurry into the soil; and tilling the landfarm and stockpiles weekly while maintaining optimal soil moisture to support the remedial processes.

Lake Minchumina is only accessible by air and to accomplish the needs of this project, 26 chartered Hercules C-130 flights were planned and budgeted for the mobilization and demobilization of equipment and the haul-out of building debris and contaminated soil for off-site disposal. However, the project team worked diligently during the abatement and demolition to carefully segregate materials such as floors and pilings that could be re-used by the local community. Ahtna’s Project Manager coordinated with members of the local community and the FAA to document and transfer materials that were safe for local re-use, saving the project more than $100,000 due to the reduced number of flights needed to haul out debris. In addition to the cost savings for the FAA, this also significantly benefited the local community of Minchumina, reflecting very well on both Ahtna and the client.