DEC inspection of Rebarchek pit turns up nothing suspicious

PALMER -- Alaska Demolition's plan to fill a gravel pit adjacent to the Alaska State Fairgrounds with debris and other inert waste is proceeding according to plan and regulation, despite some suspicions to the contrary.

The Anchorage branch of the Department of Environmental Conservation was recently contacted with allegations of unlicensed hazardous waste being deposited in the fill area. An inspector from the department was sent out to the Valley to determine whether these fears had any solid basis.

The pit, which the fair plans to put to use after Alaska Demolition finishes rehabilitating, or filling it with miscellaneous construction debris, has only started being filled this spring, and only a small amount of fill lies on the bottom of the 40-foot plot thus far.

Bob Blankenburg, an environmental specialist for DEC, said a local informant had told his office that some of the fill being performed at the Rebarchek pit didn't fall under the label of construction and demolition waste. Blankenburg went out to the site and found that the process didn't violate any of the standards set for the project earlier in the year.

"Our finding on the site was that there are no unallowed materials being deposited," said Blankenburg, who examined the site in late April. "Everything looked good when we went out there."

What Blankenburg was searching for was not only standard hazardous waste such as asbestos, liquid waste and chemicals, but also food items and comestibles that might attract unwanted attention from local wildlife. Blankenburg concluded that there was no risk to the environment posed by the fill, and that Alaska Demolition could proceed with its operation.

According to Palmer City Manager Tom Healy, certain permits must be obtained from DEC before performing a fill of this type. These permits cover exempt and non-exempt waste, labels corresponding to the amount of regulation that DEC imposes on the material. All of the material being stored in the Rebarchek pit is required to fall into the exempt, or less regulated, category; thus the recent attention being paid to the nature of the waste.

The pit is being filled as part of an arrangement between Alaska Demolition and the Alaska State Fair. Under this agreement, the company fills the gravel pit with work-related debris such as drywall, concrete, dirt, tree stumps and other non-reactive debris. The pit is being filled in 100-foot by 50-foot individual cells, with the eventual intention of leveling the pit and making it suitable for future use.

New equipment recently brought to the site by Alaska Demolition foretells an upcoming summer of successful rehabilitation. Though the pit will be nowhere near full at the end of the season, progress is already being made.

The pit was bought by the fair more than two years ago. However, it is of minimal use to the yearly event in its current status as a gravel pit. Once Alaska Demolition finishes filling the pit, the State Fair will have the opportunity to reacquire the leveled land and use it for public purposes such as soccer or dog training, according to plans made by fair officials in late 2003. In a February 2003 Palmer City Council meeting, an Alaska Demolition spokesman estimated that the fill would take approximately seven years. An ordinance passed by the council at that meeting placed certain restrictions upon the filling project to minimize its effect upon surrounding neighborhoods and reduce its visibility for passing motorists on the Glenn Highway.

Although the recent suspicions of hazardous waste being placed in the pit proved to be groundless, the DEC is under an obligation to grant the case all due scrutiny.

"This is something that people are going to be keeping an eye on, and we share their concern," Blankenburg said.

Contact Daniel Spoth at daniel.spoth@frontiersman.com.