Eielson Air Force Base

⚠ Superfund · Construction complete

The site is being addressed in five long-term actions focused on cleanup of two fuel-contaminated areas, trichloroethylene spills, a drum burial area, landfills and a comprehensive evaluation of the entire site.

Location

CityFairbanks
CountyFairbanks North Star County
StateAlaska
Coordinates64.67145, -147.04920

Contaminants of concern

Contaminated media

Cleanup timeline

  1. Initial Assessment Completed — 10/07/1988
  2. Proposed to the National Priorities List — 07/14/1989
  3. Finalized on the National Priorities List — 11/21/1989
  4. Remedial Investigation Started — 05/21/1991
  5. Remedy Selected — 09/29/1992
  6. Final Remedy Selected — Estimated Jun - Aug 2027
  7. Remedial Action Started — 05/05/1993
  8. Construction Completed — 09/30/1998
  9. Deleted from National Priorities List — Not Yet Achieved
  10. Most Recent Five-Year Review — 09/27/2023

EPA references

EPA-regulated facilities nearby

Understanding this Superfund site

Eielson Air Force Base is a federal Superfund site in Alaska. The Superfund program, created by Congress in 1980, addresses sites where hazardous substances have been released or threaten release into the environment. EPA scores potential sites using the Hazard Ranking System; those that score high enough are placed on the National Priorities List.

Current status: Construction complete. Physical construction of the cleanup remedy is complete, though long-term monitoring and institutional controls typically continue for years or decades. Groundwater treatment systems, for example, often run long after surface cleanup finishes.

EPA has identified 10 contaminants of concern at this site, including 1,1,1-trichloroethane, 1,1-dichloroethene, 1,2-dichloroethane. Contamination has been detected in groundwater, soil, surface water, sediment, liquid waste.

If you live near this site and have health concerns, your state health department can provide site-specific guidance. EPA maintains a community involvement program for most NPL sites, and site documents — including the Record of Decision, five-year reviews, and public health assessments — are typically available through EPA's Superfund site profile.