Environmental

Contact

Russ Steiger
Environmental Compliance Officer

907-474-5812
rhsteiger@alaska.edu

Contact

Bob Forcier
Environmental Compliance Specialist

907-474-5720
rforcier@alaska.edu

Tanks and spills

ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ handles many oil products from gasoline, diesel, lubricating oils to food grade oils as well as hazardous material. Proper storage and containment for all products are important to reduce water and soil contamination on campus should a spill occur.

  • Oil spills of any size must be reported to EHSRM (474-5720) so we can report to all required regulatory agencies
  • Important on-site equipment to have for oil spill response:
    • Absorbent pads for oil
    • Brooms
    • Paper towel
    • Latex and non-latex gloves
    • Goggles
    • Oil Dri absorbent
    • Containers for used absorbents and gloves
  • Oil filled containers of 55 gallons or more need secondary containment which includes:
    • Double-walled tanks
    • Sized spill pallets
    • Concrete secondary containment to hold the volume of the container plus annual precipitation
  • Tanks are inspected regularly (monthly and annually) to address any issues as soon as possible
  • Overfill protection is utilized via tank gauging and spill buckets
  • Do you have aboveground oil storage tanks or containers and equipment that contain fuel oil, hydraulic or lubricating oi at your campus or offsite facility? You may need a plan if:
    • The total amount of oil is 1,320 gallons or more, and
    • Their locations allow them to reach waters of the US, which includes wetlands
  • Your oil spill may need an update if:
    • A change in the amount of oil stored occurs
    • Two oil spills of more than 42 gallons occur in a 12-month period
    • One spill of 1,000 gallons or more occurs
  • Contact EHSRM at 474-5720 if you need a plan, have changes to the current state of oil containment, or you are looking at adding oil containment to your site

Stormwater

Although ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ is not located directly on a river or slough, we do have a stormwater system that connects to culverts and ditches that ultimately discharge into the Chena River.
ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ is a co-permittee with the City of Fairbanks, the ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Department of Transportation and the city of North Pole for discharges from storm water discharge systems. Every year these parties work together to reduce pollution to the Chena River and Noyes Slough from pollutants carried in snowmelt and rain. One example is the Annual River Cleanup.
ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ has construction projects almost every summer. Whenever a project disturbs an acre or more of land, including laydown areas and disturbances that are less than an acre but part of a larger project, a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) must be developed, and a Notice of Intent must be submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC).

The Department of Design and Construction ensures that our contractors complete and comply with their SWPPPs. EHSRM supports their efforts as well.

Drinking water