|
Waste Site Reports: Alaska
NOAA acts on behalf of the Secretary of Commerce as a Federal trustee under CERCLA for natural resources in coastal and marine areas. NOAA trust species in Alaska include the northern fur seal, Steller sea lion, beluga whale, fin whale, humpback whale, sei whale, northern right whale, bowhead whale, several species of salmon, Pacific herring, stickleback, lingcod, rockfish, Pacific ocean perch, Atka mackerel and Walleye pollock. Species of special concern to NOAA in Alaska include beluga whale, humpback whale, bowhead whale, northern fur seal, Steller sea lion, Walleye pollock, and Pacific halibut.
Military Sites in Alaska
Alaska is dotted with over 600 military installations or formerly used Defense sites. These sites range from small radio/radar relay stations (the former "Dewline") to several large installations which essentially constitute small cities. Many are located in very sensitive tundra ecosystems or along the coast or rivers where numerous commercial and recreational stocks of fish, plus marine mammals, may be affected. The industrial nature of defense-related activities; the urgency with which many of these installations were built up during WWII and later abandoned; the common waste handling practices of the time; and the remoteness of these installations all have combined to leave significant cleanup issues at sites all across the state. NOAA's input is needed now to ensure that those cleanups protect natural resources as well as human health. NOAA offers technical expertise and a neutral perspective that is valued by both the military and the local public.
Areas of Special Concern in Alaska
Although NOAA is working to protect and restore natural resources throughout Alaska, Cook Inlet and it surrounding rivers and creeks are of special concern. The contamination resulting from the intense military and metal salvage activities around Anchorage have forced the local government to recommend against the eating of fish taken from Ship Creek. Cook Inlet provides one of the world's eight recognized wintering areas for beluga whales, which are known to feed on anadromous fish at the mouth of Ship Creek. Also, it is an area frequently visited by humpback whales.
Other areas of concern include: Adak Island, because it is a residence area for Steller sea lions; the Pribilof Islands, because they are a breeding area for more than 50% of the breeding population of northern fur seal and a significant breeding area for Walleye pollock; Barrow, because it is a residence area for bowhead whales; and Sitka, because it is an area frequently visited by humpback whales.
Waste Site Reports
|
|
|
|
|
- AK: Klag Bay Site (Reviewed 2002); CERCLIS No.= AK0002364768
(Document format: PDF, size: 371.4 K)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other pages in this series
|
|
|
|
