UAA Justice Center: Challenges of contaminated site cleanup in rural Alaska

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Challenges of contaminated site cleanup in rural Alaska

Contaminated sites in Alaska, FY 2017. This map marks the locations of contaminated sites throughout Alaska that have been identified by the Alaska Department of Environmental Conversation. Source: Contaminated Sites Database, Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation

Contaminated sites in Alaska, FY 2017.
Source: Contaminated Sites Database,
Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation.

Alaska is ranked third in the U.S. for Formerly Used Defense Sites properties, most of which are in remote locations. Many of the sites were contaminated during World War II, or during the Cold War, when the long-term effects of chemicals were not understood. An article in the Summer 2018 Alaska Justice Forum looks at long term efforts to clean up these, and other contaminated sites in the state, and the disproportionate impact on rural Alaska Native communities.