United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
OPPTS Tribal News
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nvironmental
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Dffice of Prevention, Pesticides,
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www.epa.gov/opptintr/tribal
Exposing its Ancient Ice
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Table of Contents
pruce Tre
Beetle
Table of Contents
News & Events 3
Environmental Concerns & Issues 7
Climate Change 11
Wildlife & Endangered Species 15
Coal Mining & Industry 19
Oil Exploration & Industry 27
Solid Waste & Open Dumps 30
Toxic Contaminants 37
Programs & Initiatives 43
Success Stories 46
Alaska Faces Spruce Bark Beetle Infestation 54
Kid's Page 56
Elders 58
The Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances is pleased to include the
comments and opinions of contributors. Byline articles and interviews represent the
opinions and views of contributors and not necessarily those of the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency. All web sites and URL's were true and current at the time of publication.
OPPTS Tribal News is a publication of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and is
intended for noncommercial, scientific, and educational purposes. As a federal governmen-
tal agency, neither the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, its programs, nor the produc-
ers of this publication can endorse any products or services. Also note, unless otherwise
stated, the EPA does not represent that featured science articles have been scientifically
peer-reviewed.
This publication may contain materials that may be subject to U.S. and foreign copyright laws.
For an explanation of page number icon, please see page 54.
Photograph of polar bears on cover courtesy of Scott Schliebe, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Digital Library System.
OPPTS Tribal News, Volume 5, Number 2
EPA745-N-00-001
ISSN: 1555-3175 (on line) 1555-3183 (in print)
LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS
Toby Anungazuk, Jr.
Roger Burnside
Pete Christich
Patricia Cochran
La'ona Dewilde
Rhea DoBosh
Brian H. Hirsch
Secody Hubbard
Janice King Jensen
Janice Johnson
Steve Johnson
Mary Lauterbach
A. J. Matthews
Hailey McKenzie
Howard Norman
Doug O'Harra
Evon Peter
Joe Sarcone
Bill Stokes
Colleen E. Swan
Jennifer Sweigart
D. Warden
Lynn Zender
Chris Zimmer
OPPTS Tribal News requests interesting, relevant stories
about pesticide and pollution prevention programs and
projects in Indian country from our readers. If you want
to share your experience with our readers, please write or
send an email message to Mary Lauterbach, EPA Office
of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, 1200 Pennsylvania
Avenue (MC7408M), Washington, DC 20460, lauter-
bach.mary@epa.gov.
To be placed on our mailing list, write to:
OPPTS Tribal News, U.S. EPA, OPPT
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue (MC7408M), Washington, DC
20460, or send an e-mail to lauterbach.mary@epa.gov.
OPPTS Tribal News can be viewed on the Internet at
www.epa.gov/opptintr/tribal
Mary Lauterbach, OPPTS Editor
Danielle Glitz, Assistant Editor
Shanita Bracket!, Writer
Hailey McKenzie, Intern
Michelle Humphrey, Photographer
Brian Adams, Graphic Design
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News & Events
Transition to Sustainable Energy Sources
Adapted from "Traditional Wisdom and the Dilemma of Fossil Fuels in Alaska," Evon Peter, Chairman,
Native Movement
Byline articles and interviews
represent the opinions and views of
contributors and are not necessar-
ily those of the U.S. Environmental
Elders have said that there will
come a time when we will have
to live from the land once again.
Although most of our peoples have
never been fully separated from
life on the land, we have become
comfortable with some western
ways that are not sustainable for the
future generations. The environ-
ment that we live in, the waters we
drink, the air we breathe, and the
animals that give themselves to us,
are either being depleted and/or
contaminated. The time has come
for us to heal ourselves and in that
process begin to apply the tradi-
tional wisdom of our peoples to the
challenges we face.
We have time to make wise
decisions for future generations and
ourselves that will ease the suffer-
ing our people encounter. We must
prepare for a time of transition or
risk facing a crisis situation later.
One of the more pressing issues
is the use of fuels in Alaska (gas,
propane, diesel, coal, etc.).
The way of life most of us have
become comfortable with in the last
50 or so years is based on the use of
fossil fuels. We rely on gas, diesel,
or coal for our snow-machines,
four wheelers, cars, boats, planes,
electric generators, home heating,
refrigerators, water pumping, and
shipping of supplies. The reality we
face is that fossil fuels are a limited
resource that will be running
out at the current rates of global
consumption within a generation
or two. This is a very serious issue
for communities around the world.
We must discuss the impacts of
this reality as well as the possible
solutions within each of our
communities.
The burning of fossil fuels is
also linked to global warming,
which is beginning to have a major
impact on our way of life as well.
There is melting of sea ice, drying
of the tundra that leads to out-of-
control wildfires, land erosion, and
possible extinction of some animal
species. We cannot ignore the
climatic impacts of fossil fuel use.
Things to Consider
Our elders teach us that we need
to think of the future generations
and that we need to respect our
relationships with the land, animals,
and spirits. A part of our spirituality
is how we maintain our relation-
ships, not only with one another,
but also with all of creation, all our
relations. There is wisdom in this
approach to life.
We depend on water, air, food,
and shelter for our survival. So
it makes sense that we should
consider those things being avail-
able for future generations a neces-
sity in the decisions we make today.
Unfortunately, availability is not
the only issue. We also need to
consider accessibility and contami-
nation. In parts of the continental
United States, pollution has resulted
in water sources being unsuitable
for human consumption. In other
areas, people are advised to restrict
their fish consumption due to
contamination levels.
Strategy for
the Transition to
Sustainability
We have to transition to a
sustainable way of life once again.
We have many opportunities to use
tools that will make life much easier
than the lives our ancestors had. It
is a transition into a healthy and
sustainable way of life for us and
for many future generations. It is
our responsibility to our children,
grandchildren, and to their grand-
children to make the transition in
our lifetime.
The transition to a healthy and
sustainable way of life will most
likely take a number of years. Each
community has a unique situa-
tion and therefore a unique set of
challenges they will need to address.
There is no one solution for all
communities, but there are some
initial steps and actions that are
universally applicable:
\ Conserve energy and minimize
the use of fossil fuels. One
approach might be to run
diesel generators for a minimal
number of hours each day,
maybe between 3-12 hours
a day when it is most useful,
such as during business hours.
We should also only use snow-
machines, four wheelers, and
boats when necessary. This will
significantly reduce the amount
of money villages have to
raise for fuel expenses.
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News & Events
Invest in renewable energy
sources such as solar, wind,
and mini-hydro. While renew-
able energy sources will not
be able to power villages with
24-hour electricity, they can
provide energy during times
of sun, wind, and/or flowing
currents. Perhaps funding saved
in fossil fuel conservation efforts
could be used to invest in
renewable energy infrastructure.
Re-learn traditional ways
of life and new sustainable
practices. It would be wise to
re-learn traditional ways for
hunting, water harvesting, food
storage, and shelter construc-
tion. Also, depending on the
environment and what types of
foods people desire, it might be
desirable to farm the land.
Use available resources to
support the transition to
health and sustainability. We
have resources available to us
from the federal government,
native corporations, founda-
tions, and individual donors
that can be used for this transi-
tion. For example, rather than
pay out individual dividends
from the corporations we could
choose (vote) to invest in renew-
able energy sources for the
villages.
The purpose of this piece is to
encourage deeper dialogue about
the realities we face in Alaska and
around the world. It is a time sensi-
tive manner.
Our elders teach us that we
need to think of the future genera-
tions and that we need to respect
our relationships with the land and
animals. We should listen. We need
to actively transition into a healthy
and sustainable lifestyle or be forced
into it later under much more diffi-
cult circumstances.
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News & Events
Alaska Forum on the Environment Z006
The eighth annual Alaska
Forum on the Environment (AFE)
was held February 6-10, 2006 at
the Egan Convention Center in
Anchorage, Alaska.
AFE is a statewide gathering of
environmental professionals from
government agencies, non-profit
and for-profit businesses, communi-
ty leaders, Alaskan youth, conserva-
tionists, biologists and community
elders. Each year, over 1,200 people
attend AFE to learn more about
the environment and meet other
Alaskans that work in the environ-
mental field.
The forum includes special
keynote speakers and more focused,
break-out sessions to discuss topics
of interest to AFE participants. AFE
offered over 80 breakout sessions
which were organized by subject
tracks including: climate change,
emergency response, environmen-
tal regulations, fish and wildlife
AFE Mission Statement
Alaskans working together
to promote a clean, healthy
environmen
i commu
nication and education.
populations, rural issues, energy,
military issues, business issues,
pollution prevention, and contami-
nants.
The Forum also included
presentations, panels, a session on
environmental career opportunities,
organizational meetings, training
classes, social events, vendor
displays/information booths, and a
"Talking Circle" with community
leaders and tribal elders.
The Forum provides an oppor-
tunity for state, local, federal,
military, private, and Native leaders
and professionals to come together
and discuss the latest projects,
processes, and issues that affect the
people of Alaska.
The AFE was originally called
the Federal Facility Environmental
Roundtable. It was an annual
conference focused on contami-
nants, hazardous waste cleanup,
hazardous materials manage-
ment, and pollution prevention at
federal facilities. It was expanded
pursuant to an agreement, called
the Statement of Cooperation, with
environmental regulators, military
departments, and federal agencies.
Since then, to operate and finance
an event the size of the AFE,
Alaska Forum, Inc. was formed as
a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit
organization to support the annual
event and its extended mission
to promote effective cooperation,
communication, and education in
Alaska.
The Planning Committee
includes representatives from
the Environmental Protection
Agency, Alaska Department of
Environmental Conservation, U.S.
Army, U.S. Air Force, Federal
Aviation Administration, U.S.
Navy, Mineral Management
Service, Department of the Interior,
Alaska Native Science Commission,
Conoco Phillips, Ecology &
Environment, Federal Emergency
Management Agency, Alaska
Department of Homeland Security,
and many others.
In the past five years, AFE
has offered technical sessions on
environmental issues such as;
alternative energy sources for rural
villages, subsistence hunting, fishing
and gathering on federal
lands, biological studies, bioter-
rorism, cruise ship initiatives,
effects of climate change, the Alaska
Native Claims Settlement Act,
military environmental restoration,
and tribal and federal government-
to-government policies.
For more information on the
event, please visit www.akforum.
com or contact AFE staff at
888-301-0185 or info@akforum.
com.
The following keynote speakers
have participated in the Alaska
Forum on the Environment:
2008
Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
Jill Fredston, Author
Lynn Scarlett, Deputy Secretary,
DOI
Sandra Cointreau, World Bank
2007
Clarence Alexander, Buffett
Award Winner
Paul Rose, Explorer & BBC TV
Presenter
N. Scott Momaday, Author,
Scholar, Poet
2006
Wade Davis, National
Geographic
Sheila Watt-Cloutier, Inuit
Circumpolar Conference
John Francis, Planetwalker
Edwin Pinero, U.S. Federal
Environmental Executive
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tommy Flamewalker
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Environmental Concerns & Issues
My Earth
Hailey McKenzie, Cherokee Nation (Deer Clan), Talequah, Oklahoma
Byline articles and interviews
represent the opinions and views of
contributors and are not necessar-
ily those of the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency.
Earth is the one place that we
all have in common. It is a home
shared by living and non-living
things; it is a complex system made
up of homogeneous and heteroge-
neous components that constantly
interact with each other. As a caring
citizen of this planet, I am fully
aware of the many challenges that
we and the future citizens must
face to ensure the sustainability of
our planet. One such issue that is
of special importance to me is the
mining and oil drilling near tribal
land. To me, this issue has at least
three equally important compo-
nents of harm: the cultural threat,
health concerns, and the environ-
mental impact.
Reservations and tribal lands
are scarce in space and limited in
number. They are the few places
where native culture still thrives
and hopes to stay alive. With the
invasion of mining and drilling on
this sacred land, many tribes are
facing a cultural turmoil that leaves
them feeling stripped of their one
last place that they can call home.
Many native cultures still
practice traditional ways of living
where there is direct contact with
the environment. One such trade
that I have personal experience with
is the practice of basket weaving.
When weaving baskets, one must
put the plant in the mouth to hold
one end and then pull the bark
down. If such plants come from
land that is contaminated with
pollutants, whether from mining
or drilling, it poses serious health
risks to the children, women, and
men making baskets. This is just
one example where health can be
seriously jeopardized as a result of
environmental negligence.
Environmental impacts due
to mining and drilling are just as
significant. It is not exploitation of
land alone, but the aftermath left
behind. Many times companies
are very effective at hiding their
environmental crimes until it's
too late. Drinking water becomes
undrinkable, land becomes unable
to support crop growth, and the
air emissions spread throughout
the region for many miles
before they settle. Instead of
preventing the release of the toxic
chemicals in the first place, compa-
nies often resort to settlements for
remediation. But no matter how
effective the clean-up, the dump
will always leave a dark mark on the
environment.
Many of these projects are
promoted in the name of economic
progress. It is said that they will
benefit not only the companies
pursuing the drilling, but the
inhabitants of the land and country
as a whole. However, we know
very well that the revenues are not
always used in the best interests of
citizens, especially in the states and
countries where the ruling parties
might not be as concerned about
the citizens and environment as
they are about the economy. One
cannot deny the fact that economic
drives have a mighty force that
even the most democratic systems
cannot hold back. However, it is
not the political system alone that
should be fighting the human and
environmental injustices; it is the
duty of all citizens to stand up for
their interests. It is this concern for
the environment and for the people
that drives my desire to join the
EPA, where I hope to become an
effective contributor to protecting
our home and all its inhabitants.
-------
International Cooperation, Challenges, and Goals
Pete Christich and Rashida Shivers, EPA Office of International Affairs
Byline articles and interviews
represent the opinions and views of
contributors and are not necessar-
ily those of the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency.
Alaska is a unique U.S. state. It
shares border regions with Canada
and Russia, including shared
ecosystem regions with British
Columbia and the Yukon Territory,
and is part of ecosystems of the
North Pacific and Arctic Oceans.
Since 1909, the United States
and Canada have cooperated
under the 1909 Boundary Waters
Treaty to prevent and control water
pollution. Article IV of the 1909
Treaty states: "...It is further agreed
that the waters herein defined
as boundary waters and waters
flowing across the boundary shall
not be polluted on either side to
the injury of health or property on
the other." Under the 1909 Treaty,
the two countries are increasingly
taking steps in shared watersheds to
ensure that water use, levels, flows,
and quality are addressed as part of
an integrated whole, and not on a
"piece meal" or conflicting basis.
In 1988,the US-Canada
International Joint Commission's
(IJC) Report on the US-Canada
Flathead River Basin reads "there
are far reaching implications of this
Article IV principle as applied to
an important migratory fishery that
moves in both directions to spend
part of its life cycle in each country.
In such cases, there is a mutual
obligation to protect that fishery by
a range of management practices
in both countries which will ensure
that the provisions of the Treaty
will be jointly honoured."
The 1909 Treaty is an impor-
tant framework for Alaska's inland
water ecosystems shared with
British Columbia and the Yukon
Territory. Over many centuries,
indigenous people in this region
have lived in harmony with nature
by following life ways passed down
through many generations, which
has helped protect human health
and the diversity of wildlife and
ecosystems. In Canada and the
United States, indigenous people
are also recognized as aboriginal
people. Their governments are
referred to as First Nations in
Canada and as Tribes or Native
Villages in the US. The exten-
sive United States-Canada border
includes a number of indigenous/
aboriginal people's governments or
alliances, some of which span the
US-Canada border.
In 1998, the Canadian and
United States governments asked the
IJC to help explore and develop new
and improved watershed ecosystem
approaches along the entire US-
Canada border. The goals of this
long-term initiative include, for
example, improvement of consulta-
tion and partnering with Tribes/
Native Village and First Nation
governments to help better fulfill
requirements of the 1909 Treaty.
The international region,
which includes Alaska, is affected
by trends in the larger Northern
Hemisphere and worldwide trends.
Some of the issues of shared
concern among the United States
Government, Alaska Tribes, State of
Alaska, Canada, and others include
long-range transport of persistent
toxic air and water pollutants,
bio-accumulation of toxics in food
chains, environment and develop-
ment challenges within US-Canada
watersheds, and climate change.
The following three sections
highlight international issues,
challenges, and goals affecting
Alaskan lands and waters.
Alaska -British Columbia
Region: Since 1998, the United
States and Canada have engaged in
consultations about how to fulfill
the 1909 Treaty for the Alsek,
Stikhine, and Taku River water-
sheds. Since the mid-1990s, the
two countries have consulted and
coordinated on a Canadian-led
multi-year review and assessment
of the proposed re-opening of the
Tulsequah Chief mine and new
mine access road. Issues of concern
include ambient levels of certain
heavy metals in Taku River water,
as it flows from British Columbia
into Alaska, the Tulsequah Chief
mine's surface tailings impound-
ment proposed to be in a flood
plain, and the mine's proposed
access road, which could catalyze
additional development and cause
adverse environmental impacts. A
historical and cultural goal includes
ensuring protection of the Taku
River Tlingits' traditional hunting
and trading trail, which has existed
over many centuries, and has end
points on both sides of the Alaska
-British Columbia border. As part of
their joint review and assessment of
the Tulsequah Chief mine project,
the two countries have stated that
the 1909 Treaty, US-Canada Pacific
Salmon Treaty, and the UN Espoo
Convention, are important agree-
ments regarding Tulsequah Chief
mine project issues.
Alaska -Yukon Region: The US/
Alaska border with Canada/Yukon
Territory includes shared rivers
and streams such as the Yukon-
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Environmental Concerns & Issues
Porcupine Rivers system, and
smaller bi-national waters, such as
Old Crow and Firth Rivers, and Joe
and Aspen Creeks. The 1909 Treaty
is an important framework for these
surface waters which flow across
the US-Canada border. Additional
international frameworks, appli-
cable to migratory animal species
such as salmon and caribou, also
apply to transboundary watershed
ecosystems. Some of these addition-
al agreements include the Pacific
Salmon Treaty and Porcupine
Caribou Herd Conservation
Agreement.
The Yukon River Inter -Tribal
Watershed Council (YRITWC) was
launched at a summit in Galena,
Alaska in 1997 when Tribes and
Canadian First Nations came
together to form a coalition to
address common concerns along the
Yukon River. Today, the signatories
of the YRITWC number 64 Tribes
and First Nations. This binational
initiative helps the two countries
fulfill the 1909 Treaty, and it also
serves as a model for consideration
for other international watersheds.
Arctic Region: Cooperation
among Arctic territorial nations
since the 1970s, including their
long-term cooperation under the
UN Convention on Long Range
Transport of Air Pollution and
international work of the Arctic
Monitoring and Assessment
Program (AMAP), led to the
creation of the Arctic Council
in 1996. The Arctic Council is a
regional model effort on sustain-
able development. The Council
helps member countries develop
and advance regional approaches
on social, economic, health, and
environmental issues. It includes, in
addition to government members
of the eight Arctic nations, these
indigenous peoples' representatives
as Permanent Participants: the Aleut
International Association, Arctic
Athabaskan Council, Gwich'in
Council International, Inuit
Circumpolar Conference, Russian
Association of Indigenous Peoples
of the North (RAIPON), and the
Saami Council.
Ensuring the protection of
people, wildlife, and ecosystems
in the international region, which
includes Alaska, requires a diverse
array of international frameworks
and cooperation, both binational
and multinational. Since the 1990s,
national governments, indigenous
people's governments, and others
have steadily strengthened inter-
national cooperation to include
important goals of human health
and environmental protection in
this important and unique region.
The Yukon River Inter-Tribal
Watershed Council demonstrates
that no Tribe or First Nation is
an "island." The Arctic Council
demonstrates that no country
is an island. Issues such as the
long range transport of persistent
toxic air pollutants and global
climate change highlight that no
international region is an island.
International cooperation, which
includes Alaska,
has resulted in
development and
advancement of approach-
es and shared visions of the
future that will help achieve
sustainable development.
Information, Internet
Sites, References
I US-Canada International Joint
Commission: www.ijc.org
I Persistent Organic Pollutants,
A Global Issue, A Global
Response, EPA report, 2001,
available from EPA OIA.
I EPA Tribal News, Fall 2003/
Spring 2004 issue, pp. 30-32
I Yukon River Inter Tribal
Watershed Council: www.
yritwc.com
I Arctic Council: www.arctic-
council.org
I International Union for
Conservation of Nature:
www.iucn.org
> Pete Christich: 202.564.6404,
or Christich.Pete@epa.gov
I
Case Study: Steller's Sea Cow
of the Bering Sea
The Steller's sea cow, a marine mammal
that in length averaged 20 25 feet lived
alongside indigenous people in the US
Russia Bering Sea region for many genera
tions. The sea cow grazed on plants such
as kelp. After the arrival of Europeans in
the 1700s, in less than 30 years, these large, gentle, herding animals
became extinct.
Over the past century, the United States, Canada, other countries, inter
national organizations, indigenous people's governments, and others
have learned and are demonstrating that international cooperation is
needed to ensure that other animals do not suffer the same fate as
Steller's sea cows. Countries are aligned internationally in their focus,
work, and goals in the Alaska international region to protect wildlife,
people, and ecosystems.
v
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Tribes Benefit from CIS Software
A J Matthews, Little Traverse Bay Band ofOdawa Indians,
Environmental Services
a
T
Byline articles and inter-
views represent the opinions
and views of contributors and
are not necessarily those of the
U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency.
A geographic information
system (GIS) is a combina-
tion of computer software,
hardware, and data designed
to support the collection,
analysis, and display of geographic-
related data. GIS is extremely
beneficial to Tribes and can easily
be obtained. The Bureau of Indian
Affairs (BIA) has an Enterprise
License Agreement with ESRI,
the company that produces the
commonly used ArcGIS software.
The Geographic Data Service
Center (GDSC) was established by
the BIA in order to maintain the
license agreement. Under this agree-
ment, federally recognized Indian
Tribes can obtain ArcGIS software
and support at no cost. Licenses are
available for a variety of software
options from the baseline entry
level package (ArcView) to the
more complicated analysis software
(Arclnfo). Free training opportuni-
ties are also provided through the
GDSC in both instructor-led and
online course formats. The courses
cover a variety of topics varying
from GIS introduction to more
specific issues including geoprocess-
ing and spatial analysis. The enter-
prise license agreement provides
an avenue for the acquisition of
software and the qualification of
users through training and support.
With these benefits, Tribal organiza-
tions can easily establish a successful
GIS program.
r -•-•-*
| =± —
___ _ __ BMMR.
Data acquistion is another
key aspect in the success of a GIS
program. Data can be acquired
through many channels includ-
ing free downloads, data sharing
agreements, and by purchase from
consultants or GIS companies. GIS
data can also be created using GPS
information or by manipulating
pre-existing data. It is important
that GIS data be updated and
maintained in an organized, central
location. Relevant and readily
available data is a key factor in
the optimization of a Tribal GIS
program.
The combination of state of the
art software, qualified users, and a
solid foundation of data will allow
any Tribe to maximize the potential
of a GIS to meet the many needs of
Tribal operations.
Key Sites
\ ESRI Main Page
www.esri.com
\ Geographic Data Service Center
www.esri.com/industries/federal/
bia
\ ESRI Virtual Campus
campus.esri.com
\ Data Depot (Free Downloads)
data.eeocomm.com
Attention Science
and Engineering
Students: The EPA
Can Help You Pay
Tuition!
If we are going to meet the
complex environmental challeng
es of tomorrow, we need to start
planning today. That's why the
U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) is helping future
scientists and engineers get the
training they need. Each year,
EPA awards fellowships to the
nation's top undergraduate and
graduate students to help them
complete their degrees.
What is STAR and GRO?
Two fellowship programs are
available to students pursuing
degrees in environmental fields.
The Science to Achieve Results
(STAR) fellowship supports
graduate research in environ
mental science and engineering
disciplines. The Greater Research
Opportunities (GRO) fellowship
program is primarily designed
to support students attend
ing colleges and universities
that traditionally have limited
funds for research and develop
ment. In 2005, 168 STAR and
GRO research fellowships were
awarded to students from more
than 110 universities in 43 states
and the District of Columbia.
All applicants for STAR and GRO
fellowships undergo a rigorous
peer-review process, ensuring
that some of the best students in
the country are chosen.
Who is Eligible?
Applicants must be U.S. citizens
or lawfully admitted into the
country for permanent residence.
In addition, fellows must be
attending a college or university
within the United States.
For more information and appli
cations, please visit www.epa.
gov/ncer/fellow.
-------
Environmental Concerns & Issue
Climate Change
Signs of a Warming Planet
Adapted from "Hot summer a sign of warming planet, "Anchorage Daily News,
Doug O'Harra, February 22, 2005
The opinions and views expressed
in this chapter are from the article
from which it was adapted, and
are not necessarily those of the
Alaska's long, hot summers are a
great indication of a warming planet.
Last year, temperatures in Alaska
averaged five degrees Fahrenheit
above normal during the months
of May, June, July, and August.
According to Doug O'Harra, the
warmer temperatures were driven
by the warmest ocean temperatures
ever measured in the Northern
Hemisphere, matched globally by
the fourth-warmest year on record.
Episodes of lightening and the state's
decrease in rainfall resulted in nearly
6.5 million acres of Alaskan land
burned.
"Throw in melting glaciers, disin-
tegrating permafrost, diminishing
sea ice, coastal erosion, changes in
vegetation and wildlife, insect infesta-
tions, rising sea level, and increasing
exposure to contaminants brought
on air and sea currents, and Alaskans
know firsthand about the poten-
tial damage and cost caused by the
shifting climate. The Climate is really
warming now, and you Alaskans
know that," said Robert Corell, chair-
person of the Arctic Climate Impact
Assessment Steering Committee for
the international Arctic Council,
"Because this really is the bellwether,
the canary in the mine: What we see
over the next decade here and in the
Arctic, the rest of the world will see in
the next 25 years."
Dr. Corell is a senior fellow
of the American Meteorological
Society. As a participant in several
panel discussions at the Alaska
Forum on the Environment in
February 2005, Dr. Corell outlined
the devastating impact of a warming
climate and melting ice across the
North. These impacts were summa-
rized by an international scientific
committee commissioned to evaluate
and synthesize knowledge on
climate variability, climate change,
and increased ultraviolet radiation
and their consequences. Dr. Corell
served as chairperson of the commit-
tee. The committee also studied
how contaminants reach the Arctic
through air and water currents and
then enter the food chain.
Sheila Watt-Cloutier, chairperson
of the Inuit Circumpolar Conference,
also participated in panel discus-
sions on contaminants and climate
change at the Alaska Forum, and
suggested that excessive greenhouse
gas emissions by the United States
directly threaten the human rights
of Arctic residents. Other effects
of Alaska's warm summer resulted
in lower surface water levels in the
Yukon Flats region. According to
Craig Fleener, Council of Athabascan
Tribal Governments, there was only
a half-inch of rain in certain parts
of the Yukon Flats region, and the
waters could not be navigated. "The
community of Birch Creek was nearly
landlocked," reported Fleener.
Doug O'Harra concluded his
article with a summary of findings
presented by Dr. Robert Corell
during other meetings and speeches.
Dr. Corell reports the following:
& Analysis of air sampled from
ice cores in Antarctica shows a
close match between greenhouse
gas concentrations and average
global temperatures over the past
400,000 years.
The difference between a full ice
age and the sort of warm inter-
glacial period now occurring on
Earth appears to be only about
10 degrees Fahrenheit.
Similar studies of ice cores, tree
rings, and sediment show that
global temperatures spiked begin-
ning with rapid industrialization
in the 1700's to 1800s, when
greenhouse gases like carbon
dioxide began to rise.
Climate shifts are changing the
ecosystem faster than plants and
animals can respond and are
stressing trees in Alaska's interior,
triggering insect outbreaks like
the spruce bark beetle in the
Southcentral region, and threat-
ening to push Arctic species like
the polar bear toward extinction.
There is a need for a national
"climate aware" campaign to
reduce energy consumption.
People can begin by putting
up storm windows, deciding to
walk instead of drive, lowering
thermostats, and buying products
from companies that also reduce
emissions.
-------
Impact of Climate Change on Alaska Native
Communities
Patricia Cochran, Alaska Native Science Commission
Byline articles and interviews
represent the opinions and views of
contributors and are not necessar-
ily those of the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency.
What are the environ-
mental concerns of
some Alaska Natives?
\ Global warming
\ Abnormalities in subsistence
foods
\ Human health
Impacts of commercial and
sports fishing
Local and foreign sources of
contaminants
Changes in the ecosystem
Perpetuation of culture.
It is known that climate change
affects a community's way of life.
Alaska Natives have always expected
fluctuations from year-to-year in
weather, hunting conditions, ice
patterns, and animal populations.
However, since the 1970s, some
Alaska Natives have noticed many
indications of major changes in
climate.
What climate changes
have been observed
during the last 30
years?
\ Temperatures in parts of Alaska
average more than four degrees
warmer during the last 30 years
\ Permafrost is becoming imper-
manent
Observations from Alaska Natives
Erosion, Ice, and Wind
Patterns
"There have been a lot of changes in
the sea ice currents and the weather.
Solid ice has disappeared, and there
are no huge icebergs during the fall and
winter. The ice now comes later and goes
out earlier, and it is getting thinner. The current is
stronger and it is windier on the island. We had a bad
hunting season with lots of high winds. Our elders
tell us that our earth is getting old and needs to be
replaced by a new one."
Jerry Wongittilin, Sr., Savoonga
"[In] Copper River, we've noticed that in the last 10
years, it doesn't freeze across like it used to. The
temperatures are warmer. The lakes are drying up.
Over the last two years, the water has been low
in June affecting the fish run. Sockeyes are much
smaller and so are hatchery fish."
Gloria Stickwan, Cooper Center
"This year our ice didn't last long because it was so
thin. It made it dangerous to go out. There was open
water between Wales and Brevig at Lost River. The
ice at Wales, when it forms, goes out a quarter of a
mile and forms a pressure ridge. The ice was very
thin [last year] and rotted very early between the
pressure ridge and the village."
Ellen Richards, Wales
Temperatures
[Regarding] the temperatures, it used
to get warm, but now it gets hot. There
are droughts in some places. There
are trees where there never used to be
trees. The tree line is moving out where
it didn't used to be. If contaminants are
in the snow, then they are everywhere.
They will contaminate fish. We're not going to walk
around with a gas mask on; we're going to have to
figure out how to live.
Orville Huntington, Husila
Seasonal Characteristics and
Weather
"Last spring we got only six walrus because of the
weather and ice moving out too quickly. A long time
ago, it used to be really nice for weeks and even
sometimes for months. Now, we only have a day or
two of good weather, and this impacts our hunting.
The hunters talk about the ice getting a lot thinner. It
is going out too quick.
William Takak, Shaktoolik
ssarilv those
-------
Environmental Concerns & Issues
Climate Change
I Glaciers are retreating by 15
percent every decade
) More incidents reported of
hunters and travelers falling
through thin sea ice
& Spruce beetles are decimating
forest areas
) The Iditarod (dog sled race)
has moved north due to lack of
snow.
Climate change affects shore
erosion and wind patterns, ice
conditions, seasonal character-
istics, and human populations.
In studying shore erosion at
Shishmaref, Alaska, scientists have
observed that the sea is almost
ice-free well into December instead
of October, and that there are more
frequent storms in the area in the
summer and fall. Also, the sea is
gnawing away at the local airstrip
and has "relocated" 18 homes.
Climate change also impacts
food resources. Water temperatures
affect phytoplankton and zooplank-
ton growth, which indirectly affect
fish, marine mammals, and human
harvests due to lifecycle dependen-
cies.
Researchers investigating these
climate observations believe that
changes in solar activity, position-
ing of the moon, variations in the
Aleutian low (the low pressure
center located near the Aleutian
Islands), and atmospheric pressure
"regime" shifts are the cause.
When considering the broad
impacts of climate change, Alaska
Natives are already seeing the
effects on cultural and traditional
ways of acquiring and storing food.
The observations of Alaska Natives
not only mirror
scientists' predic-
tions, but provide
first-hand evidence of
the effects of climate change.
For more information, contact
Patricia Cochran, Alaska Native
Science Commission, at pcochran@
aknsc.org or visit www.native-
science.org or www.nativeknowl-
edge.org.
Alaska Inter-Tribal Council
(AITC) has developed a website
for Villages on non-local source
contaminant issues. "Nunat"
will be about climate change,
resource development (mining
etc.), and contaminants, and
how these events might impact
subsistence. The website became
"live" in February 2008. www.
nunat.net
Planned features of the site
include:
) Village-to-village message
board for mining, climate
change, contaminants, subsis-
tence changes, etc.
) Fish database for villages to
share "unusual" fish observa-
tions with other Villages, and
pictures/video offish caught
that look different
) "Climate change" gallery -
video and photo uploads of
people's climate and subsis-
tence change observations
Sample template on how to
keep a climate change obser-
vation journal
Materials (presentations,
handouts, etc.) from recent
conferences
Calendar of events and grant
deadlines
Introduction tutorials/infor-
mation on main and sub
topics
Personal stories of how
climate change is impacting
villages and lives
Email listserves to keep
informed, and a list of groups
that meet about climate
change, mining, etc.
"Where is my mine at?"
Links to status of mining
permitting process with
contact information etc.
-------
Environmental Concerns & Issues
Climate Change
Impacts of Climate Change in
Golovin Alaska
Toby Anungazuk Jr., Environmental Coordinator
Chinik Eskimo Community Tribal Environmental Program
Byline articles and interviews
represent the opinions and views of
contributors and are not necessar-
ily those of the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency.
The community of Golovin is
in the Norton Sound. Cape Darby
and Rocky Point, on the Golovin
Bay, act as a buffer zone to almost
all severe storms. In previous
decades, occurrences of high water
in Golovin were infrequent. From
the mid-1960s to 1992, the lower
part of Golovin was inundated only
twice with a potentially damaging
storm surge. However, such storms
are now occurring more frequently.
In 2003, a storm surge hit Golovin
that lasted for approximately
one day before the high water
receded. In late October 2004,
Northwesterly winds of less than
40 knots, coupled with severe high
water conditions and an extremely
high tide, caused water to breach
the roads and the beach ridge at an
unprecedented speed.
In Golovin, we are experienc-
ing a much earlier spring thaw.
The snow is melting over a month
earlier than it did in the late 1980s,
and it doesn't start freezing until
later in the fall. Snow does not
accumulate on the ground until
after the Thanksgiving holiday.
Ice is melting on the water bodies
approximately one month earlier
and freezing over a month later
than in the past.
In the beginning of July, Agnes
Amarok, Golovin's Eldest, noted
that the grass, willows, and edible
greens had already changed to
August colors. This summer, the
first salmon berries ripened a week
earlier than ever before. In addition
to early vegetative maturation,
many small birds and ducks have
begun to lay eggs earlier. What will
happen if most of the birds hatch
eggs early and we have a late spring
freeze after the eggs hatch? Our
concern is that the food sources
needed for raising young may not
be at their optimum levels, and
the birds and ducks may not try to
lay a new batch of eggs. Another
concern is that sea mammals rely on
stable ice conditions to raise their
pups. Will these sea mammals,
which remain an important part of
the Golovin diet, be more difficult
to harvest because they are follow-
ing the northward receding ice
earlier in the season than usual?
These climate changes also
make it more difficult to "predict"
the weather. Weather prediction
is essential for hunting, fishing,
harvesting, and protecting human
and animal habitats. Because
hunting regulations do not always
keep up with the changing weather
patterns, hunters may be forced
to hunt in more adverse weather
conditions. Salmon and herring
fishing harvests could decline if
most of the fish arrive early before
the nets are set. Clouds arriving
at the coast have lost most of the
moisture necessary for the different
types of berries to ripen. When
there is less rain, the tundra has
desert like conditions, which
seriously raises the threat level for
a tundra fire. Such a fire could be
disastrous to the community and
animal habitats.
We believe that contaminants in
"Arctic Haze," including airborne
dust, absorb heat and, therefore,
contribute to early snow melts.
Once the dust melts some of the
snow accumulated on the ground
and exposes patches of earth, the
ground temperature begins to rise,
speeding up the melting process.
-------
Environmental Concerns & Issues
Wildlife & Endangered Species
The Basics of the 1973
Endangered Species Act (ESA)
Secody Hubbard, EPA Office of Civil Rights
Congress passed the Endangered
Species Preservation Act of 1966
and the Endangered Species
Conservation Act of 1969.
Although the laws allowed for a
listing of endangered species for
protection, they were limited in
their protective scope. Finally,
in 1973, Congress passed the
Endangered Species Act (ESA),
which is considered to be one of
the most comprehensive conserva-
tion laws for wildlife in the world.
The law is administered by the
Interior Department's Fish and
Wildlife Service (US FWS) and the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA). US FWS
has primary responsibility for
terrestrial and freshwater organisms,
while NOAA-Fisheries has marine
species responsibility.
The ESA is intended to conserve
ecosystems that endangered and
threatened species depend on.
Federal agencies are required to
ensure that the actions taken by an
agency do not jeopardize a listed
species and/or destroy or modify
critical habitat. In protecting
plant and wildlife, all species are
eligible for listing as endangered
or threatened, with the exception
of pest insects. Currently, the list
of threaten or endangered species
contains mammals, birds, fish,
snails, clams/mussels, reptiles,
insects, plants, etc. The most listed
species under the law are plants,
mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and
clam/mussels.
Generally, the determination
of endangered and threatened
species is based on the following
factors: (A) the present or threat-
ened destruction, modification, or
curtailment of its habitat or range;
(B) overutilization for commercial,
recreational, scientific, or educa-
tional purposes; (C) disease or
predation; (D) the inadequacy of
existing regulatory mechanisms;
or, (E) other natural or manmade
factors affecting its continued
existence.
ESA and Tribal
Governments
American Indian lands in the
lower 48 States comprise over 45
million acres of reserved lands,
and another 40 million acres of
traditional Native lands in Alaska
with over 200 Federally recognized
tribes. Much of the acreage in
native Alaska remains untouched
and unspoiled. The protection of
native lands is vital to tribes as
human welfare is tied closely to
the land. The reservation environ-
ment including land, natural
resources, and wildlife species
not only provides economic self-
sufficiency, but they are an intri-
cate part of native spirituality and
physical sustenance in the inter-
connected web of the American
Indian way of life. Sustaining the
overall reservation and native land's
environmental integrity is not only
essential to preserving the reserva-
tions themselves, but also satisfies
Tribal Government's priority to
keep native lands healthy and viable
environments for future genera-
tions.
In working with Tribal
Governments, the US FWS recog-
nizes that the unique legal posture
of the tribes in relation to the
federal government is deeply rooted
in American history. These unique
enclaves are independent entities
with inherent powers of self-govern-
ment based on treaties, statutes,
judicial decisions, executive orders,
or agreements. The US FWS, as a
representative of the Federal govern-
ment, has responsibilities to observe
several key elements of Federal-
Indian relations in protecting native
natural resources. They are:
) The Federal trust responsibility
toward Indian tribes
I Respect for tribal rights
I Acknowledgement of treaty
obligations of the United States
toward tribes
I The government-to-government
relationship in working with
tribes
) Protection of natural resources
that the Federal government
holds in trust for tribes.
Implementing the ESA in
relation to Indian tribes, the
Departments of Interior and
Commerce issued Secretarial
Order #3206 (American Indian
Tribal Rights, Federal-Tribal
Trust Responsibilities, and the
Endangered Species Act) in
June, 1997, that clarified roles,
responsibilities, and guidance in
working with tribal Governments.
Essentially, the Order acknowledges
the trust responsibility and treaty
obligations, and sets principles for
Agency coordination with tribal
governments. The Order, however,
excluded Alaska Natives. ESA
Section 10(e) provides that
the Act's prohibition on
takings of species
generally does
not
-------
Environmental Concerns & Issues
Wildlife & Endangered Species
apply to Alaska Natives if the
taking is primarily for subsistence
purposes. In January of 2001, the
Secretary of Interior issued Order
No. 3225 (Endangered Species Act
and Subsistence Uses in Alaska,
Supplement to Order No. 3206)
which established a consultation
framework relative to the subsis-
tence exemption in Sec.lO(e) of the
ESA. The consultation framework
addresses conservation concerns
relative to a species that is listed as
endangered or threatened under the
ESA and also used for subsistence
by Alaska Natives, tribes and other
Native organizations.
Today, the Department of
Interior collaborates with Alaska
Natives when subsistence take
negatively impacts certain listed
species. In devising cooperative
agreements, they not only form
conservation partnerships and
conserve listed species, but the
agreements also meet the subsis-
tence needs.
Management of subsistence
species by FWS and Alaska Natives
share a common goal of conserving
sensitive species including candi-
date, proposed, and listed species.
Other collaborative management
efforts include: forming recom-
mendations for management
actions, plans, or regulations;
population and harvest monitoring
projects; law enforcement activi-
ties; education programs; research
design, data collection and use
of traditional knowledge; habitat
protection programs; and recovery
projects that minimize the cultural
and economic impact on Alaska
Native communities. Working in
a conservation-partnership and
government-to-government manner
will benefit both the endangered
resources and will exercise treaty
rights of tribal governments.
Alaska is served by the US Fish
and Wildlife located in Anchorage,
Alaska. Alaska is Region 7.
For further information regard-
ing specific species, issues, and
regulations, consult the following
organizations and documents:
) Office of the Native American
Liaison, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service
I Executive Order 13175,
Consultation and Coordination
with Indian Tribal Governments
(November 6, 2000)
I Final Recommendations of
the Working Group on the
ESA and Indian Water Rights
(Federal Register Notice of
Availability and Request for
Comment, 65 FR 41709, July
6, 2000)
I Secretarial Order #3206:
American Indian Tribal
Rights, Federal-Tribal Trust
Responsibilities, and the
Endangered Species Act (June
5, 1997)
I Questions & Answers—
American Indian Tribal
Rights, Federal-Tribal Trust
Responsibilities, and the
Endangered Species Act
I U.S. Department of Interior,
Bureau of Indian Affairs
J Department of the Interior,
Responsibilities for Indian Trust
Resources
I List of Federally Recognized
American Indian Tribes
and Alaska Natives (Federal
Register: December 5, 2003
[Volume 68, Number 234] ).
Or contact:
Native American Liaison
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
1011 East Tudor Road
Anchorage, Alaska 99503-6199
T-LIP Contact: Tony DeGange
(907) 786-3492
-------
Environmental Concerns & Issues
Wildlife & Endangered Species
Endangered Species List of Alaska
On December 27, 2006, the Secretary of Interior announced a proposal to have the Polar Bear listed
as threatened under the Endangered Species Act and to conduct a twelve month study before making a final
decision to list the species. The proposal cites concerns about the effect of receding sea ice on the habits of polar
bears, which use the ice as a platform to hunt for prey, and intends to investigate other factors that may have an
adverse effect on the polar bear populations. The proposed rule and other information about the proposal is avail-
able on the Marine Mammal website at: alaska.fws.gov/fisheries/mmm/polarbear/issues.htm
The species listed below have been identified as endangered in Alaska by the Commissioner of Fish and Game.
This information was gathered from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Wildlife Conservation.
For more information, please visit www.adfg.state.ak.us or contact the Office of the Commissioner at ADF&G
Headquarters, P.O. Box 25526, Juneau, Alaska 99802-5526, (907) 465-4100.
Eskimo curlew, Numenius borealis
Short-tailed albatross, Diomedea albatrus
Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae
PJght whale, Eubalaena glacialis
Blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus
Steller's sea lion, Eumetopias jubatus
Eskimo curlew, Numenius borealis
The Eskimo curlew, Numenius borealis, is currently listed as an Alaska endangered species and a federal endan-
gered species. Eskimo curlews are medium-sized shorebirds and are related to the whimbrel. They are about
12-inches long and have a slightly down-curved bill. Their coloring is dark cinnamon, and they have solid primary
feathers.
In the mid-1800's, huge flocks of the Eskimo curlew migrated from South America to their nesting areas in
the Alaska and Canadian arctic. According to researchers, unrestricted market hunting led to the decline of the
species between 1870 and 1890. The last documented sighting of the Eskimo curlew was in Texas in 1962.
Source Author: Skip Ambrose.
Short-tailed albatross, Diomedea albatrus
The Short-tailed albatross, Diomedea albatrus, is currently listed as
an Alaska endangered species and a federal endangered species. Mostly
seen in the North Pacific, the Short-tailed albatross is a large seabird
with narrow, seven-foot-long wings for soaring low over the ocean. The
young birds are chocolate brown and turn white as they grow older.
The adult short-tailed albatross have an entirely white back, white or
pale yellow head and back of neck, and black and white wings. Their
bill is large, pink, and hooked at the end with a blue tip.
During the late 1800s and early 1900s, feather hunters killed an
estimated five million short-tailed albatrosses, resulting in much of
their decline. The species then further declined after volcanic
eruptions in Japan in the 1930s. From the late 1940s to
1993, the species numbers have dramatically grown
from fewer than 50 to over 600.
Source Author: Jean Fitts Cochrane.
-------
Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae
The Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae, is currently listed as an Alaska endangered species and a federal
endangered species. Humpback whales have stocky bodies and flat, broad heads. Their upper bodies are black or
blue-black, and their flippers, grooved undersides, flanks, and underside of the flukes can be white or black.
Humpback whales can be found in a wide range of ocean habitats from the waters surrounding tropical islands
to shallow waters off continental coasts. They are seasonal feeders and build up body fat reserves in the summer
and then migrate to warmer subtropical areas during the winter breeding season. In Alaska, humpbacks feed
mostly on krill and small fish. Currently, there are approximately 1,000 to 1,200 humpback whales compared to
the estimated 15,000 whales that existed in the North Pacific prior to mechanized commercial whaling.
Source Author: Tamra Paris.
Right whale, Eubalaena glacialis
The Right whale, Eubalaena glacialis, is currently
listed as an Alaska endangered species and a federal
endangered species. Northern right whales are found
in the northern and southern hemispheres, includ-
ing both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Alaska right
whales feed in the northern waters of the Pacific
Ocean during the summer and migrate to lower
latitudes to breed during the winter. Northern right
whales grow up to 56 feet in length and are mostly
black with some white patches on their bellies.
Northern right whales were over-hunted from
1835 to the 1850's. They were sought after because
of their thick blubber, long baleen, and slow swim speed. Currently, there are approximately 100 to 500 Northern
right whales.
Source Author: Linda Shaw.
\
Blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus
The Blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus, is currently listed as an Alaska endangered species and a federal endan-
gered species. The blue whale is the largest living animal in the world, with an estimated average length of 75 to
80 feet and weight of 200,000 pounds. Their coloring is mottled bluish-gray, and their heads are wide and flat.
Blue whales migrate long distances between equatorial wintering grounds and high latitude feeding areas. Blue
whales spend most of their time along the edges of the continental shelves and are seldom seen in coastal Alaska
waters.
An estimated 4,900 to 6,000 blue whales inhabited the northern Pacific Ocean prior to whaling. During
the whaling seasons of 1910 to 1966, however, an estimated 8,200 blue whales were killed in the North Pacific.
Currently, there are approximately 1,200 to 1,700 blue whales in the North Pacific.
Source Author: Steve Zimmerman.
Steller's sea lion, Eumetopias jubatus
The Steller's sea lion, Eumetopias jubatus, is listed as endangered for the segment of the population located west
of 144 deg. W. longitude (a line near Cape Suckling, AK). The population of this western stock declined 75%
between 1976 and 1990. The decline was believed to be caused by direct takings, reduced prey abundance, or
certain diseases and contaminants. Other stocks of the Steller's sea lion are listed as threatened.
Source: Alaska Department of Fish & Game.
-------
Environmental Concerns & Issues
Mining & Industry
Mining in Alaska, A Tribal Member's
Perspective
Hailey McKenzie, Cherokee Nation (Deer Clan), Talequah, Oklahoma
Hailey was EPA s summer tribal intern to the "OPPTS Tribal News, in 2004. A part of this intern experience is for
each intern to develop an article for the publication that features their own environmental interest area or shares their own
unique tribally affiliated issues related to the environment.
Byline articles and interviews
represent the opinions and views of
contributors and are not necessar-
ily those of the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency.
Mining is essential for harvesting
the resources needed to fuel our high-
tech world. However, it is important
to consider the associated hazards
to the people that live around the
mining sites and to the land and water
that surround these areas.
The mining sector is made up of
establishments that extract natural
resources from the earth such as crude
petroleum, mineral solids, ores, coal,
and natural gas. Mining also refers
to practices such as well operations,
crushing, screening, washing, flota-
tion, and other preparation customar-
ily performed at the mine site or as
part of mining activity.1
Alaska is known for having
an abundance of gold and rich
deposits of lead, silver, zinc, and
copper. The Kennecott Copper
Mine (now a National Park) in the
Wrangell Mountains was one of the
richest copper deposits ever found.
Teck-Cominco's Red Dog Mine,
located in the DeLong Mountains 50
miles northeast of the Native Village
of Kivalina, is currently the worlds
largest lead-zinc mine. It is estimated
that the mine holds 25 million tons of
zinc. Platinum has also been mined in
Alaska. In addition to metal mining,
prospectors are conducting explorations
for precious gems, such as diamonds
and sapphires, in stream gravels.2
Placer gold mining, the process
1 US Census Bureau. Data Tools Catalog Census 2000.
Northern Alaska Environmental Center website, www.northern.org/artman/publish/mining.shtml.
3 Metal Mining and the Toxics Release Inventory - Fact Sheet, www.northern.org/artman/publish/metalmining.pdf.
4 Direct communication with Douglas Dobyns, member of the Sitka Tribe of Alaska.
by which free gold is washed from
stream gravels, dominated Alaskan
mining from the early 1900s through
the late 1950s. However, the practice
has been eclipsed by large, industrial
hardrock mines operated by multina-
tional companies.2
The Interior and Arctic regions are
the primary targets for future mining
in Alaska. The latest mining boom
began with the development of the
Red Dog Mine in the 1980s, and was
compounded by the discovery of gold
deposits near Fairbanks (Fort Knox
Mine) and Delta (Pogo Mine). These
mineral deposit discoveries have resulted
in rapid, aggressive claim staking and
exploration by mining companies.2
Metal mining is one of the
largest producers of toxics in the
United States, generating up to two
billion tons of solid waste annually.
According to the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency's (US EPA) Toxics
Release Inventory (TRI), metal
mining produces over 50 percent of
toxics reported through the TRI. In
2003, Alaska's only operational metal
mines, Red Dog, Greens Creek, and
Fort Knox, were ranked as the top
three toxic producers within the state.3
Douglas Dobyns, of the Sitka
Tribe of Alaska, provided his personal
opinion on the impacts of mining in
Alaska. The following is a summary of
his comments.
A number of Tribes from Alaska
have voiced concerns over mining
impacts. The impacts can be far-
reaching and long lasting. Transfers
and run off from water, wind, roads,
and ore transfer facilities can result in
impacts hundreds of miles away from
the mine sites.
In some cases, the regulatory
process is complex. For example, there
are mines in transboundary areas that
have impacts in Canada. Other factors
contributing to regulatory complex-
ity include: the location of mines on
corporation lands that can be native,
or nested in a variety of ways so that
the ownership cannot easily be deter-
mined; the fact that some mines are
enclaves in parks or other types of
Federal land; and, the fact that some
mines have legacy property rights and
deeds, often in special status.
In addition to the aforementioned
problems, there has been a lack of
proper consultation with tribes in
many of these cases. It is not easy to
properly examine the records. In one
case I have worked on for many years,
there has been consultation with one
selected tribe, but not with other tribes
who also have felt impacts in their
communities. It should not be the
responsibility of one tribe to inform
another. Furthermore, one tribe should
certainly not speak for, or in any
other way be responsible for, the tribal
citizens of the other tribe(s), unless
there are protocols and resolutions
between the tribal governments that
provide the basis for that to occur.4
There is a need to raise aware-
ness of the nearby and far-off
impacts of mining, the
current problems, and
potential future
problems.
-------
Cooperating Tribes,
A Tribal Perspective
Colleen E. Swan, Kivalina, Alaska
Byline articles and interviews
represent the opinions and views of
contributors and are not necessar-
ily those of the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency.
Tribes acting as cooperating
agencies when a federal project falls
within their geographic area or reser-
vation makes more sense than project
proponents care to admit. Native
people have an intimate knowledge
of their surroundings and are more
aware of the dynamics of the natural
environment they live in. The road
that led me to this conclusion was
not an easy one to travel. It was an
uphill road that was riddled with
manmade obstacles and jagged rocks,
not traveled by many others. It
saddens me to know that there still
is much disrespect for Native People.
There still is a sense among many,
including our own people, that rural
Alaska native people are not equipped
with advanced knowledge and techni-
cal skills like people of other races.
The Indigenous peoples knowledge
comes from centuries of observations
made as they experienced life in the
wild, untamed lands.
My experience began a little more
than 10 years ago while working as
Tribal Administrator for the Native
Village of Kivalina. I began with
little knowledge about politics, but
learned quickly after considering what
was at stake. Our village was almost
immediately impacted by pollution
from the newly-constructed Red Dog
Mine. Contaminated run-off from
the waste rock pile flowed into our
fresh water source, the Wulik River
and killed thousands of wild trout
fish, one of our peoples main sources
of food. The run-off was eventu-
ally contained and diverted to the
tailings containment pond. However,
I never felt peace of mind after that
and, therefore, began my campaign
to protect our environment against
contamination from the largest lead
and zinc mine in the world.
In an effort to reach this goal, our
tribal government requested desig-
nation as a cooperating agency (or
stake holder) on a project that would
expand the Red Dog Mine operations.
This project was headed by the Army
Corps of Engineers (Alaska District)
(ACoE). The purpose of the project
was to expand the Delong Mountain
Transportation Terminal System to
improve efficiency and safety. But how
would this project benefit the public
and be of national benefit as required
by the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969 when it served
only the Red Dog Mine? Red Dog
Mine is a private company owned by
TeckCominco, whose parent company
is located in Canada. Public funds
were to be used to finance the project.
It was stated that the improvements
would include reducing the cost of
fuel to the villages in the Northwest
Arctic Borough by turning the Red
Dog Mine Port into a centralized fuel
distribution point. However, in order
to accomplish these goals, they would
have to buy fuel from Singapore or
other foreign countries at drastically
reduced costs. But wouldn't we then
reduce fuel sales in the United States?
Also, an environmental impact state-
ment reported that the project would
have a devastating impact on our way
of life, based on a preliminary study
of the possible environmental and
human health effects resulting from
the project.
"Any scientist would tell you
that what grows in certain
environments grows there for
a reason...Anything that grows
in Northwest Alaska in our
geographic area is what we
eat, [and] what we eat...thrives
and survives in the Arctic. What
we eat is who we are, and it is
so important to us to be able
to protect our tribal resources.
We need to be able to protect
ourselves and our way of life.
Colleen Swan, Native Village of
Kivalina
Our request for designation as
a cooperating agency was initially
denied based on the fact that we
were a tribe without reservation
status and didn't have "special
expertise." However, our opposi-
tion to this decision drove our case
to Washington D.C., where we
explained that we were a federally-
recognized tribe serving its members
and have certain responsibilities to
those members as approved by the
Secretary of Interior in our constitu-
tion and by-laws.
In the end, the decision made
by the ACoE was overturned
and it became possible for all
tribes in Alaska to be designated
Cooperating Agencies. However,
the designation was not granted
to our tribe because we were not
able to reach an agreement with
the ACoE as to what our tribe's
responsibilities would be for the
Cooperating Agency Agreement.
That is a consequence that we will
have to deal with if the Delong
Mountain Transportation Terminal
Improvement Project is approved.
-------
Environmental Concerns & Issues
Mining & Industry
Canadian Mine Threatens Alaskan Interests
in Taku: Review Process Leaves Many
Questions Unanswered
Chris Zimmer, Rivers Without Borders
Byline articles and interviews
represent the opinions and views of
contributors and are not necessar-
ily those of the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency.
Update:
Since this article was written in
October 2006 Redcorp Ventures
has placed its road access plans
on hold and is now proposing to
use a new and untested combina-
tion of a hoverbarge and several
types of tug vessels (including a
new "amphitrac" tug) to service
the Tulsequah Chief mine via the
Taku River and Juneau, Alaska.
While this proposal would elimi-
nate the road and its numerous
impacts on the Taku, this new plan
raises serious concerns for Taku
salmon, wildlife and their habitats.
Redcorp now requires permits from
the State of Alaska (but no US
federal permits) and the permitting
process began in December 2007.
The Alaska Department of Fish
and Game (ADFG), fishermen,
local businesses, Alaska Natives
and numerous others have raised
strong concerns about the potential
for the hoverbarge and tug vessels
to harm spawning adult salmon,
incubating eggs and embryos and
rearing juvenile salmon, to degrade
salmon habitat, to erode river
banks and increase sedimenta-
tion and to disrupt the annual ice
freezeup and breakup regime. The
Alaska permitting process has now
been suspended because Redcorp
has twice failed to supply adequate
information to Alaska permitting
agencies. The British Columbia
(BC) permitting process is also
underway, but the Canadian federal
process has not yet been scoped.
For more information on the
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GOKIw
hoverbarge, the permitting process-
es and concerns raised to date see
www.riverswithoutborders.org.
The Acid Mine Drainage
(AMD) problem continues at both
Tulsequah Chief and Big Bull sites.
Redcorp claims it can't clean up
this pollution until it re-opens the
Tulsequah Chief mine because they
lack access to the site. However,
this past Summer Redcorp
conducted several conventional
barging and helicopter operations
to bring in supplies, heavy equip-
ment and other materials for mine
development so the claim of no
access is questionable.
The Taku River Tlingit First
Nation (TRTFN) is continuing
Land Use Planning negotiations
with the BC government. The
negotiations should move from
framing to substantial negotia-
tions by early summer 2008. This
planning process could provide
long-term environmental and
ecosystem protection supported by
sustainable development, but such
outcomes are far from guaranteed.
British Columbia has always been
clear that these negotiations have
no bearing on their approval of
road access to the Tulsequah Chief
site, and there are strong indica-
tions that BC may require a legis-
lated road access corridor reserve
into the lower Taku whether or
not the current mine propo-
nent requires or builds
such a road.
The Taku
Watershed
-------
Environmental Concerns & Issues
Mining & Industry
more than ever at an important
crossroads: will it become a new
mining district with the river
serving as an industrial highway
and without proper environmen-
tal review and long term land use
planning or will the State of Alaska
conduct a more rigorous review
of the hoverbarge proposal and
seize the opportunity presented by
the BC/TRTFN planning talks?
The way this is resolved will set
precedents, for better or worse, as
to how transboundary industrial
projects are reviewed and how fish
and wildlife protections will be
provided.
Original Article
(October, 2006)
Crossroads for World
Class Watershed
The transboundary Taku River
is one of the top five salmon rivers
in Alaska and usually the top
producer of salmon in Southeast
Alaska. Up to 2 million salmon
return annually.1 Twice the size of
Yellowstone Park, it is the largest
unprotected, undeveloped water-
shed on the west coast of North
America.
As I write this in October 2006
from my cabin in Juneau, eight
miles from the Taku, the commer-
cial salmon fleet is wrapping up
a lucrative fishing season. Sport
fishermen also benefit from the
Taku's rich fisheries, with almost
half of the Juneau sport fish catch
dependent on the Taku.2 The Taku
fishery is worth at least $7.5 million
to Southeast Alaska, while tourism
brings in over $18 million3. The
Taku is the traditional home of the
Tlingit native people.
The future of this watershed
is in doubt. A junior Canadian
mining company, Redcorp Ventures
(and its subsidiary Redfern
Resources), plans to re-open
the Tulsequah Chief mine, and
probably the nearby Big Bull mine,
and construct a 100 mile access
road through the heart of the water-
shed to Atlin, British Columbia
(BC). Other mining companies
are interested in using this road to
open mines, with mineral stakmgs
and exploration on the increase (see
maps).4
The Taku is at a crossroads.
Will it suffer from piecemeal devel-
opment without long term land
planning and without regard to the
obligations of the Boundary Waters
Treaty and the Pacific Salmon
Aerial view of Tulsequah Chief mine site, 2005
Treaty?5 Or will the United States
and Canada take this opportunity
to develop a long term stewardship
plan that allows for economic devel-
opment, respects native rights, and
protects the Taku's clean water and
healthy salmon runs?
Wrong Mine, Wrong
Place
Many Alaskans think this is the
wrong mine in the wrong place:
an acid-generating mine, mixing
zone and tailings dump upstream
from some of the most important
spawning and rearing habitats
in the watershed. The Alaska
Department of Fish and Game is
worried about Flannigan Slough,
just downstream from the conflu-
ence of the Tulsequah and Taku
Rivers, and wrote in 2001 that
"this area is extremely important
for rearing juvenile and staging
and spawning adult salmon...
Degradation of spawning or rearing
habitat or water quality in this area,
from mining or other development
activity, could have substantial
adverse effects on the health of
anadromous fish stocks throughout
the river6."
The US EPA "is particularly
concerned with the operator's ability
to maintain in perpetuity the tailings
impoundment, proposed to be
located in the active floodplain of
Shazah Creek, the project's ability to
meet water quality objectives, and
the potential for cumulative long-
term water quality impacts."7
Cleanup Failures
The track record is not encour-
aging. The Tulsequah Chief and
Big Bull mines were abandoned by
Cominco in the late 1950s without
being cleaned up, and acid mine
drainage has since been pollut-
ing the Tulsequah River, the main
tributary to the Taku. Redfern
-------
•,
I
I
Aerial view of Taku River, 2005"
has been violating the Canadian
Fisheries Act for 10 yeas and is the
subject of a federal cleanup order.
In 1990, Canadian regulators
found "considerable acid genera-
tion" and "acutely toxic" water
samples at the Tulsequah Chief.
Subsequent inspections through
October 2003 found that "none
of the measures undertaken by
[Redfern] had significantly reduced
the acutely lethal toxicity" of the
discharges from the two sites.8 In
July 2005, Redfern installed a treat-
ment plant at the Tulsequah Chief
as a temporary measure. Although
we have been denied access to
monitoring reports and other infor-
mation on the cleanup by both
Redfern and Canadian agencies, it
appears that this plant is receiving
mixed reviews. No apparent efforts
are being made to clean up Big
Bull.
Although the mine and its
tailings dump pose serious risks to
Taku water quality and salmon, the
access road is the larger threat. The
access road is the "foot in the door"
to major industrial development in
the Taku watershed.
Environmental Concerns & Issues
Mining & Industry
be best served
by considering
potential environmen-
tal effects of extended use
of the road after mine site
closure."10 Statements by BC and
Redfern about restricting access and
closing the road are contradicted by
BC law, which allows any company
with a timber license or mining
claim use of the road—a reality
that BC was well aware of at the
start of this project. According to a
September 20, 1999 cable from the
US Consulate in Vancouver, "BC
officials acknowledged that under
their law it would be virtually
impossible to refuse access to the
mine road to any legitimate third
party."
The parties are stepping
forward. In January 2005, the
president of Canarc said, "Our
re-activation of the New Polaris
project coincides not only with
higher gold prices but also with
the pending development of the
large Tulsequah Chief copper-zinc-
gold-silver mine and road access
of Redcorp Ventures, immedi-
ately adjacent to the New Polaris
property."11 Mineral exploration
and staking is also dramatically
increasing in the Taku, especially
along the road route (see maps).12
BC and Redfern are promot-
ing widespread development of the
Taku based on the Tulsequah Chief
access road and are, at the same
time, making promises to close
the road. A 1993 news article said,
"John Greig of Redfern Resources
says that Taku River corridor road
access is critical to develop-
ment of the northwestern
British Columbia mining
industry."13 In its
reasons for
approving
the
Canadians Ignore Road
Issues
The US EPA's comments to
the Canadian federal environmen-
tal assessment in February 2005
stated, "An associated concern is
the potential for other mines such
as the Polaris and Big Bull, and
possibly others, to be re-opened
as well. The potential cumulative
water quality impacts of multiple
mines operating in this highly
productive and sensitive watershed
will require much more additional
analysis..."9
The lead Canadian federal
agency, Department of Fisheries
and Oceans (DFO), ignored
comments such as these by
adopting the completely unfound-
ed assumption that the Tulsequah
Chief access road would be closed
when the mine closed. In its July
2005 environmental assessment
approval, DFO asserted that the
road would be decommissioned
with the mine, blatantly ignoring
the advice of its own minister who
said in 2004 that "DFO under-
stands that its Fisheries Act and
CEAA [Canadian Environmental
Assessment Act] reviews would
-------
Environmental Concerns & Issues
Mining & Industry
Q
Tulsequah Chief in 2002, the BC
Ministry of Energy and Mines
committed to "require that Redfern
close the access road as a means
of ensuring that any impacts to
wildlife that result from the use of
the access road stop, when the mine
closes." Yet, three months earlier on
September 13, 2002, the Ministry
issued a press release promoting
their Geological Survey Branch's
"Joss'alun Discovery" in the Taku
watershed. The release included
a website link showing the as yet
unbuilt Tulsequah Chief mine road
and including a note that "The
occurrence is about 22 km from the
proposed Tulsequah road route."
In a validation of the old saying
of "give 'em an inch and they'll take a
mile," Redfern is now stating that the
Tulsequah Chief "project" includes
both the Tulsequah Chief and Big
Bull.14 A mine of this size, and
specifically reopening Big Bull, was
never assessed by Canadian agencies
and requires additional environmental
assessment and new approvals.
Alaskan and Other
Concerns Ignored
Alaskans have been worried
about this project for years, and
believe that these concerns have
never really been addressed by the
Canadian federal or BC govern-
ment.
In December 2001, Alaska
governor Tony Knowles wrote:
"The State of Alaska has been
working on issues related to the
Tulsequah mine project for over
7 years, but nothing to date gives
us confidence that our concerns
for protecting Taku River salmon
and their habitat have been
addressed."15 The situation hasn't
gotten any better since then. In
March 2003, the United Southeast
Alaska Gillnetters wrote, in a
letter to the DFO minister, "we
have never been satisfied that our
concerns have been addressed in a
serious manner."16 In July 2004,
Juneau Mayor Bruce Botelho
wrote to the Canadian federal
government, "There is no evidence
-§ .1
a, a-
Taku River sand flats and glacier on
lower river, Oct. 2007
that the views of Alaskans were
integrated into the BC assessment
or even seen by Ministers making
the decisions."17
After a February 8, 2005 Taku
Public Forum, convened by the
City of Juneau after Canadian
agencies refused to host a public
hearing in Alaska, Mayor Botelho
told Canadian radio, "The
overwhelming majority of people
testifying are either opposed to
the mine development or very
concerned that there has been
insufficient demonstration that the
watershed would be adequately
protected."18
What Next?
During the federal assessment,
DFO brushed aside substantive
concerns and questions with a
promise that the issues would be
addressed in a detailed permitting
process. However, it appears that
this process is stalled. In fact, DFO
is now claiming that no further
review is needed before the issuance
of permits for the access road.19
DFO is facing a lawsuit filed by
Rivers Without Borders that seeks to
Acid 1
• drain.
h River, Oct. 2007
-------
Environmental Concerns & Issues
Mining & Industry
halt the issuance of any permits until
serious flaws in the DFO environ-
mental assessment are addressed,
including the clearly wrong assump-
tion that the road will be closed, and
until a detailed permitting process is
completed as promised. A decision
from the Federal Court of Canada
is expected sometime in mid to late
2007.
The company must soon
demonstrate that it has an econom-
ical project. On May 17, 2005,
Redcorp Ventures Ltd. halted its
feasibility study and announced
that the project is now on hold
due to a "combination of increased
capital and operating expenditure
estimates and a reduced resource
estimate," and that more work
will be needed to make the project
"financeable."20 They are now
conducting new drilling at the
Tulsequah Chief and Big Bull in
a desperate attempt to find an
economical ore deposit, and plan
on issuing a new feasibility study
by early 2007.
Now is an excellent opportu-
nity to take a step back from the
focus on this one flawed project
and develop a long term manage-
ment plan for this watershed. In
contrast to EC's rush to develop
the Taku watershed, the Taku River
Tlingit First Nation (TRTFN) has
developed a conservation-based
land plan that allows for economic
development while ensuring that
the Taku will remain healthy
and productive.21 The Tlingit
are now in formal government-
to-government talks with BC
regarding land planning and the
future of the Taku. The Tlingit
are asking that no development
occur prior to the finalization of
a detailed land management plan,
but BC has refused this request. An
International Joint Commission
convened
under the author-
ity of the Boundary
Waters Treaty is another
vehicle to resolve the disputes
in the Taku, but Canada and
BC oppose this option.
"The Tlingit people on both
sides of the border have a long-term
commitment to the land, while the
mining company has only a short-
term interest in this land," said John
Ward of the TRTFN in February
2005.22 The question at hand is
whether governments and industries
will take this long term view.
For more information, please
contact:
Chris Zimmer
US Field Coordinator
Rivers Without Borders
(907) 586-4905
Zimmer@riverswithoutborders.org
www.riverswithoutborders.org
rRAHSBOUNDARY
WATERSHED
Gonserya
aku Watershed
-------
Environmental Concerns & Issues
Mining & Industry
References:
1. Undated factsheet, Alaska
Department of Fish and Game;
Comments to DFO, US EPA
Region 10, February 18, 2005.
2. Personal communication
with Ed Jones, fisheries biologist,
Alaska Department of Fish and
Game, December 2004.
3. The Taku River Economy:
An Economic Profile Of The Taku
River Area, The McDowell Group,
September 2004.
4. See BC Mineral Titles
Online site at www.mtonline.gov.
bc.cn/ and attached maps.
5. Article IV of the Boundary
Waters Treaty says "waters flowing
across the boundary shall not be
polluted on either side to the injury
of health or property on the other."
In the Habitat and Restoration
portion (Attachment E) of Annex 4
of the 1985 Pacific Salmon Treaty
Canada and the other signatories
agreed to: "protect ... habitat so
as to promote safe passage of adult
and juvenile salmon and achieve
high levels of natural production",
"maintain ... safe passage of salmon
to and from their natal streams",
and "maintain adequate water
quality and quantity."
7. Comments to DFO, US
EPA Region 10, February 18, 2005.
6. State of Alaska White Paper,
October 2001.
8. Letter from Environment
Canada Minister David Anderson to
Nicole Lischewski, February 12, 2004.
9. Comments to DFO, US
EPA Region 10, February 18, 2005.
10. Letter from DFO Minister
Geoff Regan, in response to Petition
95A from the Society for Atlin's
Sustainable Economic Initiatives,
February 11, 2004
11. Press release, Canarc
Resource Corporation, January 12,
2005.
12. See BC Mineral Titles
Online site at www.mtonline.gov.
bc.cn/ and attached maps.
13. Mineral exploration over
the border, Rishel, John, Alaska
Business Monthly. November 1993.
Vol.9, Iss. 11; Sec. 1. pg. 45.
14. Redcorp Ventures, Second
Quarter Interim Report for the
Period Ending June 30, 2006, page
4.
15. Press release, Governor
Tony Knowles, December 5, 2001.
16. Letter from United
Southeast Alaska Gillnetters to
DFO Minister Thibault, March 17,
2003.
17. Letter from Juneau Mayor
Botelho to Canadian Department
of Foreign Affairs, July 6, 2004.
18. CBC Radio transcript,
February 9, 2005.
19. Email from Herb
Klassen (DFO) to Nola Poirier
(Transboundary Watershed
Alliance), April 18, 2006.
20. Press release, Redcorp
Ventures, May 17, 2005.
21. Seewww.roundriver.org/
trt_conservation_main.html.
22. Joint press release, Douglas
Indian Association and Taku River
Tlingit First Nation, February 9,
2005.
-------
Environmental Concerns & Issues
Oil Exploration & Industry
Maintaining The Environmental
Stewardship of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline
Reviewed by: Rhea DoBosh, Information Officer, Joint Pipeline Office in Anchorage, Alaska
The Trans-Alaska Pipeline
System (TAPS) is known the world
over as one of the most significant
achievements in engineering during
the last thirty years. Since its incep-
tion, the pipeline has influenced
and altered the physical, social,
political, and economic landscape
of Alaska. Nowhere has this impact
been felt more greatly than with its
indigenous peoples.
When oil was discovered in
Prudhoe Bay in 1968, the concept
of a pipeline carrying oil down to a
marine terminal in Valdez was born.
There were major challenges facing
the construction of such a pipeline
beginning with the location. The
pipeline begins in Prudhoe Bay
which is located north of the Arctic
Circle with temperatures ranging
from —115° F (including the wind
chill factor) in the winter up to
70°F in the summer. Other major
construction challenges included
diverse terrain in a highly active
seismic region, major river cross-
ings, and permafrost (i.e., frozen
ground).
There were Alaska Natives who
filed protests with the Department
of the Interior to the transfer of
lands along the proposed pipeline
corridor, effectively blocking
construction of the pipeline. The
pipeline owners negotiated with
Alaska Natives living along the
corridor route, promising jobs
and contracting opportunities
throughout the life of the pipeline
in exchange for lifting the protests
they had filed with the Department.
The Alaska Claims Settlement
Act of 1971 resolved many land
issues along the proposed pipeline
corridor. The settlement terms
included Alaska Natives receiving
40 million acres and approximately
one billion dollars.
By 2004, the TAPS Federal
Grant and State Lease had been
renewed. The environmental
impact statement that was required
in the renewal process contained
pipeline historical data. Since 1977,
the pipeline has been in continu-
ous operation. Under regulatory
control, the pipeline effects on the
physical environment, the land,
air quality, and water quality are
familiar. Much of the environmen-
tal data that was considered was
extrapolated from prior experi-
ence. The pipeline was basically
expected to continue without
significant change, and any changes
that did occur were estimated to
be limited and manageable. Some
of the biological resources evalu-
ated included vegetation, wetlands,
fish, birds, terrestrials, and marine
mammals. Social and economic
impacts were equally evaluated.
Unique considerations included
subsistence harvest areas. Some
areas of Alaska, notably the interior
and western areas where subsistence
activities provide more than 50
percent of the residents' daily nutri-
tional requirement were examined
for potential impact.
The Bureau of Land
Management and State of Alaska,
through the Joint Pipeline Office
(JPO), were both required to work
through the government-to-govern-
ment relationship with the Alaska
Native Tribes. The JPO developed
a government-to-government
relationship protocol, identified
affected tribes, and laid out a
process and communication
plan. Public meetings
were conducted
through the Alaska
Administrative
Order
-------
Environmental Concerns & Issues
Oil Exploration & Industry
No. 186 and Executive Order
13175.
After a lengthy renewal and
approval process, the State Lease
of Right-of-Way and Federal
Agreement and Grant were
renewed for another 30 years until
2034 to the owners of the TAPS.
Recent events including disrup-
tion of oil production in the Gulf
of Mexico and world competition
for energy have once again raised
the need to examine domestic
sources of energy and alternate
sources of energy. TAPS' impor-
tance is underscored as it transports
approximately 15 percent of the
nation's crude oil production.
In order to continue with the
pipeline's relative success for the
next 30 years, it is in everyone's
interest that the operation of the
pipeline continues to protect the
environment and safeguards public
health. Only then can economic
vitality be ensured for all of Alaska's
inhabitants. As we continue to
explore and develop new energy
sources, it is prudent to prevent
pollution in the first place. In the
long term, this will be the most
cost effective route.
Quick facts about the pipeline:
• The pipeline covers over 800 miles.
• The pipeline measures 48 inches wide, is
elevated above ground for 4ZO miles, and is
buried for the next 380 miles.
• The pipeline crosses three mountain ranges
and more than 800 rivers and streams.
• Construction was completed in just over two
years (March 1975 - May 1977).
• More than 14 billion barrels of oil have moved
through the pipeline.
• There are approximately 579 animal crossings
along the pipeline.
Strategic
Reconfiguration (SR)
The SR project represents
the single biggest pipeline invest-
ment since construction of the
TAPS. The upgrade will replace
30-year-old pump and control
systems with state-of-the-art
modern systems that are easier
and less expensive to operate and
maintain.
Photo used underpe
by Dave Perez, JPO.
The overall effect of recon-
figuration is expected to benefit
the environment. According to
the most recent environmental
assessment released by the Bureau
of Land Management, pump
station electrification will reduce
air emissions by two-thirds, elimi-
nate pump station fuel hauling
and storage risks, and reduce the
environmental impact of day-to-
day Alyeska Pipeline Service
Company (TAPS management
company) operations, such as noise
and wastewater handling.
The following are some of the
major environmental concerns
involving the pipeline.
Spills
Spills are a major concern as
they can cover large areas and can,
in some cases, cause extensive irrep-
arable damage to the ecosystem.
Spills are difficult to clean-up and
the impact to all the inhabitants
may not be known until years later.
Clean-up costs can be staggering.
One of the most famous spills not
directly associated with the pipeline
was the famous 1989 Valdez Spill,
-------
Environmental Concerns & Issues
Oil Exploration & Industry
which was caused by a supertanker.
The spill resulted in 11 million
gallons of oil being dumped into
Prince William Sound. The legal
settlement in 1991 exceeded $800
million. Because certain wildlife
species have not recovered since the
spill, additional claims may still be
forthcoming.
Leaks
Leaks are a concern because,
depending upon their size, they
can go undetected and over time
can evolve into larger problems.
Timely response is critical to detect
and correct a leak. There have been
several spills through the pipeline's
history and vigilance needs to
continue to assure that leaks are
detected quickly.
Fires
6.7 million acres of interior
Alaska land burned in the summer
of 2004, the result of 736 fires.
JPO monitored TAPS closely in
those areas affected by fire. Pipeline
throughput was not affected and
only very minor repairs, which were
performed during regular mainte-
nance activities, were needed. TAPS
original design considered the inevi-
tability of fires in many locations.
Several steps were taken to protect
the pipeline and sensitive equipment
and pump stations. The right-of-way
is regularly monitored and brushing
is performed to keep foliage away
from the pipeline and valves. Special
wrapping and insulation resistant
to fire was applied to the pipeline
and equipment. TAPS has been "in
the line of fire" many times over the
years with minimal damage.
Aging/Maintenance
The pipeline is now over 25
years old and there are concerns
regarding corrosion and the
increased need for maintenance and
repairs. Corrosion can cause leaks
throughout the system.
Sabotage
Adverse actions can damage
the integrity of the pipeline and
result in environmental damage. A
recent example of this was in 2001,
when a person shot a bullet into the
pipeline causing a major oil spill.
More than 277,000 gallons of oil
were spilled over 36 hours in the
spruce forest that surrounded the
pipeline.
Natural Events
(Earthquakes)
The unique zig zag pattern
of the pipeline was designed to
withstand seismic activity. TAPS
has experienced many earthquakes,
including one with a magnitude of
7.9. During all earthquake events,
the system acted as designed with
minimal damage.
All of these concerns underscore
the need to ensure the environ-
mental stewardship of the pipeline.
This will require, among other
things, effective governmental
oversight through proper monitor-
ing, compliance with current
environmental requirements, and
following state-of-the-art techni-
cal requirements and guidelines.
Oversight performed by the
Federal/State Joint Pipeline Office
also can greatly assist compliance
and demonstrate governmental
cooperation. Only then can many
of the environmental concerns and
risks be significantly reduced over
the next 30 years. For more infor-
mation on the Joint Pipeline Office,
please visit www.jpo.doi.gov.
-------
The Challenge
This article has been reprinted with permission from Janice Johnson, EPA Tribal Waste Journal Creative Director. "The
Challenge" originally was published in the EPA Tribal Waste Journal, Issue 3, February 2004 (EPA530-N-03-0005).
The word "Alaska" conjures
images of tundra, rugged terrain,
and harsh conditions. This stereo-
type, however, doesn't pay tribute
to the state's diversity. Alaska is
one-third the size of the continental
United States and is divided into
five unique climate zones. Alaska
Natives are as diverse as the climate
and topography of the state, from
the Sugpiaq Aleuts of the Alaskan
peninsula to the Inupiat, Yup'ik,
and Siberian Eskimos of the Bering
Sea and Arctic Ocean coasts to
the Athabascan people of the
interior to the Tlingits, Haidas, and
Tsimshians of the southeast coast.
Although there are hundreds
of Alaska Native villages, and
each village has a unique culture
and history, Alaska Natives are
united in their quest for funding,
recognition, and social justice.
Raven Sheldon of Selawik Village
believes, "Everyone is entitled to
basic services. The tribes up here
are 3, 4, or even 5 years behind
tribes in the lower 48 states when
it comes to being able to provide
basic services for members." Tribal
"I want the people who
read this issue of the Tribal
Waste Journal to understand
the big picture. I want to open
peoples' eyes and focus more
attention on Alaska. Federal
agencies should send represen
tatives to visit Alaska villages to
in a better understanding of
our situation. Tribes up here are
being overlooked."
—Raven Sheldon, Selawik
Village
leaders throughout Alaska are
working to secure services that are
critical to the health and safety of
their people. Proper solid waste
management ranks near the top of
the list.
Many Alaska Native villages
do not have the funding, techni-
cal expertise, staff, or equipment
required to close open dumps, or
ensure safe disposal of solid wastes.
Common difficulties associated
with solid waste management in
Alaska Native villages include:
) Residents dispose of plastic,
metal, and paper waste.
I A remote location makes
shipping (back-hauling) waste
difficult and expensive.
I Permitted land-fills are more
expensive to build and maintain
than open dumps.
I Burning waste reduces waste
volume, but concentrates toxic
materials and produces harmful
smoke.
The villages featured in this
issue of the Tribal Waste Journal
have overcome some of these
common obstacles through creativ-
ity, persistence, and partnerships.
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Environmental Concerns & Issues
Solid Waste & Open Dumps
Environmental trainers gave
villagers the tools to tap into the
leadership and creative potential
of the community. Partnerships
enabled them to leverage private,
state, and federal resources to
achieve community goals.
Considering Culture and
Climate
Villages interviewed are working
to implement solid waste manage-
ment practices that are compatible
with the local environment and
culture. For thousands of years,
Alaska Natives lived subsistence
lifestyles, hunting and gathering to
survive and producing very little
waste. Rosalie Kalistook, environ-
mental planner for the Association
of Village Council Presidents
explains, "In the past, people did
not generate a lot of trash. Any
garbage they produced came from
the land. They used to bury bones
from terrestrial animals under
the ground, giving them back to
Mother Nature." The biodegrad-
able nature of the waste stream
changed as nomadic tribes assumed
a sedentary lifestyle, and Alaska
Natives began to consume outside
goods. Villages are inundated with
plastic, metal, and paper goods and
packaging, but most of them do
not export waste. This change in
lifestyle has created waste manage-
ment problems that did not exist in
the past.
Some Alaska Natives, such as
the Athabascans, were traditionally
highly mobile. According to Roy
Andrew of Kokhanok, "Between
1955 and 1963, our people gave up
the nomadic life style and settled
in Kokhanok permanently." As a
result, community members became
more dependent on durable goods
such as snowmobiles and appli-
ances.
There are five distinct climate
zones in Alaska—arctic, interior,
west coast, south-central, and
maritime (which is further subdi-
vided into western maritime and
eastern maritime). Each climate
zone has specific temperature
and precipitation patterns. These
patterns, along with differences
in underlying bedrock, produce
characteristic soils and vegetation
patterns, from grassland tundra in
the arctic to temperate rainforest in
the southeast. Solid waste manage-
ment solutions must be compat-
ible with, among other factors, the
distinct climate and soils of each
village.
Tundra dominates the west coast
and arctic regions of Alaska, where
a thin layer of soil rests on top of
permafrost, a permanently frozen
layer of ground. Open dumps and
landfills can exert pressure on the
permafrost and cause it to melt. As
the permafrost melts, the ground
begins to sink. Some villages have
discovered disposal options that
preserve the tundra, which is
not resilient once damaged. For
example, Selawik is planning to
build above ground disposal areas
surrounded by berms and fill them
with special storage bags to prevent
waste and leachate from disturbing
the tundra.
Solid waste management
planners for St. Paul Island must
take into consideration sandy shore-
lines in addition to a treeless tundra
interior. Residents are working
to open a new landfill and close
an old one, which is located in a
sand dune. Landfill leachate perco-
lates quickly
through sandy
soils and ocean winds
blow plastic bags and
other waste onto the tundra.
Unlike Selawik and St. Paul
Island, Chilkat Indian Village is
located in southeast Alaska on
permeable silt soil rather than
tundra or sand. While Chilkat's
environmental planner does not
need to worry about protecting
permafrost, she must consider the
impacts of the village landfill on
a nearby river. Leachate from the
landfill could potentially move
through the silt soil into Chilkat
River.
"Alaska has five distinct
and climates. You can't develop
a single solid waste manage
ment plan tor every community
in Alaska because each commu
nity is unique."
—Patricia Warren, environ
mental planner, Chilkat Indian
Village
For more information or to
obtain a copy of the EPA Tribal
Waste Journal, please contact Janice
Johnson, EPA Tribal Waste Journal
Creative Director, at 703.308.7280
or johnson.janice@epa.gov or visit
www.epa.gov/tribalmsw.
-------
Environmental Concerns & Issues
Solid Waste & Open Dumps
The Tundra Bag Concept
Bill Stokes, 7 Generations Environmental Consultants
Byline articles and interviews
represent the opinions and views of
contributors and are not necessar-
ily those of the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency.
Village dumps have long been
a serious environmental problem
for all of Alaska's rural villages,
especially tundra villages. The very
nature of permafrost soil makes
conventional landfill cell design all
but impossible for these villages. As
there is no reasonable alternative,
the solid waste generated by the
villages is dumped onto the tundra
or open burned in place.
Some villages are using
polypropylene "super sacks" as an
alternative to open dumping with
limited success. The super sack
very successfully serves as a solid
waste collection and transporta-
tion method. Unfortunately, the
polypropylene bags degrade in
UV (ultraviolet) light, and the
solid waste is again exposed to the
environment.
After more than 10 years
of research and development, a
unique woven fiberglass fabric
was fashioned called Tundra Teck.
This woven fiberglass fabric is UV
immune and will withstand the
rigors of Alaska's harsh climate. For
the first time, a village-based solid
waste collection and transportation
system, and creation of an above-
ground landfill cell is possible.
The Tundra Bag is designed
around three main concepts:
creating an above-ground landfill
cell technology; providing a viable
alternative to open burning of
solid waste; and, creating a cottage
industry for the villages (the
Tundra Bags could be made in the
villages). There
are two Tundra
Bag sizes and both
bags use the same
basic technology.
The solid waste
is placed in the
top of the Tundra
Bag and, when
full, the top is
pulled together
and tied with a knot. A plastic clip
allows the loops on the corners of
the Tundra Bag to be connected
together so the Tundra Bags can
form a berm and do not roll in the
wind.
The open dump "Cleanup" bag
is a four foot cube bag that will
contain almost two cubic yards of
solid waste and is designed to be
filled "in place" during a village
dump cleanup. The premiere
design would be to use the
"Cleanup" bags to build a berm
around the perimeter of the old
dump, thus creating a landfill cell.
The "Dump Truck" bag is a
smaller tundra bag that is designed
to be transported from the village
to the landfill cell. This Tundra Bag
hangs on a steel pipe frame that is
bolted to the floor of an ATV trailer
or snow machine sled. The "Dump
Truck" bag is three feet square, four
feet high, and will contain a little
more than one cubic yard of solid
waste. The "Dump Truck" Tundra
Bag is designed so that the village
solid waste technician can fill the
bag in the village, transport it to
the landfill, unhook the bag from
the frame, tie the top closed, pull
it from the frame, and drag it into
place in the landfill cell.
During the summer, the board-
walk would be used to access the
landfill, and during the winter, the
snow machine sled would allow
the Tundra Bag to be transported
to the landfill. Additional frames
and "Dump Truck" Tundra Bags
can be placed at the village landfill
for those that want to transport
their own solid waste. As no
site preparation is necessary, the
landfill can be placed wherever the
village decides is the best location
and meets Alaska Department
of Environmental Conservation
regulations for Class III landfills.
There will need to be some
solid waste source separation at the
villages for this technology to work.
Best practices would encourage that
all of the solid waste be placed in
garbage sacks before being placed
in the Tundra Bag. Hazardous
waste and medical wastes should
never be taken to the landfill.
Heavy, sharp metal and broken
glass may create problems during
dragging of the Tundra Bag at the
landfill.
As Tundra Bags are at the
cutting edge of village solid waste
technology, there will be a learning
curve to develop "best practices"
for their use. However, this is much
preferred to the open dump technol-
ogy that the villages use now.
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Environmental Concerns & Issues
Solid Waste & Open Dumps
Awareness and Action: Village Based
Solid Waste Management Solutions and EPA
Joe Sarcone, Rural Sanitation Coordinator
U.S. EPA Region 10, Alaska Operations Office
Through the years, rural
sanitation conditions in Alaska
villages have often been compared
to conditions in third world
countries. Today, approximately
15-20 percent of the households
in rural Alaska remain unserved by
piped water and sewer systems or
an equivalent technology. In the
majority of villages, the solid waste
disposal site is an uncontrolled,
intermittently burning, open dump
site, in many instances located close
to the village, and often in an area
of free standing water or flooding.
The context in which these
conditions persist is complex.
Variables that influence a villages
capability to address issues of
health and the environment are
many and include socio-economic,
political, cultural, and environmen-
tal considerations. There is positive
change in protecting human health
and the environment where there is
village-level awareness and action.
In the past decade, environmen-
tal awareness among residents of
villages in Alaska has dramatically
increased in large part due to two
programs, the EPA-Indian General
Assistance Program (IGAP) and
the RuralCAP, Raven Ameri-Corps
program. The village environ-
mental program supervisors and
staff supported by these programs
translate newly acquired knowledge
and skills into actions that not only
protect the environment but also
empower Tribal governance. These
resources are leveraged by a number
of other projects and programs
including: the 7 Generations
Environmental Assessment
Training, the Alaska Native Tribal
Health Consortium (ANTHC),
Solid Waste Management
Demonstration Projects, the annual
ANTHC Tribal Environmental
Management Conference, programs
offered through the Yukon River
Inter-Tribal Watershed Council
(YRITWC), and Central Council
Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of
Alaska (including the much utilized
Solid Waste Alaska Network, www.
CCTHITA-SWAN.org). These
programs continue to be funded,
in large part, by EPA, but the work
of getting things done with these
resources happens in the villages.
Solid waste management
efforts in the village have primar-
ily focused on two areas: the
separation and proper disposal of
hazardous and potentially hazard-
ous waste, and reductions in the
volume of waste going to the dump
site. In the village waste stream,
the two commonly disposed of
wastes identified as potentially
hazardous to human health and the
environment are used oil and lead
acid batteries. More than a dozen
villages have purchased and now
operate used-oil heat recovery units
resulting in considerable power
costs savings in remote locations
where energy costs are extraordi-
narily high. Many village environ-
mental programs have organized
lead-acid battery collection and
back haul through barge companies
and air carriers. In the past 10
years, Raven Ameri-Corps members
successfully removed more than
300,000 pounds of lead-acid
batteries from villages to battery
recycling destinations. Other
programs have experienced similar
success with such efforts.
The opportunities for reaching
recycling markets from rural Alaska
are very limited with few exceptions
including aluminum can recycling.
Village environmental program
staff work with the Alaskans for
Litter Prevention and Recycling
(ALPAR) Flying Cans Program to
back haul aluminum to recycling
centers in larger cities. In 10 years,
Raven Ameri-Corps members
successfully removed more than
200,000 pounds of aluminum from
villages to recycling destinations.
Appropriate technologies for
reducing waste volume have been
difficult to identify due in large
part to limited revenue within the
village to support the operations.
The most commonly used low-cost
technology is the burn box. Burn
box designs vary, but they are
generally regarded as low-efficiency
incinerators that can provide more
control of the burning process than
open burning. Burn boxes offer
an incremental improvement in
protection to human health and the
environment in relation to open
burning, but remain an intermedi-
ate solution for solid waste manage-
ment in villages. Other technolo-
gies that are being introduced to
villages include more efficient
burn box designs, moderately sized
proper incineration units, and
baler facilities.
-------
Environmental Concerns & Issues
Solid Waste & Open Dumps
Health Risks Associated with Waste Practices in
Alaska Native Villages
Lynn Zender, Ph.D., Zender Engineering
Byline articles and interviews
represent the opinions and views of
contributors and are not necessar-
ily those of the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency.
Rural Alaska tribes face unique
and challenging circumstances on
many fronts, including their waste
management situation. Of the
nearly 200 rural tribes not accessible
by road, about ninety-five percent
have unlined open dumps that are
typically unmanaged, unfenced, and
unconsolidated. Due to the extreme
transportation and weather logistics,
backhauling wastes to regional facil-
ities is not possible, and would cost
households in these small villages
several hundred dollars each month.
What is in these dumps? The
dumps contain every waste that
is generated in the village, includ-
ing hazardous wastes of all types,
vehicles, and construction wastes.
In at least 30 percent of the villages,
some to all honeybucket wastes
(i.e., undiluted feces and urine
typically in tied-up plastic bags) are
discarded at the site. Alternatively,
garbage is discarded at the adjacent
honeybucket disposal site, creating
an expanded problem area.
These open dumps are often
located in low-lying tundra areas,
with direct hydrological connection
to adjacent rivers and ponds. Fifty-
six percent of dumps are seasonally
flooded. Some contamination of
land and water from dump leachate
or runoff is expected. Such a situa-
tion is problematic because Alaska
tribes retain a subsistence lifestyle.
Hunting, fishing, and gathering
from the local environment provide
the dietary mainstays. Subsistence
activities and their associated values
and traditions are a dominant facet
of Alaska Native life. As an indica-
tion of scale, in a survey of over
100 villages, hunting or fishing
was reported to take place in the
vicinity of the dump in 45 percent
of the villages.
It is well documented that
subsistence food intake is vital
to maintaining individual rural
Alaska Native health, as well as
community socio-cultural health.
In tribal communities, perhaps
of greater concern than physical
exposure to dump site contami-
nants is the residents' concern
that the dump sites are impact-
ing their subsistence activities. In
2000-2001, the Central Council of
Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of
Alaska sponsored a state-wide solid
waste management project which
included a 110 village survey. In
this survey (discussed in more detail
below), 64 percent of residents from
disparate village situations reported
altering their subsistence activities
due to their fears of off-site contam-
ination.
Contaminated water is another
concern because of the common,
if not predominant, rural Alaska
practice of using untreated water
sources for drinking and other
household uses. Alaska Natives'
heavy use of untreated water and
local subsistence foods strongly
indicates a proportionately higher
overall contaminant exposure
from open dumps than would be
expected for virtually any other
U.S. population group.
Exposure to dump site contami-
nants is possible via a number of
routes. Due to lack of staff and/or
•i
lack of soil, a mere 6 percent of
villages apply cover material to
control vectors and minimize
human-waste contact. At about 55
percent of dumps, users must walk
on top of garbage to unload wastes.
Additionally, with the absence of
hardware stores, dumpsites are used
by some residents in about half of
the villages to salvage parts.
Beyond exposure via the use
of the dumpsite, other unsanitary
practices that are prevalent include;
tracking contaminants or patho-
gens in town, eating or touching
contaminated foods, hunting in
contaminated areas, and inhalation
or other exposure to smoke or ash
from open burning wastes at the
dump or in home burn barrels.
Seventy-two percent of dumps were
self-reported to be within one mile
of homes, and at least 30 percent
within one-quarter mile. Yet,
burnboxes or dump fires are used in
up to 73 percent of Alaska villages.
Over 61 percent of residents in the
2001 health study reported being
regularly bothered by dump odors
or smoke during; the course of
-------
Environmental Concerns & Issues
Solid Waste & Open Dumps
everyday activities. Open burning
for waste management is permit-
ted in rural Alaska. However, it
would occur regardless of permis-
sion because many villages, if not
most, lack heavy equipment, cover
material, dry land, and/or opera-
tional monies. Without burning,
their dump would expand into the
river or town within a matter of
months to a few years. Note, in the
absence of roads, sites cannot be
simply relocated.
Historically, it has been difficult
to quantitatively identify physical
health risks posed to native villages
because the population size is too
small for statistically significant
results. However, two recent epide-
miological studies have specifi-
cally addressed Alaska village open
dumps. Both studies generated
significant associations between
health and poor waste conditions.
The previously mentioned
2000-2001 solid waste manage-
ment project included a 110 village
comprehensive self-report survey,
from which the descriptive statis-
tics described in this article are
taken. In conjunction, increases in
health symptoms associated with
a number of surrogate exposure
factors (such as dumpsite use and
home distance from the dump),
were evaluated in four pilot villages.
The household surveys, which were
based on other dump site health
effect studies, included questions
related to general immune function
(e.g., headache, nausea, eye irrita-
tion, etc.), and household solid
waste management and subsistence
practices.
Remarkably, people who visited
their dump were 2 to 3.7 times
more likely to experience faintness,
fever, vomiting, stomach pain, ear
and eye irritation, headache, and
numbness. Those who visited more
often were more likely to experi-
ence symptoms. Residents did not
need to visit the dump to be at
increased risk. People living closer
than one mile to their dump were
19 times more likely to have eye
irritation and three to four times
more likely to have headaches and/
or faintness.
To avoid visiting the dump,
residents in at least 66 percent of
villages burn waste just outside
their home, typically in 55-gallon
drums. For a proxy measure of
exposure to this smoke, residents'
waste burning habits were
examined. Residents who burned
were five to 17 times more likely
to feel faint, and almost five to
ten times more likely to develop
numbness. The risks increased the
more often people burned. Home
barrel burners were much more
likely than other residents to have
developed rashes, and were at a
significantly increased risk for a
variety of other symptoms includ-
ing fever, sore throat, and cough.
In contaminated areas, one of
the first negative effects can be
reproductive system problems.
Studies have found increases in
negative birth outcomes near
contaminated areas. Thus, as a
follow-up to the 2001 study, a
2004 study examined over 10,000
records for babies born during
1997-2001 in 197 rural Alaska
Native villages, along with village
dump rankings for overall dump
hazard condition and hazardous
content. A number of other risk
factors including age of mother,
cigarette use, prenatal care, village
plumbing, and economic status,
were accounted for.
I Differences were not found
in the number of pre-term
births, stillbirths, babies who
were classified as very-low birth
weight, or babies who were
considered small for their gesta-
tional age.
I However, babies registered to
mothers from villages with
high hazard dumps were about
two to four times more likely
to be low-birth weight (about
55 grams less) than babies
from villages with lower hazard
rankings, with pregnancies
lasting on average 1.2 days
less.
I Babies registered
from villages
that had
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Environmental Concerns & Issues
Solid Waste & Open Dumps
dumps with highly hazardous
contents were about 4.3 times
more likely to have certain birth
defects. Additionally, a statisti-
cal indication for all birth defect
categories was found, with the
estimates similar to significant
associations found in other
studies on maternal populations
living near open dump sites in
developing countries.
The issue of risks to rural Alaska
Natives from waste management
facilities and practices is complex,
and a solution is being sought by
a wide variety of agencies, tribal
groups, and non-profits. With the
complex weave of road-less village
transportation and weather logis-
tics, the paramount importance
and intransigence of a subsistence
lifestyle, diverse governmental
relationships, policy trends, local
capacity, and funding availability,
whatever the solution is, it is at
least a decade off. In communi-
ties where expansion of the town
footprint or relocation of the dump
is not possible (as there are no
roads), these are not straightforward
questions, and stricter regulations
without appropriately formed and
funded assistance would be, at best,
fruitless. For example, the tradeoff
between unhealthy smoke exposure
versus degradation of subsistence
grounds, or versus expansion of the
dump onto the last usable dry land
for homes, is a decision that only
the tribe can make. In the case of
smoke exposure, community short-
term health can suffer. In the other
cases, community integrity can
suffer. Losing traditions can divide
the generations. Without their
own home, youth may move away,
and the community could lose its
future.
It is now possible to define the
health risks faced by villages in
such a way that the definitions can
be used in making waste manage-
ment decisions: Which practices
specific to Alaska villages are most
hazardous? How hazardous are they
compared to alternatives? What
wastes would make a true difference
separated from the wastestream?
How close can homes be built to a
dump site? How close can berries be
picked? Are there significant differ-
ences in health risks between the
various open burning units being
used? With this information, tribes
are empowered to best protect the
community, while searching for
resources that will provide improved
protection from waste risks in the
future.
For more information on waste
management conditions and studies
discussed here, contact Dr. Lynn
Zender at lzender@zender-engr.
net or visit the Solid Waste Alaska
Network at www.ccthita-swan.org.
Dr. Zender also may provide full
references for the materials present-
ed in this article upon request.
-------
Environmental Concerns & Issues
Toxic Contaminants
Snake in the Sand
Steve Johnson, DoD Lands Investigator for Sitka Tribe of Alaska
Byline articles and interviews
represent the opinions and views of
contributors and are not necessar-
ily those of the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency.
Standing up on the deck of
the 24-foot boat, it's hard to
picture 30,000 military personnel
in the Northwest coast rainfor-
est of Sitka, Alaska. My dive
buddy, Jeromy Campbell and I
add a little air to our dry suits,
don our fins, check our tanks and
prepare for the journey below. It
is a beautiful winter day, azure
skies and turquoise waters meet
on the island-studded canvas. The
4l-degree water is warmer than the
24-degree air. With a large splash
we roll off the side of the boat
into the frigid waters, and after a
moment of adjustment we descend
into the deep. Light surges of the
ocean tidal currents sway us about
as we sink to the bottom. Tiny
bubbles flow out of the breath-
ing apparatus shimmering to the
surface. As we approach the 60-foot
bottom, the white bottom sands
-------
of Abalone Island come into focus,
through the darkness of the deep a
dark line appears on the sea floor,
where it has rested for more than
60 years. The cable once connected
area military sites during WWII.
Firing Coordinates from radar
positions above once raced through
it to the heavy artillery at the other
end.
Bringing the cable back to the
surface has its own set of challenges.
With a lift bag in hand, Campbell
lassos around the cable and snaps
the bag on. With a shot of air
in the bag the cable lifts off the
bottom, dancing in the current.
We give a few tugs on the control
line and the surface crew hauls the
cable in. Miles of the lead, copper,
creosote, and hemp cable run from
island to island, connecting more
than 30 defense sites in the Sitka
area. The cable which lies across
critical marine habitat, is poised to
release thousands of pounds of lead
into the environment.
To the Tlingit people of south-
eastern Alaska, hunting, fishing and
gathering is a way of life. Clams,
abalone seaweed, and chitons of the
low tide are important food sources
for the people. For thousands of
years the bounty of the waters
and the woods have sustained the
Tlingit. Today tribal elders are
concerned about the extra chemicals
and metals creeping into the food
chain. At the north end of town,
a popular shotgun shooting range
recently passed a policy prohibiting
lead shot. Previously, the fall out
from this range peppered the clam
beaches with lead. Through the
years, the lead has spread. The same
concern exists with the lead cable.
Over the years, a number of private
individuals have salvaged sections of
the cable, hoping to get rich from
metals recycling.
"We dug up a couple hundred
yards on Kruzof Island. We burned
the outer layers off and put the metal
in a 17 gallon drum, the fire stunk
really bad. We figured we'd better sell
what we had. The price per pound
was too low so, we quit" — a quote
from the late Al Perkins Jr.
Back on the boat, deck
hand Jim Nielsen and skipper
Ben Johnson stack the cable as
Campbell and I shimmy over the
stern of the boat onto the back
deck. Climbing out of the water in
a dry suit and fins takes a certain
finesse that resembles a seal sliding
up on the rocks. The lead cable is
cut into 30-foot sections and tied to
the gunnel rails of the boat.
The condition of the cable
varies greatly depending on the
bottom composition and depth.
Shallower objects tend to break
down quicker while the sections
lying deeper remained largely intact.
The deeper you go, the less oxygen
is in the water. The amount of sand
and gravel also play a role. Water
sand blasting whittles the 1-1/2 inch
thick coating into small threads
while other areas bury it in silt.
Once the creosote coating is peeled
off, the salt water goes to work on
the steel armor and exposes the lead
and copper.
With the sand and wave action,
the cable has the potential to release
massive amounts of lead into the
pristine waters.
The tribe is taking cleanup in its
own hands. Sitka Tribe of Alaska,
the federally recognized tribal
entity for Sitka, is in the process
of removing the lead cable. The
cable will be shipped to Seattle for
recycling. The tribe works coopera-
tively with the US Army Corps
of Engineers and receives funding
from the Native American Land
Environmental Mitigation Program
(NALEMP), a US Department of
Defense (DoD) program, to carry
out the clean up effort. Pat Roth,
the Corps' Project Manager, while
not diving with them, is also excited
about the project. "This work the
Sitka Tribe of Alaska is completing
is a shining example of what can
happen when the Department of
Defense and Tribes work together."
Under NALEMP, much of the
control and management of the
project funds are turned over to
the tribe that is being impacted by
remnants of past military activity.
The tribe wins by managing the
clean up that is in its own back
yard; the DoD wins by having the
material removed. Both parties
enjoy a new relationship of coopera-
tion and trust that hopefully will
last for many, many years.
Back in the boat, Campbell and
I switch air tanks and head back to
the bottom for more salvage work.
As we sink to the bottom, the clicks
and thumps of ocean creatures flow
across our eardrum through the
static of exhaling bubbles. I can't
help but be proud to know the
waters will be better off with each
section we pull.
The author, Steve Johnson is the
DoD Lands Investigator for Sitka
Tribe of Alaska. For more informa-
tion, please contact Steve Johnson
at spjohnson@sitkatribe.org.
-------
Environmental Concerns & Issues
Toxic Contaminants
Regional Efforts to Reduce Risks
from the Insecticide Lindane
Janice King Jensen, EPA Office of Pesticide Programs and Chair of the Lindane Task Force
What is lindane?
Lindane is an organochlorine
insecticide that has been widely
used for decades. Over the last
several years, however, countries
around the world have been
working to limit or phase out uses
of lindane due to its persistent,
toxic, and bioaccumulative nature.
Lindane is the gamma isomer in
a mixture of isomers of hexachlo-
rocyclohexane (HCH). Lindane is
the only isomer with insecticidal
properties.
How is lindane used in
North America?
In agriculture, lindane is used
on ornamental plants and as a
soil and seed treatment to protect
seeds and seedlings. However, these
uses are in the process of being
phased out. In December 2004,
Canada deregistered all agricultural
uses. In August 2006, the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) announced the voluntary
cancellation of the six remaining
seed treatment uses of lindane,
effective July 2007. Mexico has
agreed to phase out all agricultural
uses of lindane using a prioritized
approach.
For veterinary purposes, lindane
is used to protect livestock from
ticks, fleas, and other insects. It is
no longer registered for these uses
in Canada or the United States.
Mexico has agreed to phase out
these uses.
In the public health sector,
lindane is regulated as a pharmaceu-
tical drug and is used in shampoos
and creams to treat head lice and
scabies. It is currently registered
for these uses in all three countries,
although Mexico has agreed to
phase out this use. The Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) is
responsible for the public health
uses of lindane in the United States.
What are the current
concerns?
Lindane and other HCH
isomers are mobile in the environ-
ment, and through long-range
atmospheric transport, are depos-
ited in the Arctic, where they have
been detected in the air, surface
water, groundwater, sediment, soil,
ice, snowpack, fish, wildlife, and
humans.
Studies in test animals show that
lindane and other HCH isomers
have a wide variety of toxicological
effects, including reproductive and
neurotoxic impairments.
In February 2006, EPA
published a risk assessment that
indicated potential risks from
dietary exposure to two HCH
isomers in Alaska and others in
the circumpolar Arctic region who
depend on subsistence foods, such
as caribou, seal, and whale.
What is being done to
mitigate risks?
To reduce exposure on a
regional basis, Canada, Mexico,
and the United States, through the
Commission for Environmental
Cooperation (CEC), developed a
North American Regional Action
Plan (NARAP) on lindane and
other HCH isomers. The action
plan was signed in November 2006.
The Lindane NAPvAP was
developed by the lindane task force,
with representatives from govern-
ments and public stakeholders,
including indigenous groups,
the pesticide industry,
academia, and the
environmental
public interest
sector.
-------
Environmental Concerns & Issues
Toxic Contaminants
A unique aspect of the task
force was that it included an indig-
enous representative from each
country. The Alaskan Inter-Tribal
Council represented indigenous
interests for the United States.
The Alaskan Community Action
on Toxics represented the U.S.
environmental sector.
To solicit additional perspec-
tives, the lindane task force
convened two public meetings.
The first was held in Guadalajara,
Mexico, in September 2003. The
second was held in Anchorage,
Alaska, in February 2004.
What further steps
are North American
countries taking?
In Canada, Health Canada will
continue to monitor the pharma-
ceutical use of lindane and will
explore measures for addressing
potential health and environmental
risks.
In Mexico, following a stake-
holder process, the government
announced its commitment to
phase out all uses of lindane, with
timeframes under discussion. In
July 2005, Mexico nominated
lindane to the Stockholm
Convention on Persistent Organic
Pollutants.
In the United States, EPA
is in the process of cancelling
the remaining agricultural uses
of lindane. FDA will work with
pharmaceutical companies to facili-
tate the development of alternatives
to lindane for the treatment of lice
and scabies. The Indian Health
Service (IHS) reports that the use
of lindane for lice and scabies treat-
ments has been reduced from 2.6
percent in 2004 to less than 0.1
percent in 2006, and that lindane
is only used as a second or third
line agent when other treatments
have failed. IHS will review lindane
orders and follow up with facilities
that ordered a substantial amount
of lindane to determine if use was
warranted.
Building on each country's
individual regulatory activities, the
three countries will:
I Collect and share information
I Focus on the development and
use of sustainable alternatives
I Address waste management,
trade, and science and research
needs
& Strengthen outreach and educa-
tion efforts
& Improve compliance and
enforcement measures
I Leverage additional resources
I Engage the international
community in risk reduction
activities.
As an example of regional
collaboration, the CEC sponsored
an international workshop on alter-
natives to lindane in Mexico City,
Mexico in October 2005.
Conclusion
Regional cooperation is a
powerful means for reducing and
eliminating environmental contam-
ination. Bringing together expertise
and resources throughout North
America enables Canada, Mexico,
and the United States to generate
actions that strengthen protection
beyond borders.
Where to find addition-
al information?
On the Lindane NARAP:
www.cec.org/
On the Stockholm Convention
on POPs: www.pops.int
EPA's TRI Provides Outlook on
Toxic Chemicals in Alaska
EPAs Toxics Release Inventory
(TRI) program allows EPA, states,
and Tribes to annually collect data
on releases, transfers, waste manage-
ment, and source reduction activi-
ties of certain toxic chemicals from
industrial facilities and to make
these data publicly available. EPA
compiles TRI data each year and
makes it available through several
data access tools, including the TRI
Public Data Release and State Fact
Sheets publications and the TRI
Explorer web-based tool. When
using these data access tools,
communities have more power
to hold companies accountable
and make informed decisions
about how toxic chemicals are to
be managed. For more informa-
tion about EPAs TRI program,
visit www.epa.gov/tri or contact
TRI User Support Service at
202-566-0250.
-------
"There have been lots of changes
from the natural environment that
used to here.. .and my goal is to
ntain the beautiful land while
keeping things pristine and clean."
I want this [Saint Lawrence Island]
to be cleaned up before it is too
late. It used to be a good hunting
place-now people are scared
to pick anything from there."
— Annie Alowa, Savoonga
-------
ramma
her childre
as we i
e raises
'childft
are 2uar
ianship of the
fc
our ancestors, guide and feed
. > ' t>
our families, respect our
hbors, and enjoy life."
"
_
— Excerpt from "Gramma Sophie" from Rose
High Bear, granddaughter of the late Sophie
VanderPoole, Alaskan Athabascan
Source: www.wisdomoftheelders.org
-------
Programs and Initiatives
The Yukon River Contaminant Database
La'ona Dewilde and D. Warden, the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council
Byline articles and interviews
represent the opinions and views of
contribtors and are not necessar-
ily those of the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency.
The Yukon River Watershed
is the fourth largest watershed in
North America. It encompasses over
330,000 square miles and contains
The Yukon River, which at 1,980
miles long is the third longest river
in North America. This northern
treasure is home to 72 tribes in
Alaska and the Yukon Territory,
Canada. Twenty-five percent of the
tribes in Alaska depend upon the
Yukon River for their survival. Even
though Alaska is the Last Frontier
with a seemingly pristine environ-
ment, contaminants are found in
many places throughout the water-
shed. Sources of contamination
include oil spills, military opera-
tions, mining operations, leaking
sewage lagoons, and nuclear waste.
In 1997, tribal leaders held a
meeting in Galena to discuss the
concerns of the area's inhabitants
who noticed changes and anoma-
lies in their food. During that
meeting, the Yukon River Inter-
Tribal Watershed Council (hereafter
referred to as the watershed council)
was formed with the mission: "to
be able to drink from the river
in 50 years." One of the ways we
are working to reach that goal is
to implement the Contaminants
Identification and Tracking
Program.
The watershed council contami-
nant mapping program is now
underway. To date, we have mapped
contaminated sites in 27 villages.
Our goal is to continue updating
the database until we have site
locations for areas of concern in
villages such as: dumps, junk yards,
military waste sites, sewage lagoons,
oil spills, and fuel storage sites. We
hope to have site locations for as
many of the 72 communities in the
Yukon River Watershed as possible.
The watershed council is in the
process of developing an interactive
mapping website. People along the
river will be able to submit water
quality monitoring data and infor-
mation regarding contaminated
and land use sites to the watershed
council, and view the detailed
maps we have created on line.
To facilitate participation in this
program, watershed council staff
will meet with environmental tribal
technicians, students, and volun-
teers in the villages to train them
in data collection and submission
techniques and reading the
on line maps. Volunteer partici-
pation in this program is integral
to making this database a powerful
tool for management, monitoring,
development, remediation, and
grant writing activities.
Anyone with internet access
will be able to view the contami-
nants mapping project. Through
this program, we hope to give the
public an up-to-date snapshot of
the contaminants in the Yukon
River Watershed. If you have
questions or comments regarding
this program, please contact La'ona
DeWilde at (907) 456-1568 or
e-mail: ldewilde@yritwc.com. For
more information, please visit the
YRITWC website at www.yritwc.
^*-K
-------
Resources and Tools
Living in a. rural Alaska native
village poses unique environmen-
tal problems not encountered
in other communities. Some of
these problems include: the neces-
sity of honey buckets, the lack of
roads to remote locations, extreme
weather conditions, and landfills
on frozen ground, just to name a
few. Numerous resource documents
and tools have been developed to
aide communities in identifying
and prioritizing their environmen-
tal issues. Two such resources are
discussed below.
A resource manual entitled The
Seven Generations- Addressing
Village Environmental Issues for
the Future Generations of Rural
Alaska was developed to help the
people in rural Alaska improve
the environmental health condi-
tions within their communities.
The manual is divided into three
separate sections. Section 1 covers
aspects of the environmental assess-
ment and planning processes.
Section 2 covers environmen-
tal assessment surveys. Some of
the issues covered in the villager
planning survey are: safe drinking
water, abandoned vehicles and
drums, beach or river bank erosion,
village dump/landfill, construc-
tion materials left by contractors,
raw sewage spills/sewage disposal,
annual clean-up, indoor air pollu-
tion, outdoor air pollution, fuel
oil contaminated soils, fish and
animal carcasses left in villages,
trash left out in open village space,
contaminated subsistence foods, old
military sites, and hazardous/toxic
materials. Section 3 of the manual
contains resources, such as examples
of environmental planning surveys,
environmental workplans, and
landfill inspection forms, as well as
funding resources.
The manual was produced
by Susanne Unger, an environ-
mental outreach specialist from
the Chugachmiut, and was
supported by the U.S. EPA and
the State of Alaska Department of
Environmental Conservation in
Chagachmiut. Copies of the manual
may be obtained from the Alaska
Department of Environmental
Conservation, Division of Statewide
Public Service, Rural Issues
Program, located in Anchorage,
Alaska. Contact the program staff
toll free at 1-800-510-2332.
The Profile of Tribal
Government Operations is a plain
language guide that provides an
overview of many tribal govern-
ment operations and activities,
presents the potential environ-
mental impacts of the operations
and activities, and identifies the
environmental requirements they
must meet. Information includes,
but is not limited to, pollution
prevention techniques, compli-
ance and technical assistance, and
financial resources. This document
is a must have reference on a
variety of environmental topics and
issues. For more information on
this guidance document, contact
Jonathan Binder at 202-564-2516
or binder.jonathan@epa.gov. The
Profile is available at www.epa.gov/
compliance/resources/publications/
assistance/sectors/notebooks/tribal.
html or by calling 1-800-490-9198
and asking for the Profile of
Tribal Government Operations,
EPA Document number:
EPA/310-R-05-001.
-------
animals that we use. We also gather our strength. We gather our
courage and our knowledge. We gather the spirits. We gather our
O 11 O
wood for our fires and houses. We gather the herbs that keep us
into the present. We are the gatherers. This is the way of the
itoryteller, Jack Dalton
.
*-
Source: www.wtsdomoftheelders.org
-------
Success Stories
Renewable Energy, The Alaskan Tribal Experience
Brian H. Hirsch, Ph.D.
Byline articles and interviews
represent the opinions and views of
contributors and are not necessar-
ily those of the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency.
Daily life in remote Alaskan
communities, from harvesting tradi-
tional foods to producing electricity
from expensive and dirty diesel fuel,
is more like a third world country
than the "lower 48" United States.
While electricity costs roughly
10 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh)
in Anchorage, Alaska's largest city,
it costs more than 60 cents per
kWh in some Alaska villages, and
gasoline is now rocketing past
$6 per gallon. There are several
reasons for this, including high fuel
delivery and storage costs in remote
areas and low efficiencies and high
maintenance costs for diesel genera-
tors in general. The true cost of
diesel-produced electricity in Alaska
villages is even more, since fuel
storage tanks are highly subsidized
and environmental impacts are not
factored into the market price.
This economic reality, and
environmental nightmare, has led
many to look at renewable energy
options, such as wind and solar
power, as possible alternatives to
diesel fuel for electricity production
in remote areas.
In Alaska, there are several
ongoing efforts to capture the wind
and/or sun to produce clean, and
hopefully cheaper, electricity, thus
reducing the need for diesel fuel.
While there are many examples
of renewable energy use through-
out Alaska, this article focuses on
tribally owned projects.
Wind Development
From the Ground Up
The Bristol Bay region of Alaska
is famed for the largest wild sockeye
salmon runs in the world, but the
global price drop caused by salmon
farming elsewhere and high diesel
costs has these commercial fishing
communities reeling.
While some villages have liter-
ally shut down and residents moved
to Anchorage and elsewhere, five of
the communities on the southern
Alaska Peninsula decided that their
best response may be blowing in
the wind. The communities, all
predominately indigenous Aleut,
Yupik, and/or Aluutiq with popula-
tions hovering around 100, are
Egegik, Pilot Point, Ugashik, Port
Heiden, and Chignik Bay.
Over three years ago they
all joined forces to form the
Sustainable Energy Council of the
Alaska Peninsula (SECAP). In short
order they pooled resources, held
meetings in each community, and
created a multi-village organiza-
tional structure that includes each
community's Tribal Council, electric
utility, and city government, along
with technical assistance providers
and other regional stakeholders.
On the ground, they have
already installed two 10 kW wind
turbines in two different communi-
ties and wind monitoring towers
to determine project feasibility in
two other communities. Ongoing
projects, in part funded with EPA
support, include solar photovoltaics
combined with a wind turbine to
power a community building and
additional wind turbines.
The overall plan is to use wind
power to reduce diesel use and
electricity costs throughout the year
and produce ice in the summer
months for value-added processing
of fish, according to Bob Kramer,
President of SECAP and the utility
operator for Pilot Point. "Our
economies and people are hurting,
and wind power can help us hold
on to more of the value of our fish.
Wind can also help us hold down
electricity rates and maintain our
clean environment," says Kramer.
The grassroots approach and
community involvement, which
includes local energy education and
employing village youth to help
with the projects, is particularly
appealing to many, though it has
resulted in less funding and smaller
projects than some of the other
high profile efforts across the state.
But with other communities in the
region expressing interest in joining
SECAP and ongoing success of the
organization, government officials
and private funders are taking
notice of the innovative group and
their fresh approach to community
development.
Harnessing the Midnight
Sun
Far from the windy west coast of
Alaska, the indigenous Athabascan
communities of Arctic Village,
Venetie, and Chickaloon are using
the sun's rays to produce electric-
ity directly from photovoltaic (PV)
panels.
All of these communities are
located in the interior region of
Alaska, nestled in river and mountain
valleys, sheltered from strong winds.
But the sun shines there more
regularly than coastal areas that
are often shrouded in fog. These
Athabascan communities are now
turning the sun into kilowatt-hours.
-------
Success Stories
Of course there are a few
months each year, namely late
November through early February,
when the PV panels are nothing
more than dark, expensive snow
collectors. But for the rest of the
year the panels make up for it and,
in fact, work better in the cold
(about a 15 percent efficiency gain
because of lowered heat resistance),
and get an added boost from snow-
reflected sunlight in the spring and
early winter.
What makes all of these projects
even more unique is the use of
a customized "dual-axis tracking
system" that rotates the PV panels
to follow the sun as it moves
across the sky. In the far north,
such tracking systems signifi-
cantly increase power production as
compared to stationary PV panels
because the sun moves so much
across the horizon, especially in the
summer months.
"The solar tracking array has
more than tripled our production.
Even in the winter it has provided
incredible energy savings for our
community," says Lance Whitwell,
Energy Programs Manager for the
Native Village of Venetie Tribal
Government. "The fuel savings
alone have more than paid for the
cost of the system," Whitwell adds.
Venetie, population 250, has a
1.2 kW stationary and a 2.2 kW
tracking PV system. The communi-
ty has also developed an innovative
heat recovery system that uses waste
heat from its diesel generating plant
to dry clothes in the village laundry
facility, thus meeting almost 10
percent of the entire village energy
load with renewable energy and
conservation in the summer
months, according to Whitwell.
In the very far-north Gwich'in
communities of Arctic Village
and Venetie, the tracking systems
needed additional customizing to
construct an above-ground founda-
tion to avoid disturbing or melting
the permafrost soils.
Chickaloon Village's 2.2 kW
tracking PV system, which began
production in late 2004, provides
power to their award-winning Tribal
School, and will be the focus of an
energy curriculum for the entire
community. "We've been looking
into renewable energy for some
time, and we're very excited about
this solar project. This is just the
beginning of a long-term develop-
ment plan that includes hydrogen
and fuel cells along with solar and
hydropower," said Chickaloon
Chief Gary Harrison.
Chickaloon Village's school
won an Honoring Nations award
from Harvard University for their
innovative program that combines
traditional and academic subjects
from language to math. The curric-
ulum for the
solar PV system
is an evolving effort
that demonstrates how
the tribe and the school
are merging traditions such as
living with the seasons and only
taking what you need with modern
technology such as solar panels and
computer-based data collection and
analysis.
All three solar projects are
owned and managed by Alaska
Native Tribes. Since the PV systems
are much smaller and less expensive
than the wind turbines discussed
above, projects can be started
with much less money up-front.
PV systems are also well-suited
for individual homes, cabins, and
hunting camps, and can be added
to incrementally as funding and
local capacity permits.
-------
Success Stories
The Indian General Assistance Program in Alaska
— Success Stories from Alaska
Adapted from The Indian General Assistance Program — Success Stories from Alaska
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10, Alaska Office, October 2004
The General Assistance
Program (GAP) increases commu-
nities' ability to meet their environ-
mental needs and encourages
partnerships between tribes and
other entities. Capacity building is
one goal of the GAP. To attain this
goal, community members partici-
pate in training programs on topics
such as hazardous waste operations,
above-ground storage tank opera-
tions, rural landfill operator certi-
fication, emergency planning and
response, and freshwater aquatic
assessment/monitoring. Another
goal of the GAP is to promote the
improvement of fiscal and admin-
istrative program management.
Such improvements help the Tribal
Governments in obtaining other
funding opportunities.
Alaskan Tribes participating
in the GAP shared the following
success stories with the Region 10
Alaska Tribal Office.
UGASHIK
Ugashik is located on the
northwest coast of the Alaskan
Peninsula, 16 miles up the Ugashik
River. Hattie Albecker, Ugashik
Traditional Council's Environmental
Coordinator, provided this account of
what the GAP has accomplished.
Before the GAP, Ugashik
did not have an environmental
program. Our program began in
February of 2000. The availability
of the capacity-building opportu-
nities through the GAP and the
initiative of the Ugashik residents
have resulted in a much cleaner
and healthier environment for all
residents. We have set the ground-
work for our future generations.
Through the GAP, our village
has been able to begin dealing with
some of our solid-waste issues,
such as 8000+ pounds of lead-acid
batteries and several buckets of
household batteries back-hauled,
416 triple-rinsed fuel drums
back-hauled, and 500+ pounds
of crushed aluminum cans that
have been flown out of Ugashik. A
monitored collection site has been
set up for recycle/reuse products;
the site is a depository for clean
55-gallon drums, scrap metals, and
white goods. As the opportunity
arises, these items are back-hauled
out of the village either by free
back-haul, or the use of available
grant funds. It is very helpful to
our village that GAP provides grant
funds for the implementation of
such programs. With the increase
award that Ugashik recently
received, we will be able to accom-
plish two more important steps
toward the construction of the
needed Ugashik Class III Landfill.
Another major accomplishment
made possible through GAP is
that the villages in our region have
begun to work more closely with
one another. Two examples are the
formation of the Ugashik Water-
shed Council and the Sustainable
Energy Commission of the Alaska
Peninsula.
The ALEUT COMMUNITY of
ST. PAUL ISLAND
St. Paul Island is located 770 air
miles from Anchorage, in the Bering
J o ' o
Sea. PhilZavadil, co-director of
the Ecosystem Conservation Office,
provided this background informa-
tion about the Island, the tribe, and
the importance of the work that
they do.
Up until 20 years ago, all
island activities were regulated
and controlled by the Federal
Government. Therefore, when the
government pulled out and the
fishing industry came in to fill the
economic void, the tribal govern-
ment was not ready or able to build
a tribal environmental program.
The impact on the water quality,
the increase in noise and air pollu-
tion, and the general impact on
the environment are taking their
toll. Economic development needs
to be balanced with monitoring
of the environment to ensure its
health and wellbeing, as well as the
sustainability of the development
taking place.
Aleut cultural continuity, social
traditions, and the economic well
being of the community rely on
customary/traditional practices.
Due to the increased human inter-
actions with the Pribilofs' Bering
Sea environment, the need for
monitoring and watching these
interactions, and protecting and
conserving our island ecosystem has
become vital.
The Tribal Government of St.
Paul has made great strides in the
development and implementation
of a tribal environmental protection
program. In April 1998, the Tribal
Government of St. Paul created
the Ecosystem Conservation Office
(ECO) to address concerns and
issues such as customary/traditional
uses (subsistence), water quality,
air quality, land management,
etc. ECO provides a place for
community members to take their
-------
Success Stories
concerns, have them investigated
and dealt with, and communicated
back to them. In addition, ECO
provides a local point of contact
for off-island organizations with
the same or similar concerns. The
EPA GAP grant helped to lay this
foundation.
During our first year of partici-
pating in the GAP, we began devel-
oping a Tribal Environmental
Agreement (TEA) and collecting
surveys previously prepared by other
organizations regarding environ-
mental issues. We also developed
a Village Environmental Planning
Survey and contacted Federal and
state agencies to conduct a full
environmental assessment, as well
as monitored and assessed environ-
mental hazards within the commu-
nity and around the island.
In our second year, we contin-
ued the work on issues identified
in the FY 1999 grant, and signed
a Tribal Environmental Agreement
(TEA) with EPA in Fall 2000. We
also began working on a Specific
Action Plan (SAP) and began
monitoring and observing the
changes occurring in the island's
environment using indigenous/
traditional knowledge and wisdom
and western science.
In our third year, we worked
on the SAP and using traditional
knowledge in monitoring our
island environment. We focused
on addressing our community's
solid and hazardous waste issues
and educating our community on a
variety of environmental issues.
We recently completed our
fourth year of the GAP. We contin-
ued building upon the founda-
tion laid over the past three years
by reassessing our community's
environmental concerns and target-
ing specific issues identified by
ECO and the community. We
completed the Environmental
Management Plan for St. Paul
Island and the final draft of our
Integrated Waste Management
Plan.
Now in the fifth year of the
GAP, we are continuing to focus
on solid waste with the continued
implementation of a recycling
program, including developing a
recycling management plan. We
are finishing our Environmental
Management Plan; conducting on-
going observations of our island
ecosystem; working with commu-
nity representations to conduct
pollution prevention education; and
providing on-going environmen-
tal education to children and the
community.
GAP has given ECO staff the
skills and capacity to successfully
apply for many environmental
grants as well as other non-environ-
mental grants and contracts. Some
environmental grants that we have
received include: Alaska Native
Health Board's Alaska Solid Waste
Management Demonstration Grant
(3 years in a row); Tribal Open
Dump Cleanup Project Grant;
and, Alaska Inter-Tribal Council's
Integrated Waste Management
Grant.
NEW KOLIGANEK
Koliganek is located on the
left bank of the Nushagak River
and lies 65 miles northeast of
Dillingham. Anu Wysocki, Koliganek's
Environmental Director, has this to
say about what the GAP has done in
their community.
The GAP has benefited my
village in many ways. Our village
is cleaner and more educated on
environmental issues. We have
addressed our solid waste issues,
and have applied for and received
the Solid Waste Grant for three
consecutive years. We have hired a
solid waste operator, implemented
trash separa-
tion and recycling
(aluminum cans and
batteries) programs, and
cleaned up the village. We
have a burn box and a waste-oil
heater. Last year, we removed about
three totes of batteries and are
continuing to do so. We back-haul
batteries by barge and back-haul
cans by air. Many tribes participate
in Alaskans for Litter Prevention
and Recycling - a program that
creates opportunities for back-haul
of clean aluminum cans by local
airlines. This program is widely
known as Flying Cans.
NATIVE VILLAGE OF
EKWOK
Ekwok is located along the
Nushagak River, 43 miles northeast of
Dillingham and 285 miles southwest
of Anchorage. Submitted by Loraine
King, Environmental Planner.
The GAP benefits our commu-
nity by providing us with the
opportunity to build our tribal
capacity to effectively manage and
develop an environmental program
in our community. We were able
to provide employment for two
community members and, thereby,
cut back on unemployment.
The staff and a council member
were able to obtain training and
needed skills to learn about differ-
ent aspects of the GAP grant
such as requirements, laws, and
regulations, as well as learn about
many other programs we can tap
into for funding implementation
projects. The staff was also able
to receive other high-tech
training, such as computer
program training.
Through educating
the commu-
nity, the
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Success Stories
members became more aware of
environmental issues and concerns.
Now we are able to issue a newslet-
ter and provide youth activities
to the students, as well as hold
community meetings. We were able
to start a recycling center through
the Alaska Native Health Board
(ANHB) grant, and pass a resolu-
tion for nonsmoking in and near
public buildings through the Clean
Indoor Air Demonstration Grant.
We have also signed off on a
Tribal Environmental Agreement
with Region 10. We have revised
our memorandum of understand-
ing with the City of Ekwok to
include Ekwok Native Limited and
are starting to hold joint meetings
to work on issues together. We have
developed working relationships
with federal and state agencies, as
well as other surrounding commu-
nities. We are involved with the
Nushagak Mulchatna Watershed,
which involves networking and
cooperative working with other
tribes along the Nushagak River
and the Nushagak Bay Villages. We
have eight certified HAZWOPER
students, and are working to
complete our generic oil-spill plan.
We have addressed some solid
and hazardous waste issues with
the GAP grant. The solid-waste
issues are: recycling aluminum
cans, newspapers, cardboard boxes,
Styrofoam, and education of the
students and community on solid
waste (littering, effort of recycling,
and landfill issues). We also have
purchased a chipper/shredder
through the ANHB grant. The
community has shredded the brush
that was cut, and some commu-
nity members used the brush as
chips to light their steam baths
and for flower gardens and plants.
The hazardous-waste issues are:
recycling of batteries of all sizes and
shapes, and providing information
on hazardous waste through our
newsletter and community presen-
tations. We are looking at starting a
household hazardous waste collec-
tion soon. We've already started
some used-oil collection, and
have back hauled many pounds of
batteries.
NATIVE VILLAGE OF EAGLE
Eagle village is on the southern
bank of the Yukon River, three miles
east of the City of Eagle, on the
Taylor Highway. Submitted by Barry
Westphal, Environmental Planner
We started with GAP three
years ago. We began with develop-
ing an environmental plan that
identified environmental issues
within our community and laid
a foundation of where we were at
that time. The plan will be updated
periodically and act as a form
of direction for our program to
develop. The GAP has produced
the funds and guidance neces-
sary for our village to develop
and maintain an environmental
program. The program is raising
awareness of environmental issues
and concerns in our community
and is enabling us to present infor-
mation and answers that in turn
make changes in the community.
Because of GAP, our capacity to
deal with environmental issues will
grow.
After developing the founda-
tional environmental plan, we have
been able to start several different
projects. There have been seven
environmental presentations done
in our school that included two
field trips that gave the upper
grades (6-12) an introduction to
rapid bio-assessment methods.
Other topics included groundwa-
ter and recycling. We also had an
art contest to raise awareness of
environmental issues. The students
used environmental themes to
decorate canvas bags and then
distributed them in the community.
We include an environmental page
each month in the village newslet-
ter. We have developed special
projects within the village (such
as home assessments) in order to
get people more directly involved
with environmental issues. We are
working on a water quality assess-
ment program, an oil-spill response
plan, and a Tribal Environmental
Agreement.
Our recycling program is
successful for two reasons: our
accessibility to a large village
truck for hauling recyclable items
to Anchorage, and the efforts of
volunteers. Recycling doesn't
work without community effort.
At times, individuals volunteer to
take items, such as old appliances,
out to a recycling center when they
go to town. We hope to be able
to expand to other items such as
cardboard and plastics.
GWICH'YAA ZHEE
[FORT YUKON) TRIBAL
GOVERNMENT
Fort Yukon is located on the
Arctic Circle, at the confluence of the
Yukon and Porcupine Rivers, 145
air miles northeast of Fairbanks.
2003 GAP accomplishments were
submitted by Vickie Thomas,
Environmental Manager.
Fort Yukon is participat-
ing in the household hazardous
waste back-haul with Yutana
barge lines. Our environmental
program successfully back-hauled
93 lead acid batteries, 63 drums of
waste oil, 8 old vehicles, and 318
pounds of aluminum cans out of
Fort Yukon in 2003. We hope to
increase the amount of aluminum
cans that are being back-hauled and
recycled in Fairbanks.
We plan and coordinate the
volunteer, community-wide, spring
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Success Stories
and fall cleanups. We receive small
grants from local organizations to
purchase prizes, plastic bags, gift
certificates, and food for a cookout.
We usually have prizes for the
cleanest yard, most-improved yards,
and best landscaping. Prizes and
give-aways increase participation in
the cleanups.
We received a grant through
the Alaska Native Health Board
to purchase a used oil burner.
During our "Fall Cleanup," we
got the businesses involved. The
local government and power plant
found a lot in their storage areas.
We shipped it all out on the barge.
We have a small amount in storage
for the waste-oil burner to burn
during the winter months. Plus,
we are receiving used oil from the
community members. We are also
educating the community about
the danger of contaminating our
groundwater. I have a volunteer
environmental committee set up
to discuss environmental issues
and concerns that we receive from
community members. I also have a
complaint form that is available for
people to fill out.
Recycling
The tribal government's garage
is being used as the recycling center.
All recyclables are dropped off or
picked up by our department. Some
items we collect are: aluminum
cans and tabs, lead-acid batteries,
ink cartridges, cardboard boxes,
newspapers, paper bags, Styrofoam,
used tires, and plastic grocery
bags. We are teaching community
members how to reuse other items.
The local government passed an
ordinance banning the use of plastic
grocery bags in the stores. Instead,
customers are asked to use canvas
bags, purchase paper bags, or use
the cardboard boxes from the
store. Another
project is our
"used clothing and
appliance exchange
program."
Other Projects
We are facing the possibil-
ity of closing an old dumpsite.
We are working with a trainer to
conduct Hazmat or HAZWOPER
training. Our current landfill has
been cleaned up and a drop-off area
has been established for commu-
nity members. There is an area for
wood materials and batteries. We
are now working on establishing
areas for aluminum cans, as well
as household hazardous waste. We
just constructed a burn box and are
now deciding on when and what to
burn. We are still working on estab-
lishing a solid-waste management
plan for our area.
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Success Stories
Non-pesticide Reliant Approaches to Rat Control in
the Aleutian/Pribilof Islands Region !
Adapted from an article provided by Ron Kendall, EPA Office of Pesticides
The Aleutian/Pribilof Islands
Tribe was awarded a grant in 2004
for "Rat Prevention, Rat Control
and Rodenticide Certification
Training in the Aleutian/Pribilof
Islands Region—Alaska Maritime
National Wildlife Refuge." The
focus of this project is two-fold:
to develop a program to control
rats in areas where rats are estab-
lished; and, to develop strategies
to ensure areas that are rat free
remain that way. The Aleutian/
Pribilof Islands Region is part of
the Alaska Maritime National
Wildlife Refuge. It is home to some
of the largest colonies of seabirds
in the world. Beginning with the
arrival of outsider seafaring visitors,
numerous islands in the Aleutians
have become infested with invasive
Norway rats. The bird popula-
tion, native vegetation, and human
health are threatened by this
omnivorous and disease carrying
invasive species.
The Aleutian/Pribilof Islands
Association (APIA) will partner
with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service (USFWS) and the
State of Alaska Department of
Environmental Conservation.
These agencies will provide
comprehensive training and certi-
fication, and assist in the develop-
ment of integrated pest manage-
ment (IPM) plans. Aleutian/
Pribilof Islands Association expects
this project will develop programs
that can be transferred to other
Aleutian communities.
The following story is framed
from the Tribes first status report in
March 2005.
History of Rats in Adak
Adak is an incorporated city
with a year round population of
approximately 100 people. Rats
were probably brought to Adak
by U.S. military ships. While the
military was on the island, they
had 30 or more people whose sole
job was rat control. At its peak, the
base was home to 6,000 people,
complete with housing. Since the
military began to pull out in 1996,
the responsibility of rat control has
fallen on the Community Council.
The community's approach
to rat control does not rely on
pesticides. Instead, the commu-
nity manages its rat population
by changing the rat's habitat, thus
making it difficult for them to live
and breed. An 80 percent reduction
in rat numbers can be achieved by
changing the habitat in the target
zone. The remaining rats can then
be trapped and poisoned to an
acceptable level.
Adak's draft IPM Plan was
successful. The city was able to use
APIA's contribution to their project
as leverage to get another $20,000
towards supplies from the USFWS.
The most economical order of
any rat control strategy is sanita-
tion and habitat modification, then
traps and poison. If you hope to
completely eradicate an established
rat population, the cost is estimated
tobe$150/acre.
The Initial Plan
A committee was established to
create an IPM specifically designed
for Adak. The committee was
comprised of representatives from
each entity in Adak. An IPM is a
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Success Stories
holistic method of reducing pest
numbers. It involves modifying the
environment to reduce favorable
habitat, thereby reducing the popula-
tion dramatically. Once the popula-
tion has been reduced, trapping
and/or poisoning the remaining rats
are not such daunting or expensive
tasks. An IPM requires establishing a
target area, defining tolerance levels,
developing a monitoring plan, and
creating an evaluation process that
can be used to refine the plan as
needed.
Target Area
Everyone agreed that the
housing, fish plant, dock, harbor,
and airport were critical areas. A
steep mountain on one side borders
the housing area and a road on the
other side borders the whole area.
Those border areas will be desig-
nated as "buffer zones."
Tolerance Level
) No rats in homes where people
live
I No rats coming off or getting
on ships
I No rats coming off or getting
on airplanes
I No rats in the fish plant.
The following habitat changes
were suggested for the target and
buffer zones:
Fisheries Plant
t One of the two docks in Adak:
Traps will be placed every 20
meters on the docks and on the
walkways beneath.
) Adak Fisheries plan: Crates will
be moved 18" from outside
walls, creating a path for traps.
Warehouses
> Grass will be cut or herbicide
applied along shoreline and
the lumber will be stacked on
pallets.
I Materials stacked beside this
warehouse near the fish plant
will be stacked on pallets away
from the building.
Housing Area
I Eliminate the tall grass
surrounding the unused elemen-
tary school.
) Eliminate the tall grass between
housing units which provides
safe transit for rats between
houses.
Airport
I Traps should be placed around
the perimeter of cargo areas to
ensure no rats escape that might
come in with cargo and that no
rats get into cargo leaving the
island.
I Grass around the perimeter of
the airport should be mowed/
weed-whacked, and trap lines
should be set and monitored as
needed.
Fire Station
The fire station was not
included in the target zone, but
should follow the same proce-
dures as the warehouses, including
mowing/weed-whacking a perimeter
around the outside of the building
that can be defended with a line of
traps placed 20 meters apart. The
traps should be monitored and data
recorded.
Buffer Zones
Buffer zones will be kept
mowed or a herbicide will be
applied to eliminate the grass,
thereby reducing the ease of rats
entering the target area. Traps can
be set throughout buffer zones to
help prevent rat penetration. Owls
should be encouraged to frequent
the buffer zones by placing more
perches or roosts for them.
The tribe and their partners
developed
a monitoring
plan and evaluation
methods to track success.
They also trained a group of
certified rodenticide applicators.
The Future of Rat Control
on Adak
The city plans to create a full-
time position for rat control. The
position will be funded through
grants, if possible, and contribu-
tions from the City, The Aleut
Corporation (TAG), and Aleut
Enterprise Corporation (AEG).
APIA will provide the City of Adak
with $14,000 for help with person-
nel for rat control and $1,000
towards rat control supplies.
Trap and Bait
Information
All traps should be secured
either by staking or wiring as rats
may drag traps away or eagles may
abduct the rat and the trap it is in.
The best bait, as suggested
by Peter Dunlevy, is small pieces
of sponge soaked in herring oil.
The oil does not go rancid, the
sponge pieces can be stored in a
jar indefinitely and reused, and the
rats like it. Alternatives are peanut
butter, apples, nuts, and just about
anything else the rats are used to
eating. Rats are wary of new foods.
-------
Alaska Faces Spruce Bark Beetle Infestation
Adapted from "Forest Health Update - A Decade of Beetle Activity in Alaska," Roger Eurnside
Byline articles and interviews
represent the opinions and views of
contributors and are not necessar-
ily those of the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency.
For the last decade, natives of
Alaska have witnessed a devastat-
ing infestation of beetles in natural
land areas filled with spruce trees.
The beetles live in and feed on the
phloem of the spruce trees and have
caused the death of tens of millions
of trees. The spread of the spruce
bark beetle in Alaska is concentrat-
ed mainly in the Kenai Peninsula,
but has continued to spread to the
Copper River regions of the state.
According to Roger Burnside,
an entomologist with the Alaska
State Department of Natural
Resources, Division of Forestry, the
spruce bark beetle epidemic has
affected over 1.4 million acres of
the Kenai Peninsula and 680,500
acres in the Copper River valley
between Glennallen and McCarthy
live and Dead White Spruce 2006
regions. Significant
infestation also has been
witnessed along the lower
Yukon and Kuskokwim
rivers and tributaries,
the Lake Clark/Iliamna
region, the Cook Inlet
west of Anchorage
(including 88,000 acres
within this municipal-
ity) and in southeast
Alaska, predominantly
near Haines, Juneau and
Gustavus.
The following table
(Table 1) has been
replicated from Roger
Burnside's article "Forest
Health Update - A
Decade of Beetle Activity
in Alaska."
The infestation creates
wildfire hazards and an
overwhelming decrease
in the population of
spruce trees across the
region. The Spruce Bark
Beetle Mitigation
Table 1. Cumulative infested acres based
on aerial surveys 1989-2000: A cumulative
breakdown, by ownership, of areas infested by
spruce beetle within the Kenai Peninsula and
Copper River regions of Alaska (CIS estimate
from 1989-2000 aerial survey data).
Ownership
Kenai
Peninsula
Region*
Copper
River
Region**
State of Alaska
Federal
Borough
Other Municipal
Alaska Native
Other Private
University of AK
Total:
425,200
538,600
46,000
1,600
260,600
122,500
13,100
1,407,600
147,400***
313,200
219,900
680,500
*Source: Kenai Peninsula Borough ELVMI vegetation
mapping project (A. DeVolder) **Source: AkDNR DOF &
IISFS, S&PF Forest Conditions surrey database (D. Wittiuer)
*** Total Copper River region infested acreage may include
miscellaneous small private parcels, University of Alaska
parcels or floating Native Allotments (land ownership codes
were not specific enough to pull this information from the
forest damage database).
Program is headed by the
Kenai Peninsula Borough and
establishes program partner-
ships with public and private
landowners to address these
concerns and reduce wildfire
hazards and other related
threats to the public's life and
safety. Initiatives supported
by the program and Kenai
Peninsula Borough began
in 1999 and have included
a wildfire hazard and risk
assessment for the peninsula,
the identification of fire
escape routes, the creation
of community zones of
refuge, and the production
of a landcover map of the
Borough. Other programs created
to support this mission include the
Fire Wise Community Mitigation
Plans, which provide community
slash disposal, remove dead trees
along utility corridors, and utilize
regional fire crews to remove hazard
trees in high use public areas,
campgrounds, and public buildings.
For more information on the
Spruce Bark Beetle Mitigation
Program and other programs led by
the Kenai Peninsula Borough, visit
www.borough.kenai.ak.us/sbb.
Editor's note: Since the posting
of this website, lindane is no longer
registered for use for beetle control.
-------
"Sacred grounds is ground
that has been invested
with belief. Belief, at its
root, exists independent
of meaning. That is, its
expression and object may
escape what we can perceive
as definable meaning.
The intrinsic power of
sacred ground is often
ineffable and abstract."
-N. Scott Momaday
-------
Kid's Page
cThe Smelly Shirt of the Shaman Tiuk"
Written and Contributed by: Howard Norman
y: Jennifer Sweigart
This happened a long time ago, when boats were first coming into the Hudson Bay and the town of Churchill
was new. The tundra had all the same animals; the sky had all the same birds. Beluga whales (Qilalaqaq) ^^3,
came in to feed in the Churchill River. The weather was the same. But now there was a town right on the coast.
Some Inuit people lived there. Many people who were European lived there too. It was a new town.
Tiuk — the shaman (Angakuq) Kjil from Padlei — was a very powerful magician. In those days, Tiuk traveled
with a smelly shirt. It was made of seal-hide and it smelled so rancid that, in every Inuit village Tiuk visited,
people had a named for the shirt. In Eskimo Point, they called it "Nose-choker." In Chesterfield Inlet, they called
it, "Seal-guts-rotting-in-the-sun." In Whale Cove, they called it "Stink-shirt."
Tiuk and his shirt traveled away fast from the new town, along the river. It was winter then. It was snowing
(Aput) ^ hard.
While Tiuk and his smelly shirt were fishing on a frozen sea (Tariuq) !M^P' tne7 heard a strange sound in
the distance. But Tiuk could not see anything because it was snowing so thickly.
"Go and see what is making such a sound!" Tiuk said to his shirt and the shirt flew off. When the shirt came
back, it said "It is the sound of homesickness-wailing. There are ghosts. They are wandering about. They are
wailing." The wails were of some Europeans who died in Churchill.
Then - one-by-one—the ghosts of the European people appeared out of the falling snow.
"What do you want?" said Tiuk.
"We heard that you, Tiuk, could cure people back from the dead."
"That is true," said Tiuk.
"Cure us back to life, then," said the ghosts. "We are homesick."
"So many homesick-wails at once is a sound I had never heard before," said Tiuk. "I like the sound. If I cure
you, I won't hear it anymore."
..„/*}.
"No, no, we have taught it to the wolves (Amaruq)," v. I said the ghost. "They already howl, but we taught
them human homesickness-wails. You can make them howl it for you. Just use your magic on them. Just threaten
them with your smelly shirt."
"Very well then," said Tiuk. He used his magic to cure the European people back to life. They set out for
Churchill. Tiuk set out far inland. It is said that Tiuk never stepped foot in Churchill again.
*This is part of a story originally told by Marc Nuqac, a Caribou Eskimo. Caribou Eskimos live up and down
the Northwest coast of the Hudson Bay. The Caribou Eskimos tell this story in their native language Inuit.
-------
Kid's Page
Match the following words from the story to their picture to find the Inuit translation:
Whale
Sea
Snow
Wolf
Shaman
Aput
Tariuq
Amariiq
Qilalaqaq
Angakuq
Graphic matching
iuit translati
/I
S7
-------
'When an elder dies, a library burns." !
—Proverb
I •*
"The World of nature is the
source of all life...Balance
is required in the world of
nature."
—Dr. Walter Soboleff, Tlingit
(Source: EPA Region 10 Tribal Elders Summit)
"We have one great word
in our culture: haa shage-
inyaa. This was a Great
Spirit above us, and today
we have translated that
reverence to God."
—Dr. Walter Soboleff, Tlingit
"...Keeping the past with the
future"
—Natalie Kvasnikoff, Village of Nanwalek
"English is my second
language, not first
language"
—Rhoda Moonin, Village of
Nanwalek
-------
Elders
"When I was four years old, after
one very beautiful day on the
island where I was raised, I was
so joyous in trying to describe in
words the beauty of the nature
that surrounded us that my grand-
father and village elder spoke to
me...
'You know that as soon as you use
words to describe the beauty in
nature, you diminish its value.'
Perhaps in those few words he
encapsulated the very basis of
Aleut survival."
- Larry Merculieff, Tribal Elder, Aleut St. Paul, Pribiloff
Islands
"Cycle of Life
That is our calendar
We live by our calendar
our way of life
Based on Life
November - Sheep
October - Caribou
September - Moose
August - Harvest"
- Sarah James, Tribal Elder, Arctic Village
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