EPA Research in Alaska

Explore EPA's research across the United States.

Pink blooming fireweed in the foreground, against a background of beautiful green mountains and teal water

EPA researchers are hard at work to make sure people across the country have clean air, clean water, and clean land. Learn about some of the work EPA researchers are doing in Alaska.

For more EPA work, see EPA in Alaska.

Helping Community Drinking Water Systems Find Cost-Effective Solutions to Treatment Challenges

Emerging contaminants, such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), are challenging to drinking water systems across the country. Effective treatment for emerging contaminants can be unknown, difficult, and extremely costly. Working with the state of Alaska, EPA researchers are providing technical assistance to a very small community water system with PFAS concerns to help them identify optimal, cost-effective treatment methods and optimize the long-term operation of their chosen technology. These efforts will also be used to develop best practices and performance and cost estimate tools so water utilities across the country can make informed treatment and operational choices.

Hazardous Waste Disposal in Rural Communities

Backhaul Alaska coordinator assisting local village Backhaul team to inventory waste in a shipping container

Managing waste in remote areas can present unique challenges. To get rid of waste, some communities employ an approach known as “backhaul," which involves transporting cargo on a barge or plane’s return trip when it would otherwise be empty. Read about how EPA researchers and partners produced a mobile app to help support backhauling needs for Alaskan communities and Tribes in the Science Matters story, Community-Based Research in Rural Alaska Native Communities Informs Hazardous Waste Disposal Technology.

Cleaning Up Salt Chuck Mine

Green tinge on the sediment shows copper from mine wastes.

The Salt Chuck Mine is a former gold, silver, copper, and palladium mine on Prince of Wales Island in Alaska. High levels of copper in the sediment pose an ongoing ecological risk to the area. EPA researchers are testing using a material called biochar to amend the intertidal sediments near the mine. Read EPA Research in the Field: Cleaning up the Muck at Salt Chuck.

The Future of Emissions Testing: Using Drones to Test Air Quality

Toxic plumes created by large-scale burns such as industrial catastrophes or wildland fires can be devastating for communities and the environment. With the help of drones, EPA researchers can test emissions concentrations using aerial devices, increasing the accuracy of their models and the reach of their sensors. Understanding how emission concentrations change in burn scenarios helps EPA and others protect communities and the environment in emergency combustion situations. Over four days in August 2022, EPA researchers—in partnership with the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, NOAA, the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the University of Alaska Fairbanks—flew a drone with a Kolibri sensor over a controlled oil fire to measure emission concentrations. Read The Future of Emissions Testing is Looking Up: How EPA is Using Drones to Test Air Quality.

Contaminated Site Due to PFAS

EPA's Office of Research and Development, in coordination with Region 10 and Region 5, is providing technical support for PFAS site characterization at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. ORD provided a review a groundwater and soil sampling plan, observed the collection of samples, visited locations where samples have been collected, and collected wastewater and creek samples. Samples were analyzed for common PFAS analytes, as well as PFAS precursors and transformation products. Many groundwater locations contained PFOA and PFOS as well as other PFAS. The resulting data from EPA can be used to decide further site characterization priorities.

Tracking Waste from Rural Communities to Final Disposal Destinations

Many rural Alaska communities rely on unlined landfills to dispose of waste due to their remote locations. This approach is not appropriate for discarding hazardous waste, which can pose health and environmental risks when improperly disposed. EPA Office of Research and Development, in collaboration with Region 10, was requested to support Backhaul Alaska, a household hazardous waste backhaul service program, in their logistical efforts. One of the lingering challenges in the program was to develop a tool capable of supporting the removal of hazardous waste from rural Alaska. ORD used its prior experience developing similar tools for post-disaster events to quickly identify viable options for managing transportation and recycling logistics.