Superfund Sites in Reuse in Alaska
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Arctic Surplus
The 25-acre Arctic Surplus Superfund site is 6 miles south of Fairbanks, Alaska. The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) ran a landfill on part of the site from 1944 to 1956. In 1959, DoD sold the site property. It became a salvage yard for several activities, including battery cracking for lead recycling, transformer draining, military equipment and explosive scrap collection. In 1988, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation found metals in the soil and large amounts of asbestos on site. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1990. EPA immediately removed the asbestos, drums and contaminated soils. DoD also began on-site soil treatment and isolated residual soil in a closed landfill covered with asphalt. DoD took highly contaminated materials off site for disposal. Cleanup finished in 2005. EPA took the site off the NPL in 2006. The site is now in use for equipment and materials storage. The asphalt-covered cap was leased for use as a parking lot for vehicles and trailers from 2005 to 2018. A motorcycle club now uses the capped area for training.
Last updated December 2023
As of December 2024, the EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.
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Salt Chuck Mine
The Salt Chuck Mine Superfund site is about 4.5 miles south-southwest of Thorne Bay, Alaska, on Prince of Wales Island in Tongass National Forest. A mine was on site from the early 1900s to 1941. Mining activities and improper waste disposal contaminated soil, sediments, surface water and groundwater. The site consists of U.S. Forest Service land and state-owned lands managed by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources (ADNR). EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 2010. In 2011, the U.S. Forest Service dug up and disposed of contaminated tailings and soil off site, demolished mill structures and put in groundwater monitoring wells. An investigation by EPA in 2018 found the site poses no unacceptable human health risks. Ecological risks are limited to copper in marine sediment in the bay’s tailings disposal area. Current site uses are ecological and recreational. ADNR designated the Salt Chuck area as a crucial habitat for black bears and waterfowl, herring spawning, and salmon-rearing and schooling. Recreation activities on site include fishing, boating, shellfish harvesting and hiking. The Salt Chuck Trail provides an opportunity for visitors to learn about the area’s mining history.
Last updated December 2023
As of December 2024, the EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.
For more information: