This is a list of Superfund sites in Alaska designated under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) environmental law. The CERCLA federal law of 1980 authorized the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to create a list of polluted locations requiring a long-term response to clean up hazardous material contaminations.[1]
These locations are known as Superfund sites, and are placed on the National Priorities List (NPL). The NPL guides the EPA in "determining which sites warrant further investigation" for environmental remediation. As of May 7, 2020 there were six Superfund sites on the National Priorities List in Alaska.[2] No additional sites are currently proposed for entry on the list.[2] Three sites have been cleaned up and removed from the list.[2]
| CERCLIS ID | Name | Borough or Census Area | Reason | Proposed[3] | Listed[4] | Construction completed[5] | Partially deleted[6] | Deleted[7] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AK4170024323 | Adak Naval Air Station | Aleutians West | Groundwater, sediments, surface water, and soil in several locations on the island are contaminated with petroleum-related constituents, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), metals, chlorinated solvents, ordnance, explosives, and unexploded ordnance. Groundwater contaminated with petroleum and organic chemicals.[8] [9] | 10/14/1992 | 05/31/1994 | |||
| AK8570028649 | Elmendorf Air Force Base | Anchorage | Soil and shallow groundwater beneath the various landfills, fuel storage facilities, training areas, and maintenance hangars located on base have been contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons and other fuel contaminants, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), pesticides, asphalt and associated chemicals, and heavy metals including lead.[10] [11] | 07/14/1989 | 08/30/1990 | |||
| AK6214522157 | Fort Richardson (USARMY) | Anchorage | Sediment and surface water contaminated with white phosphorus. Soil at the Roosevelt Road Transmitter Site is contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs), heavy metals, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Soil and groundwater at the Poleline Road Disposal Area is contaminated with VOCs.[12] [13] | 06/23/1993 | 05/31/1994 | |||
| AKD980978787 | Standard Steel & Metals Salvage Yard (USDOT) | Anchorage | Soil contaminated with lead, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), solvents, dioxins, and furan.[14] [15] | 07/14/1989 | 08/30/1990 | 09/30/2002 | ||
| AKD004904215 | Alaska Battery Enterprises | Fairbanks North Star | Soil contaminated with lead that had been released from the battery yard.[16] [17] | 06/24/1988 | 03/31/1989 | 07/26/1996 | ||
| AKD980988158 | Arctic Surplus | Fairbanks North Star | On-site groundwater contaminated with trichloroethylene (TCE). On-site soil contaminated with industrial solvents, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and lead.[18] [19] | 10/26/1989 | 08/30/1990 | 09/25/2006 | ||
| AK1570028646 | Eielson Air Force Base | Fairbanks North Star | Groundwater contains lead and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as benzene, xylene, and toluene (BTEX compounds). Several areas of subsurface petroleum-contaminated soil and floating petroleum product are the sources of continuing groundwater contamination.[20] [21] | 07/14/1989 | 11/21/1989 | |||
| AK6210022426 | Fort Wainwright | Fairbanks North Star | Groundwater and soil contaminated with solvents, petroleum products, pesticides, fuel additives, lead and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Sediments contain PAHs and low level pesticides.[22] [23] | 07/14/1989 | 08/30/1990 | |||
| AK0001897602 | Salt Chuck Mine | Outer Ketchikan | Water and sediments in Kasaan Bay and Lake Ellen Creek contaminated with heavy metals from mine tailings.[24] [25] | 09/23/2009 | 03/04/2010 | Estimated May–July 2022 | ||
Note: There are also two NPL equivalent sites in the state of Alaska, which are not included in the table above.[26] [27]