35(1), Summer 2018
http://hdl.handle.net/11122/8800
2024-03-28T09:39:40ZExpanded Brownfields Program Supports Redevelopment in Alaska
http://hdl.handle.net/11122/8811
Expanded Brownfields Program Supports Redevelopment in Alaska
UAA Justice Center
The Environmental Protection Agency’s Brownfields Program support the redevelopment of property which may have contaminants from prior use. Anchorage, Mat-Su Borough, and Kodiak Island Borough are current recipients of Brownfields funds. This year Congress increased grant limits under the Brownfields Program and expanded eligibility requirements. Alaska Native villages and corporations that received a contaminated facility from the U.S. government under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) are now eligible for Brownfields grants.
This article also appeared on pp. 7–8 of the Summer 2018 print edition.
2018-07-16T00:00:00ZLong-Term Impacts of Environmental Contaminants Are ‘Generational Game Changer’
http://hdl.handle.net/11122/8810
Long-Term Impacts of Environmental Contaminants Are ‘Generational Game Changer’
UAA Justice Center
Most Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS) properties are in remote locations, placing a disproportionate impact on Alaska Native communities that depend upon environmental resources for their livelihood. After the 1972 closure of a U.S. Air Force base that had operated for 20 years on St. Lawrence Island, residents of the Yup'ik village of Savoonga began to experience a higher incidence of cancer, lower birth-weight babies, and higher numbers of miscarriages. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers eventually spent $125 million cleaning up the abandoned base. But there are concerns about continued impact from environmental contamination. While state and federal health studies recommend continued reliance upon traditional foods based on locally harvested berries, fish, and wildlife, St. Lawrence Island community members fear those foods may be contributing to elevated levels of PCBs and higher cancer rates.
This article also appeared on pp. 5–6 of the Summer 2018 print edition.
2018-07-16T00:00:00ZEnvironmental Justice in Alaska
http://hdl.handle.net/11122/8809
Environmental Justice in Alaska
Cravez, Pamela
Pamela Cravez, editor of the Alaska Justice Forum, gives an overview of articles in the Summer 2018 edition, which addresses environmental contaminants in Alaska, some of the programs in place to deal with them, and the lasting impact that they are having on Alaska Native communities.
This article also appeared on p. 3 of the Summer 2018 print edition.
2018-07-16T00:00:00ZEnvironmental Justice: Challenges of Contaminated Site Cleanup in Rural AK
http://hdl.handle.net/11122/8808
Environmental Justice: Challenges of Contaminated Site Cleanup in Rural AK
Williams, Paula; Cravez, Pamela
Efforts to clean up contaminated sites from military installations and other sources have been ongoing in Alaska since the 1980s, and new sites continue to be identified. Most Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS) properties are in remote locations, placing a disproportionate impact on Alaska Native communities that depend upon environmental resources for their livelihood. Cleanup projects that are begun may take many years to complete due to the complicated nature of each site. Since 1990, over 5,300 sites have been cleanup up; more than 2,200 sites remain open, including military installations (both abandoned and active), bulk fuel storage and gas stations, airports and airfields, maintenance facilities, and oil exploration, transport, and refining facilities.
A shorter version of this article appeared on pp. 1–4 of the Summer 2018 print edition.
2018-07-16T00:00:00Z