Maniilaq Association of Alaska

Site Overview

Site Location

Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska

Site Description

The Maniilaq Association, headquartered in Kotzebue, Alaska, provides human and health services to eleven Inupiat communities in the Northwest Arctic Borough. With a land base of 35,862 sqare miles and nearly 4,800 square miles of water, the Northwest Arctic Borough comprises the largest concentration of Inupiat people in the world (approx. 6,400). Having occupied the region for more than 10,000 years, the Inupiat culture primarily revolves around subsistence lifestyle practices, centered on fishing camps and hunting expeditions, as well as collection of berries and plants.

Red Dog Mine is the world’s largest zinc and lead concentrate mine site in the world. It is located 40 miles north of Noatak Village and 55 miles east of Kivalina Village. Although the mine provides seasonal work for Maniilaq Association members, there are a number of environmental hazards associated with the mining activities that could compromise subsistence resources. By far Alaska’s largest source of toxic release, Red Dog Mine impacts air, water, soil and biota. In 2001, estimated release exceeded 521 million pounds of toxic waste on and off-site, with on-site dust production and air emission at 8,300 pounds of lead and 32,000 pounds of zinc compounds annually (EPA, 2001). Heavy metals (i.e. lead, cadmium and zinc) are persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) and often persist in ecosystems for decades, cycling between land, water, and air.

To protect health, natural resources and subsistence practices, the Maniilaq Association Tribal Environmental Protection Department works closely with tribal governments to mitigate effects of Red Dog Mine contaminants caused by dust dispersion, mine waste spills along haul roads and from within ore port facilities located on the Chukchi Sea. Efforts to communicate and manage health risk and subsistence exposure concerns are also coordinated through Maniilaq Association Subsistence and Traditional Foods Programs, which include provisions for testing fish and game meats for contaminants.

References

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2001). Toxic release inventory public data release report. EPA-260-R-03-001.

Maniilaq Tribal Association, Environmental Justice Workshop

(March 2001)

Organization Requesting Assistance

Maniilaq Association Tribal Environmental Department

Beginning Date of Assistance

October 2000

Summary of TOSNAC Assistance

Support to Maniilaq Association took many forms, including several phone consultations, conference calls, on-site meetings with Tribal Environmental Program Directors and staff, joint conference attendence, development of fact sheets and training material and networking services to help build tribal capacity and develop a communication framework among EPA, State and University contacts. The TOSNAC Coordinator helped to coordinate three trainings sponsored by the Maniilaq Association that were attended by tribal community members from within the Northwest Arctic Borough, as well as from other Alaskan tribal regions and representative service organizations.

In June 2003, the TOSNAC Coordinator along with a team of environmental and tribal law experts visited the Maniilaq Association Administrative and Tribal Environmental Protection Department offices to discuss development of the tribal comprehensive environmental plans. During a two-day stay in the village of Noatak, visitors learned about value and importance of Inupiat subsistence lifestyles, as well the fragility of the Noatak community’s relationship with the natural environment in the face of heavy metals contamination concerns.

Maniilaq Association sponsored three regional environmental workshops related to environmental justice, risk assessment, and tribal environmental law. The TOSNAC Coordinator assisted with training coordination and planning efforts and also provided speaker, facilitation and moderation services during the workshops. TOSNAC training contributions for the events are listed below.

Maniilaq Tribal Association, Environmental Justice Workshop, Kotzebue, AK, March 5-7, 2001. TOSNAC Outreach and Tribal Toxic Health Issues in Mining.

Maniilaq Association, Risk Assessment: An Introduction, Anchorage, AK, Sept. 2-7, 2002. Technical Outreach and Tribal Cultural Risk from the Heart.

Maniilaq Association, Environmental Ordinances and Tribal Law Workshop, Anchorage, AK, June 3-5, 2003. Roundtable Discussion Session Facilitation and Workshop Moderator for entire conference.