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Koyukuk Old Power Plant

Site Location

DEC Contaminated Sites contact: Nick Waldo, Project Manager, 907-465-5270 (Juneau)

Site Narrative

  • Requested by the Koyukuk Tribal Council
Old Power Plant in Koyukuk

Old Power Plant in Koyukuk

The old power plant (generator building) in Koyukuk is abandoned and occupying valuable space in the village. In January and March of 2002, two separate overfills of the generator day tank occurred when the automatic shut-off malfunctioned. During the first spill, diesel fuel spurted out the vent pipe in the roof of the building, saturating the walls and the ground under the structure. The volume of fuel spilled was estimated to be approximately 500 gallons each time.

The location is a concern because it is across the street from the school, washeteria, and primary water source for the village. This also makes the property a potential candidate for a new clinic, because it needs to be close to the water supply.

Our work entailed development of an environmental management plan for the property, to determine what local resources might be available for remediation and management of the contamination. This effort is in coordination with the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council, which has assisted with development of a community action plan for the site.