Raspberry Straight Dumpsite

Site Narrative

• Requested by the Native Village of Afognak

The Raspberry Strait Dumpsite is located on the southernmost tip of Afognak Island bordering Raspberry Strait, approximately 50 feet south of an unimproved trail connecting Back Bay with the Russian settlement of Aleneva. Two timber operations used the site from 1944-1976. However, a site assessment done in 2005 showed no evidence that the timber operations contributed to the dumping. The earliest evidence of the dump on aerial photos was in 2000.

The 2005 site assessment indicated evidence of batteries and petroleum-associated materials such as absorbent pads, used oil filters, and engine parts. The landowner for the site is the Afognak Native Corporation. The community is concerned about the dump because of its proximity to a stream and wetlands. The dump also poses a potential risk to visitors of a tribal shareholders’ lodge nearby.

The Native Village of Afognak would like to return the land to its natural state to protect tribal traditional subsistence use areas and visitors to the area. In addition to the prior assessments, the community has removed some of the debris from the area. They have also engaged with DEC’s Solid Waste Program staff to try to determine the best approaches to safe handling of remaining hazardous substances and materials and compliance with new landfill permitting options for materials that could be managed locally.

DEC’s scope of work is to update the existing assessment and develop planning documents, to help determine whether the site could qualify for federal brownfield cleanup assistance. As a Native corporation, the owner of the site is eligible for an EPA competitive cleanup grant.