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Old Copper and Gold Mine on Prince of Wales Island Added to Federal Cleanup List

Release Date: 03/03/2010
Contact Information: Contact: Ken Marcy, Office of Environmental Assessment (206) 463-1349, marcy.ken@epa.gov or Caryn Sengupta, Community Involvement Coordinator (206) 553-1275, sengupta.caryn@epa.gov

(Seattle, Wash. — March 2, 2010) The Salt Chuck Mine site has been added to the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Priorities List. Today’s listing makes the site eligible to receive federal funds for long-term cleanup while EPA seeks to recover costs from the responsible parties.

"This Superfund listing will provide a healthier future for Kasaan Bay and for Kasaan Tribal members, local residents and everyone who eats salmon and shellfish from the Bay,” said Dan Opalski, EPA Region 10 Superfund Director. ”We look forward to cleaning up the Salt Chuck Mine site in collaboration with the tribe, the US Forest Service, the state of Alaska and affected stakeholders.”

The Salt Chuck Mine is located on Prince of Wales Island in the Tongass National Forest. Heavy metals from mine tailings have affected water quality and sediments in Lake Ellen Creek and the northern end of Kasaan Bay. Contamination affects the important commercial and subsistence salmon and shellfish fisheries in the bay.

More information on the Superfund National Priorities List is available at: https://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/current.htm

Background information on the Salt Chuck Mine site and other EPA documentation is available at: https://yosemite.epa.gov/R10/CLEANUP.NSF/sites/scm