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Description
The Nahku Ore Terminal is located on a 7-acre parcel of waterfront land at the southern end of Skagway at the White Pass Basin of Lynn Canal. The operations at the Nahku Ore Terminal began with the landowner, the City of Skagway, leasing the waterfront land to the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad ( White Pass) in 1967. The Terminal was created by dredging the harbor and using the marine spoils (granite-based alluvial soils – coarse sand to gravel) as fill. By 1969, the terminal had been constructed and White Pass began transporting ore from the Cypress Anvil Mine in Faro, Yukon Territory.
Ore concentrate from the Yukon Territory was loaded onto freighters and barges at the terminal from 1967-1993, with brief interruptions from 1982-1986 and 1995-1997. Approximately 50,000 tons of low-grade zinc (60%) and lead (40%) ore concentrate from the Faro Mine passed through the terminal each month. Ore was transported to the terminal by railcars operated by White Pass until 1982, and then by trucks operated by Yukon Alaska Transportation from 1986-1993. Ore was loaded onto freighters and barges every two weeks on an open conveyor system until 1991 when the system was enclosed during a major renovation of the entire terminal.
Curragh Resources purchased mining operations from Cypress Anvil Mine in 1986 and leased the terminal and land from White Pass. The Bowhead Equipment Company (Bowhead) operated the facility from 1986-1993.
The Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA) purchased the lease on the property and the terminal facilities from White Pass. The facility shut down in 1993 and then was operated by Mineral Services, Inc. for 16 months in 1995-1997.
Public Health and Environmental Concerns
Contaminants of concern are lead sulfide, zinc, arsenic, mercury, and cadmium. In 1988, high levels of ore concentrate were found at several locations, including: 1) along the White Pass railroad tracks; 2) White Pass railroad yard; 3) Nahku Ore Terminal facility; 4) Residential properties along State Street and south of 4 th Avenue; and 5) White Pass Basin marine sediments.
In 1989, DEC conducted a Preliminary Assessment and signed separate Compliance Orders by Consent with Bowhead and White Pass. From 1988-1990, White Pass and Bowhead conducted uplands investigation and cleanup which included: street and residential yard cleanups, train track cleanup, and terminal yard cleanup. In 1992, DEC conducted a Site Investigation at the site. In 1995, AIDEA conducted a Baseline Environmental Assessment of the uplands and the marine units.
Contaminated harbor sediments are the main concern at this time. Multiple studies have been conducted over the past two decades. Robinson-Wilson and Malinkey (1982), Dobrocky Seatech (1986), Steffen, Robertson, and Kirsten (SRK) (1989), Tetra Tech (1990a), and Dames and Moore (1995) documented elevated levels of various metals in the harbor. Tetra Tech (1990b) also prepared a Seafood Risk Assessment which assessed health effects associated with human consumption of local seafood.
Current Status
DEC is working with potentially responsible parties to have all prior marine studies reviewed. The results of this review will enable DEC to identify the “data gaps” - what additional sampling must occur, if any.
More Information
None currently.
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