2008 Alaska Park Science Symposium
October 14, 2008
Heavy Metal Pollution in Cape Krusenstern National Monument: Monitoring and Assessment along the Red Dog Mine Haul Road
Peter N. Neitlich1
1National Park Service, 41A Wandling Road, Winthrop, WA, 98862, USA, Phone 509-996-3917, Peter_Neitlich@nps.gov
The Red Dog Mine, the world's largest zinc mine, transports millions of tons of Zn and Pb concentrates across 32 km of National Park Service lands to reach its shipping port. In 2001 the National Park Service released a report describing patterns of heavy metal pollution in Cape Krusenstern National Monument (CAKR), Alaska. Pb, Cd, and Zn originating from haul trucks and other vehicles was found to be widely dispersed within CAKR, but levels decayed logarithmically as a function of distance from the haul road. Since that time, NPS and USGS have done several studies on impacts to vegetation and sublethal effects on fauna. Significant impacts to lichen species and communities were observed out to 1000 m from the haul road, and a contaminant profile was created to predict damage on lands not surveyed based on modeled deposition levels. Areas along the border zone in Noatak National Preserve--10 km from the Red Dog Mine Site--are at the lowest threshold values at which damage may occur. Effects on birds and small mammals were restricted to sublethal effects and were consistent with the results of a large risk assessment commissioned by the mine. NPS also conducted a remeasurement of contaminant levels, finding significant decreases along most of the haul road corridor. These decreases are most likely due to dust control measures implemented by the mine. A current Environmental Impact Statement supplement will develop alternatives which are likely to affect the future of fugitive dust deposition in CAKR.
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