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Northwest Arctic LEPC
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1. Geographic Location: NORTHWEST ARCTIC BOROUGH. The Northwest
Arctic Borough (NWAB) is comprised of the Kotzebue Sound and cities along the Noatak and
Kobuk Rivers in Northwest Alaska. It is a Home Rule Borough encompassing 35,862 square
miles.
2. Size and Activity: The LEPC Chairman estimates the population at more
than 7000 residents. The Borough population is primarily Eskimo and subsistence lifestyles
are common throughout the area. Activities related to transportation, retail, services,
oil, and minerals exploration and development have contributed to the economy. The Red Dog
Mine and Maniilaq Association are large local employers. Government services provide
nearly half of the employment. Subsistence and craft-making are the primary activities in
the smaller communities of the Borough. One hundred and thirty-five (135)
Borough
residents hold commercial fishing permits.
3. Communities: There are eleven communities in the
Borough’s LEPD. Kotzebue is the largest community, with 3138 residents. Ten of the eleven communities are
2nd Class Cities and Noatak is unincorporated.
4. Hazards Analysis: Moderate Risk TO HIGH RISK. Coastal communities in
the Northwest Arctic Borough LEPD have experienced and remain susceptible to severe flood
and erosion damage from the storm driven waters of the Bering Sea, particularly when an
advancing storm coincides with normal high tides. The communities are exposed to other
disasters, to include ice jam flooding, severe winter storms, major aircraft accidents,
structural fires, and catastrophic failure of electric power generating facilities, which
would be destructive to water and sewage systems during periods of sub-zero temperatures. None of the communities are considered to be in a high risk area for earthquakes and the
danger from tsunamis is also minimal. Additionally, all the villages in the district are
heavy users of fuel and fuel derivatives for vehicles, heating, and power generation. The
high volume of fuel usage, fuel storage, and fuel transit are consistent with a high risk
for spillage. The Red Dog mine is also a major user of hazardous and extremely
hazardous materials in the Borough.
5. Staffing: Volunteer and Community paid. The Northwest Arctic Borough provides two staff members, office equipment, accounting
services, office space, equipment, heat and electricity.
6. Status
of Emergency Planning Process:
| Emergency Operations
Plan |
Yes |
| Initial Hazard
Analysis |
Yes |
| Hazardous Materials
Annex to EOP |
Yes |
7. Plan
focus: All Hazards
8.
LEPC Grant Awards: SFY 2008
| Baseline Grant of |
$11,125.00 |
| Special Project
Grant of |
$0.00 |
10.
Government/Industry Support
or Matches: LOCAL GOVERNMENT SUPPORT. The Northwest Arctic Borough provides two staff members, office equipment, accounting
services, office space, equipment, heat and electricity.
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