ANCSA

The Army Corps of Engineers has wrapped up to major cleanup efforts in the Unalaska Valley this summer, with more plans on the way.

Unalaska’s Alaska Native village corporation, Ounalashka Corp., is set to receive $1 million from the federal government to clean up contaminated land. The Ounalashka Corp. said it will use the grant money to remove soils contaminated with PCBs and conduct an initial round of soil and groundwater sampling at a WWII-era warehouse.

A federal judge on Tuesday dismissed a year-old lawsuit by the state of Alaska against the federal government over liability for contaminated land given to Alaska Native corporations under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.

On Saturday, around 300 Unalaskans gathered at the high school gymnasium to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Ounalashka Corporation. Chairman Vince Tutiakoff Sr. spoke about the organization’s growth over the last half-century, and past and present board members were recognized for their service.

The Environmental Protection Agency has stepped up to take the lead in coordinating the cleanup of contaminated lands that were conveyed to Alaska Native communities, according to U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski.

A week after traveling to Unalaska in an effort to spur the government into action, U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski is still waiting for a commitment from the Department of the Interior to coordinate cleanup efforts on contaminated lands conveyed to Alaska Natives.

Dec. 18 marked 50 years since President Nixon signed the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act into law, a groundbreaking event that changed Alaska history forever. To commemorate the 50th Anniversary of ANCSA, Vince Tutiakoff Sr. and AB Rankin reflect on the formation of the Ounalashka Corp., and how Unalaska has changed since its inception.