Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK
Transparent derived index from EPA TRI / SDWIS / Superfund extracts: not an official EPA rating. Fixed caps: facilities ≤25 pts (50+ = max), log10 releases ≤25 pts, Superfund ≤25 pts (5/site), health-violation systems ≤15 pts (3/system), high-chemical facilities ≤10 pts. Bands: High ≥60, Moderate ≥30. See methodology. This is a different measure than the EJ Screening score for this county, which ranks it by percentile against other tracked counties rather than against these fixed caps.
Environmental data for Fairbanks North Star Borough in Alaska · Population: 95,555
TRI sites such as Fort Knox Mine; Doyon Utilities Ft Wainwright Ak; US Dod Usaf Eielson Afb Ak; SDWIS systems such as EIELSON - AIR FORCE BASE; UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA - FAIRBANKS; NORTH POLE UTILITIES; NPL sites such as Alaska Battery Enterprises; Arctic Surplus; Eielson Air Force Base anchor Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK's EPA extract. Derived burden score 75/100 (High Risk) uses fixed national caps on density, log release volume, Superfund count, and health-flagged systems - not an official EPA rating.
Health-flagged SDWIS rows in Fairbanks North Star Borough include EIELSON - AIR FORCE BASE; UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA - FAIRBANKS; PIONEER WELLS AT FOX, while Fort Knox Mine leads reported TRI pounds among local Form R filers. AQS median AQI 42 / peak 325 in 2024.
Burden score 75/100 (High Risk) is the only weighted composite on this page. The tables below list every TRI facility, SDWIS system, and Superfund site EPA has on record for Fairbanks North Star Borough -- not just the names called out above -- reproducing the disclosure history as filed, not a current-safety verdict. Extract current as of 2026-08-25.
Release-over-release change
What changed for Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK: EPA TRI 2023 reporting year
Same facilities, both years
+7.5%
10 facilities that filed in 2022 and 2023
Whole inventory
+7.5%
17.1 million lb → 18.4 million lb, every facility that filed
- Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK's total reported releases rose from 17.1 million lb in 2022 to 18.4 million lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
- Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK's water releases fell from 474 lb in 2022 to 294 lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
- Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK's land releases rose from 16.9 million lb in 2022 to 18.2 million lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
- Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK's chemicals reported rose from 39 in 2022 to 40 in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
Air Quality History (2020–2024)
EPA Air Quality Index (AQI) data showing how many days per year fall into each air quality category.
| Year | Good | Moderate | Unhealthy (SG) | Max AQI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 213 (58%) | 128 | 15 | 325 |
| 2023 | 224 (61%) | 109 | 21 | 231 |
| 2022 | 213 (58%) | 105 | 18 | 310 |
| 2021 | 211 (58%) | 120 | 21 | 189 |
| 2020 | 231 (63%) | 98 | 17 | 177 |
Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) Annual AQI by County AQI categories: Good (0-50), Moderate (51-100), Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (101-150), Unhealthy (151-200), Very Unhealthy (201-300), Hazardous (301+)
For real-time air quality readings and pollutant breakdowns in Alaska, see the EPA's AirNow.gov.
Water Systems (11)
| System | System pop (SDWIS) | Violations |
|---|---|---|
| EIELSON - AIR FORCE BASE | 11,870 | 2 |
| UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA - FAIRBANKS | 6,200 | 14 |
| NORTH POLE UTILITIES | 4,005 | 0 |
| PIONEER WELLS AT FOX | 880 | 1 |
| PIONEER WELLS | 600 | 0 |
| SALCHA COMMUNITY WATERING POINT | 508 | 3 |
| DOT & PF FOX WATERING POINT | 350 | 0 |
| FAIRBANKS WATER COMPANY LLC | 325 | 0 |
| TWIN SPRINGS WATER | 310 | 0 |
| NELSON PARK | 80 | 1 |
| WHITE BIRCH APARTMENTS | 72 | 2 |
TRI Facilities (10)
| # | Facility | Total Releases |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fort Knox Mine | 79.4M lbs |
| 2 | Doyon Utilities Ft Wainwright Ak | 976.5K lbs |
| 3 | US Dod Usaf Eielson Afb Ak | 845.3K lbs |
| 4 | Fort Wainwright Main Cantonment | 754.0K lbs |
| 5 | Golden Valley Electric Assoc North Pole Power Plant | 15.7K lbs |
| 6 | Petro Star Inc. North Pole Refinery | 9.8K lbs |
| 7 | Mpc Alaska Terminal Co Llc- North Pole | 8.4K lbs |
| 8 | Aurora Energy LLC | 1.9K lbs |
| 9 | Emulsion Products Co - North Pole Facility | 288 lbs |
| 10 | Brenntag Pacific Inc | 0 lbs |
Superfund Sites (4)
| Site Name | Status | HRS Score |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska Battery Enterprises | Deleted NPL Site | 30.98 |
| Arctic Surplus | Deleted NPL Site | 42.24 |
| Eielson Air Force Base | NPL Site | 48.14 |
| Fort Wainwright | NPL Site | 42.40 |
Cities in Fairbanks North Star Borough (6)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the environmental risk level in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska? ▼
Are there Superfund sites in Fairbanks North Star Borough? ▼
How many toxic release facilities are in Fairbanks North Star Borough? ▼
What is the air quality in Fairbanks North Star Borough? ▼
Is the drinking water safe in Fairbanks North Star Borough? ▼
What environmental agencies cover Fairbanks North Star Borough? ▼
What does this county environmental profile show?
This county environmental profile rolls up EPA Toxics Release Inventory facility reports, Safe Drinking Water Information System public-water-system filings, and Superfund National Priorities List sites for the county boundary defined by the U.S. Census Bureau. Facility counts reflect facilities with a reporting address inside the county, not where downstream environmental effects may be observed. Population figures are from the most recent Census ACS 5-year estimate. The county detail page is updated whenever the upstream EPA programs publish revised data; see the methodology page for the documented ingest cadence and the editorial choices governing how aggregations are computed.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.