Northwest Arctic Borough, AK

Moderate Risk (45/100)

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 Northwest Arctic Borough in Alaska · Population: 7,611

TRI sites such as Red Dog Operations; Crowley Kotzebue Bulk Fuel Facility; SDWIS systems such as KOTZEBUE MUN. WATER SYSTEM; SELAWIK SAFEWATER FACILITY; NOORVIK WATER SYSTEM anchor Northwest Arctic Borough, AK's EPA extract. Derived burden score 45/100 (Moderate 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 Northwest Arctic Borough include KOTZEBUE MUN. WATER SYSTEM; SELAWIK SAFEWATER FACILITY; NOORVIK WATER SYSTEM, while Red Dog Operations leads reported TRI pounds among local Form R filers. No AQS county monitors report here.

Burden score 45/100 (Moderate 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 Northwest Arctic 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 Northwest Arctic Borough, AK: EPA TRI 2023 reporting year

2022 → 2023

Same facilities, both years

+17.1%

2 facilities that filed in 2022 and 2023

Whole inventory

+17.1%

658.7 million lb → 771.3 million lb, every facility that filed

  • Northwest Arctic Borough, AK's total reported releases rose from 658.7 million lb in 2022 to 771.3 million lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
  • Northwest Arctic Borough, AK's air releases fell from 107.3 thousand lb in 2022 to 36.8 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
  • Northwest Arctic Borough, AK's land releases rose from 658.6 million lb in 2022 to 771.3 million lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
  • Northwest Arctic Borough, AK's chemicals reported rose from 19 in 2022 to 20 in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
County population (Census ACS)
7,611
TRI Facilities
2
Water Systems
11
Superfund Sites
0
Total Releases
3.34B lbs

Water Systems (11)

System System pop (SDWIS) Violations
KOTZEBUE MUN. WATER SYSTEM 3,234 135
SELAWIK SAFEWATER FACILITY 846 72
NOORVIK WATER SYSTEM 735 9
BUCKLAND WATER SYSTEM 600 130
NOATAK COMMUNITY WATER SYSTEM 485 0
KIANA WATER SYSTEM 455 7
KIVALINA WATER SYSTEM 452 106
SHUNGNAK WATER SYSTEM 299 10
AMBLER COMMUNITY WATER SYSTEM 261 5
DEERING UTILITY SYSTEM 160 127
KOBUK WATER SYSTEM 93 54

TRI Facilities (2)

# Facility Total Releases
1 Red Dog Operations 3.34B lbs
2 Crowley Kotzebue Bulk Fuel Facility 2.8K lbs

Cities in Northwest Arctic Borough (11)

Kotzebue
2 facilities · 1 water
Ambler
0 facilities · 1 water
Buckland
0 facilities · 1 water
Deering
0 facilities · 1 water
Kiana
0 facilities · 1 water
Kivalina
0 facilities · 1 water
Kobuk
0 facilities · 1 water
Noatak
0 facilities · 1 water
Noorvik
0 facilities · 1 water
Selawik
0 facilities · 1 water
Shungnak
0 facilities · 1 water

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the environmental risk level in Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska?
Northwest Arctic Borough, AK has an environmental risk score of 45/100 (Moderate Risk), based on 2 TRI facilities, 0 Superfund sites, and 11 water systems on record. 10 water systems have health-based violations. Source: EPA TRI, SDWIS, and Superfund NPL.
Are there Superfund sites in Northwest Arctic Borough?
No Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) sites are currently registered in Northwest Arctic Borough, AK in the EPA database.
How many toxic release facilities are in Northwest Arctic Borough?
Northwest Arctic Borough, AK has 2 TRI-reporting facilities on record with the EPA Toxic Release Inventory, with a combined total of 3.34B lbs in reported toxic releases. TRI facilities self-report annual chemical release data to the EPA.
What is the air quality in Northwest Arctic Borough?
Air quality monitoring data (EPA AQS) is not available for Northwest Arctic Borough, AK. This may indicate no EPA monitoring stations are located in the county. For regional air quality data, see the state environmental profile or visit EPA's AirNow.gov.
Is the drinking water safe in Northwest Arctic Borough?
Northwest Arctic Borough, AK has 11 EPA-regulated water systems. 10 systems have reported health-based violations (MCL exceedances). A past violation does not necessarily mean water is currently unsafe. For current water quality, contact your local water utility. Source: EPA SDWIS.
What environmental agencies cover Northwest Arctic Borough?
Environmental compliance in Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska is overseen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at the federal level and the Alaska state environmental agency. Facilities report to the EPA Toxic Release Inventory, water systems are regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act, and contaminated sites are managed under the Superfund program. Contact your state environmental agency for local concerns.

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.

Related

Data sourced from U.S. EPA environmental datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainEnviro