Solid Waste Solutions in Rural Alaska::
Additional Success Stories from Rural Alaska:

Kotlik - Using best management practices for burning waste and minimizing purchase and generation of toxic materials.

Contact:
   Victor Tunuchuk
   victor_aknative05@yahoo.com

The population of Kotlik is 616. They made their own burnbox from several tanks, dismantled, brought across river, reassembled. They successfully banned Styrofoam in their store and plastic bags.

Building a burnbox with existing materials:

Kotlik used a 1500 gallon stove oil tank. They started the homemade burnbox on Sept 5 2006 and finished it in approximately one week. Then they spent another week to bring it across the river and put together.

The tank was in the middle of town and a certified welder (local) and a helper cut the tank into 6 pieces and they brought the pieces down to the river and brought it across the river in an aluminum skiff. The welder then put the pieces together on the other side with the welding equipment.

If there was a road and equipment it would've been easier. They are in wet and swampy land and they had to do it all by hand. If they had heavy equipment it would've been easier too.

On the burnbox in the middle, at the top, there is a chimney. At the front of the burnbox, there is a door. People throw their trash in and after burning someone will remove the ashes from the tank. It's open on one side only. Victor Tunuchuk Sr. and Pius Akaran came up with the design. They saw a video on a seven generation's course (that showed a tank and stack and door). They went back to their community and described the video and came up with the design.

This project was funded by the Bill Moore Slough's Elder council, the City, and IGAP. (the City of Kotlik donated funds to IGAP for the project). The costs included labor for two workers, and the gas for the boat was paid by Bill Moore Slough's Elder council.

The City donated the tank as well. Initially there was some stove oil that needed to be pumped out. They pumped it into a tank and they took the stove oil home to use.

They are now building another one.