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State agencies warn borough of landfill bear hazard, urge corrective action
Summary
Alaska Department of Fish and Game and the Department of Environmental Conservation told the Kodiak Island Borough Assembly the borough landfill has a food-conditioned-bear problem, is out of compliance with state solid-waste rules, and needs upgrades to fencing and corrective action before denning season.
Alaska Department of Fish and Game and Department of Environmental Conservation officials told the Kodiak Island Borough on Sept. 11 that the borough landfill presents a wildlife and public-safety hazard and urged prompt corrective steps.
"We currently have a plan with the wildlife troopers to sometime in late October work with the borough staff to push all the bears out of the landfill," said Nate Sabota, wildlife biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in Kodiak. Sabota said bears have been using the landfill as a food source, that cruise ships have started taking visitors to view the bears, and that the situation is “urgent” because bears will begin denning soon.
Zach Gianotti, who identified himself as a representative of the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation’s solid-waste program, said the landfill is out of compliance with Alaska’s solid-waste regulations and urged the borough to take corrective action. "This is an issue of concern for us because it is causing a threat to the lives of the wildlife... as well as potential hazard for the humans that are active at the landfill," Gianotti said. He said DEC supports upgrades to the facility’s electric bear fence but acknowledged such work requires funding and resources.
Assembly members and borough staff were told DEC had sent a formal letter outlining violations. Borough staff, including manager Amy Williams, were described by Sabota as working with Fish and Game on interim measures but officials said the current steps have not been sufficient to stop food conditioning and safety risks.
Sabota said the department and borough have discussed the potential consequences of pushing bears out of the landfill, including the risk that food-conditioned bears could move into residential areas. Officials said they prefer fixes that reduce attractants at the landfill, including upgraded fencing and improved operational controls, and that the DEC solid-waste program supports those upgrades.
No formal assembly action was recorded at the special meeting beyond accepting the public comments and hearing the agencies’ warnings; DEC and Fish and Game requested the borough allocate resources to implement corrective measures and coordinate an October operation with the troopers.
