SWAN - Solid Waste Alaska Network

This is a topic we will be building on. In 2005 we are working on gathering sample Alaska Village Ordinances and ideas on preparing and enforcing your own ordinances. If you don’t find what you want here, keep checking back. Also, please contact us to let us know what you would like to see here!

“An ordinance is a statement of what’s acceptable or not acceptable in your community. Since the ordinance becomes the local law, it should be written clearly so that everyone understands it. An enforceable ordinance is:

*From Association of Village Council Presidents, Inc. (1998)"Landfills in the Bush: A Guide to Opening, Maintaining, and Closing Remote Solid Waste Sites"

Burning trash

Hazardous waste disposal

Operation and maintenance

Enforcement (fines for littering etc.)

What to do with animal carcasses

Recycling program

Littering in the Village

Dumpsite access

Landfill/dump site protection against flooding

Community education

Establishing rates and fees

Pollution of beaches and riverbanks

Location of landfill/dump site

Pollution clean up responsibilities: individuals and businesses

Illegal dumping

Construction & Demolition debris from local projects

City of Mountain Village, Alaska - Solid Waste Ordinance
Mountain Village developed a general ordinance for public health, safety, and welfare. Within their ordinance they dedicated a chapter to solid waste. To view their solid waste ordinance, click here or below on the drum. (From appendix in "Landfills in the Bush: A Guide to Opening, Maintaining, and Closing Remote Solid Waste Sites").

Native Village and City of White Mountain – Litter Law and Ordinance
White Mountain passed a litter law which established a $300 fine if caught littering in public. White Mountain also passed a dog ordinance which states that no dogs under 3 months are allowed to run loose in the community (puppies love to scatter trash!).

If you would like to contact White Mountain to ask about how they developed their litter laws, call Nora Brown at 638 3411.

Louden Tribal Council – Hunting Snow Birds (Plastic Bag Ban)

Louden passed a resolution prohibiting their three local stores from using plastic shopping bags (those pesky white bags end up everywhere!). To promote community acceptance of the ban, Louden used a 1999 EPA grant to purchase $2,000 worth of canvas shopping bags for people to use instead of the plastic ones. To read more about how they developed their ban, click on this link: http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/tribal/thirds/galena.htm

If you would like to contact Louden to ask about how they developed their plastic bag ban call Cindy Pilot, Director, Louden Tribal Council Environmental Department, at 907 656-1711.

Native Village of Tanana - Contact: Kathleen Peters-Zuray 366-7160
Aleut Community of St. Paul Island - Contact: Faith Rukovishnikoff 546- 3234
New Stuyahok Village Council - Contact: 693-3173

Selawik has a section in their solid waste Operation and Maintenance Plan which regulates disposal of construction and demolition wastes from contracted projects. Before a construction project starts in the community, contractors must submit a waste disposal plan to the supervising local government that oversees the project. The plan must include a time schedule for waste generation, an estimate of the type and amount of wastes expected, and the proposed procedure for disposal. Any hazardous wastes must be shipped out at the contractor’s expense. Other wastes can be discarded at the facility, stored for salvage and re-use, or shipped out.

The Selawik IRA Environmental Department (as managers of the SWM program) must approve the plan and monitor project compliance. Wastes that are discarded at the facility will be subject to a per volume fee commensurate with the proportionate cost incurred for proper site closure, shortened facility life span, and staff monitoring time. Reusable wastes will be charged on a sliding scale basis, depending on their relative value to the community.

If you would like to contact Selawik to ask about their C&D regulations, call Raven Sheldon at 484 2006.

Igiugig Tribal Council - Contact: Dan Salmon 533 3211
Newhalen Tribal Council - Contact: Ron Wassile 571 1720

ITCA Model Tribal Solid Waste Management Code
The Inter Tribal Council Of Arizona (ITCA) developed a sample “fill in the blank” Tribal solid waste management code. It provides a generic code which Tribes can customize to suit their own situations and then enact. It is designed to be comprehensive, covering many areas of solid waste management, such as recycling, landfill design and operation, and collection and transportation of solid waste. Note: Sections of this sample code may not be relevant to SWM in Alaska Native Villages.

To view the sample swm code, click below on the link:
www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/tribal/pdftxt/itc10746.txt