UXO Site selected: Amaknak, AK

General Area: Dutch Harbor, AK

Site Type/Program: FUDS

Location: Dutch Harbor, Alaska consisted of eleven military installation of approximately 188,420 acres. The military installations consisted of the operation Dutch Harbor Naval Base, and other facilities required for harbor protection and support.

Brief History: Dutch Harbor was used primarily to support shipping in the Aleutian campaign and for materials being shipped to the Soviet Union as part of Lend-Lease. The Naval Operating Base (NOB) was defended by an Army Regiment garrisoned at Fort Mears adjacent to the NOB. The Army installations consisted of Air Defense, Coast Artillery and supporting units. The Dutch Harbor facilities were attacked by the Japanese at the start of their campaign to occupy Kiska and Attu. The Naval Facility assisted in the air defense of the harbor and operated an Anti-Aircraft Training Center (AATC) with firing ranges located on the Northwest side of Mount Ballyhoo on Amaknak Island. The Anti-Aircraft Training Center trained large numbers of sailors. During late 1942 and all of 1943 the threat of Japanese use of chemical munitions was considered high. Extensive efforts were made to insure that the gas defensive posture of the facility was as high as possible. This involved a large number of training exercised in protection and decontamination of the facilities. this would involve the use of the war gas identification kits. In 1987 a large number of pigs containing the glass vials of agent (War Gas Identification Kits) were discovered in shallow water near the pier in Captains Bay. At the end of World War II, during close down, the base was provided with a list of ammunition types and lot numbers to be returned to the United States. Unserviceable ammunition and that ammunition not on the list were either consumed in training or destroyed. Ammunition destruction and disposal normally consisted of sea dumping. Problem Identification and Present Status. There has been no records uncovered that indicate that toxic chemical weapons have ever been stored or used in the Dutch Harbor area. However, there is positive evidence that toxic chemical munitions were stored in the Aleutian Islands. Because a large amount of the ammunition going to and from the other Aleutian Islands passed through Dutch Harbor there is a remote possibility that unserviceable munitions were disposed of at Dutch Harbor. The previous recovery, on two occasions, during 1987 of M1 detonation War Gas Identification Sets from the beach area, and from subsequent underwater operations in the vicinity of the old wharf in Captains Bay, gives credence to the fact that additional chemical warfare materials could have been disposed in relatively shallow waters near inhabited areas. There is also substantial past evidence that any conventional ordnance would be expected to occasionally either wash ashore or be discovered on or adjacent to the numerous military installations that formerly composed Unalaska Island Defense Site. In fact, the recovery of unexploded ordnance on Unalaska and neighboring islands should be expected in the future.

Range / Site Description:

Associated Munitions:

Activities Completed: Perform EE/CA in 2 phases. First phase will be site prioritization of land and water sites in and around Amaknak Island. This work will be performed in the summer of 1994. Phase 2 will be collection of field data and writing of the EE/CA report and Action Memorandum. This will be in 1995.

Issues: The project is complete.

Other Information: EE/CA

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