The Red Dog Mine near two Alaska Native villages released 487 million pounds of toxic chemicals in 2003, the Environmental Protection Agency reported on Wednesday.

The world's largest zinc mine contributed to Alaska's overall toxic release inventory, or TRI, of 540 million pounds. This makes Alaska the nation's number one polluter.

Alaska Natives in the villages of Noatak and Kivalina are concerned about contamination from the mine. Studies have put their food supply at high or low risk, depending on the source of the information.

Get the Story:
Mine poisons Alaska EPA listing (The Anchorage Daily News 5/12)
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2003 Toxics Release Inventory Shows Continued Decline in Chemical Releases (EPA 5/11)

EPA TRI Reports
2003 Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Data Files

Related Reports:
State Division of Public Health: Subsistence Foods Safe In Communities Near Red Dog | Alaska Community Action on Toxics: Red Dog and Subsistence: Analysis of Reports on Elevated Levels of Heavy Metals in Plants Used for Subsistence Near Red Dog Mine, Alaska

Relevant Links:
EPA Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) program - http://www.epa.gov/tri/report

Related Stories:
State assures Alaska Natives that food is safe (07/30)
Mine said to contaminate subsistence foods (06/10)
Supreme Court affirms EPA role in Alaska mine (01/22)
Supreme Court hearing Alaska mine permit case (10/08)
Supreme Court accepts Alaska mine permit appeal (02/25)
Alaska mine target of $60 million suit (09/20)
Village buoyed by court ruling on mine (7/31)
Alaska Natives to sue over mine damage (7/18)