This paper was written as part of the 2004 Alaska Ocean Sciences
Bowl high school competition. The conclusions in this report are
solely those of the student authors. Effects of Open Landfills
on an Arctic Community Table of Contents While it is hard to
find a place more wild and undisturbed as the arctic, there are
concerns that must be dealt with to make sure that its beauty is
maintained. One of the most important of these issues is the
handling of solid waste. For too long arctic communities have
relied on practices such as open dumpsites and unregulated
burning that have only compounded and delayed the solution of
how to rid our communities of solid waste. While villages in the
arctic pose several problems that are unique to such climates,
such as the presence of permafrost and limited disposal sites
(Mac Arthur, 1997), they also offer a chance for our communities
to lead the way in reduction of solid waste. The process should
begin as the history and the practices of the past are reviewed
and discussed