Black bears feasted at Juneau’s dump all summer after the company that owns it took down a portion of the wildlife fence for construction.
That’s according to state officials who say they’ve been working to resolve the issue with Waste Management, the private landfill owner.
Carl Koch, Juneau’s area management biologist at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, said he and others saw large numbers of bears in the dump.
“The max count was about 13 at once,” Koch said. “When we arrived, we saw four in five minutes or so.”
Koch said Fish and Game euthanized four bears that were getting into trash in nearby Lemon Creek neighborhoods this year — which he said seems like more than usual for the area.
Although he said he can’t tie the uptick in euthanizations directly to the open landfill, he said it’s likely related since bears become habituated to eating trash when they have unfettered access.
Zach Gianotti is an environmental specialist in the solid waste program at the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, which allowed the company to take down roughly 100 yards of fence in May so the facility could expand.
“The initial timeline that we were given back in May was that all of this project would be done by September 1,” Gianotti said.
But after an inspection on Wednesday, he said the company is pushing the date, potentially to the end of October, though he doesn’t have that in writing yet.
State officials requested the company put up interim deterrents after an inspection in late August, where they raised concerns about bear activity increasing in the fall as they pack on weight to make it through hibernation.
The latest inspection shows Waste Management complied by installing a temporary electric fence and game cameras. Gianotti said he didn’t see any bears inside on Wednesday.
He said the company should also replace the old fenceline along the adjacent Alaska Electric Light and Power property, which he said has trees growing through it that bears can easily climb.
Gianotti said locals aren’t involved in resolving problems at Juneau’s landfill because it’s privately owned.
“In most other scenarios where we have wildlife issues at solid waste sites, there’s a lot of local engagement because the landfill is owned or operated by the municipality,” Gianotti said. “We don’t have that in Juneau.”
Waste Management did not respond to a request for comment.
