Red Dog Mine, Alaska

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Red Dog Mine is a zinc mine and a census-designated place in the Northwest Arctic Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of 2004, the population of the CDP is 44.

The mine is the world's largest producer of zinc concentrate. It is located on land owned by the NANA Regional Corporation and operated by the commercial mining company Teck Cominco in partnership with NANA. Zinc concentrate taken from the mine is trucked westward to a shipping facility on the Chukchi Sea and stored there until it is picked up. The sea at that latitude is only passable for shipping about 100 days per year.

[edit] Geography

Red Dog Mine is located at 68°4′19″N, 162°52′34″W (68.071989, -162.876044)^GR1. It is in the DeLong Mountains in the Brooks Range about 144 km (90 miles) north of Kotzebue and 88 km (55 miles) from the Chukchi Sea.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 173.2 km² (66.9 mi²), all land.

According to the EPA [1], Red Dog mine releases more toxic chemicals into the environment than any other operation in the United States.

[edit] Demographics

As of 2004, there were 44 people, 4 households, and 3 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 0.2/km² (0.5/mi²). There were 0 housing units at an average density of 0.0/km² (0.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 31.25% White, 65.62% Native American, and 3.12% from two or more races.

There were 4 households out of which 75.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 25.0% were married couples living together, and 0.0% were non-families. No households were made up of individuals and none had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.00 and the average family size was 4.00.

In the CDP the population was spread out with 18.8% from 18 to 24, 62.5% from 25 to 44, 18.8% from 45 to 64, . The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 700.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 700.0 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $0, and the median income for a family was $0. Males had a median income of $0 versus $0 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $34,438. There were no families and 37.9% of the population living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and none of those over 64.