page_title: Kuluk Bay
section_title: Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination
hierarchical_section_title: Kuluk Bay / Contemporary military activity / Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination
caption_attribution_description: English: A clump of blue mussels, Mytilus edulis, on a rock in Cornwall, UK.
context_page_description: Kuluk Bay also known as Khulukh Bay is a small bay located at 51°52′30″N 176°33′47″W on the northeastern side of Adak Island, one of the larger Andreanof Islands of the Aleutian Islands. The bay is significant for its ecology, role in the Second World War, and various examples of contemporary military and administrative action regarding the bay. Kuluk Bay borders the most developed portion of Adak Island; on its western coast lie the industrial and residential areas of the settlement of Adak. Kuluk Bay is also important for recreation on Adak Island, since beach combing and other beach activities are common on its sandy western shore.
  Adak’s coastline is characterized by steep downward slopes which continue well offshore; leading to extreme depth increase in Sweeper Cove and Kuluk bay with distance from the shoreline. In Adak, ground water is not typically used as a source of drinking water. Among other reasons, ground water may not be used because it is believed that Adak island’s fresh ground water overlies saltwater which enters the aquifer from the adjacent depths of Kuluk bay and Sweeper Cove.
  Fishing, for a variety of species, is another common activity in Kuluk Bay.
context_section_description: From 1999 through 2011, the United States Navy has sampled polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) levels in both Kuluk bay, and sweeper cove within Kuluk bay. The sampling references a type of fish, rock sole, and a type of shellfish, blue mussel, in order to measure the reflected environmental levels of PCBs within the area.
  The sampling of PCB levels took place as a part of the Superfund law (CERCLA). Rock sole and blue mussel were chosen because they are common and readily available sources of seafood on Adak island. After testing, both rock sole and blue mussel were found to contain relatively high amounts of PCBs. As a result, an advisory to limit consumption of either species from Sweeper Cove or Kuluk bay went into effect.
  After initially monitoring PCB levels for 5 years, in 2003 a decision was made by the United States Navy to monitor PCB levels every other year until 2009; this date was extended to 2011 and then again to 2013 after further samples were collected and examined. As of February 2012, following cleanup of potential contaminants, facilitated by the US Navy, PCB contamination was expected to decrease slowly with time.
  Throughout the documented course of study, average levels of PCBs were shown to decrease gradually from their initial high in 1999; however as of 2012 had not decreased below the benchmark maximum concentration of 6.5 ppb (parts per billion) of PCBs. The study also noted that PCB levels were highest in Kuluk bay’s sweeper cove, near which contaminants existed with relative proximity.
caption: Blue mussel clump
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