The True Story Of Monsters In Barrow, Alaska

There are some strange things going on in the city of Barrow, Alaska, 320 miles north of the Arctic Circle and inspiration for the horror movie 30 Days of Night. Are there vampires? Maybe—a local resident explains those a little later in this article. Are there monsters? It turns out there are.

The monsters aren’t vampires, they’re Muffin Monsters® – sewage grinders made by JWC Environmental in Costa Mesa, California and used to shred, grind and crush trash which finds its way into Barrow’s underground sewage system.

In the movie an oversize Muffin Monster – six times its normal size and with twice as many razor sharp steel cutter teeth – plays a pivotal role in a fight between a vampire and the town’s Sheriff, played by Josh Hartnett. The movie opened in October 2007.

Currently there are six Muffin Monsters protecting Barrow’s Barrow’s pump stations. They grind trash and keep wastewater flowing smoothly in this arctic city where the ground is frozen into rock hard permafrost, according to Tim Russell the Utilidor System Superintendent for Barrow Utilities and Electric Co-op Inc (BUECI). He has overseen the grinders since they were installed in the mid-90s and he manages water distribution, wastewater collection and treatment.