Jacob Resneck, CoastAlaska

For the cruise industry, scrubbers are a way to save money by allowing ships to burn cheaper, dirtier fuels. But the toxic chemicals removed from smokestack exhaust don’t just disappear.

Alaska lawmakers are considering a bill that would expand testing and regulations for PFAS chemicals in drinking water, which has been linked to cancer and other serious health conditions.

Borough staff have expressed caution, noting that wood pellet boiler projects have not always performed as well as anticipated.

The state said Tuesday that four parties have expressed interest in the Malaspina, a mainline ferry that’s been a mainstay of the fleet since the 1960s.

State officials say their preference would be for the 59-year-old vessel to remain in Alaska.

The new board tasked with revitalizing Alaska’s state-run ferry system met for the first time on Feb. 11.

The U.S. Navy says its warships will need more room to maneuver during next year’s military exercises in the Gulf of Alaska.

A DOT spokesperson said Friday that the Tazlina will be in action in February and March, serving Angoon, Gustavus, Hoonah, Haines and Skagway from its base in Juneau.

State and federal game managers set a 30-day hunting and trapping season that closed Dec. 15.

Eight decades after the fact, the federal government plans to spend $2.2 million to clean up a contaminated former army site on Kruzof Island near Sitka.