The first “Blob” decimated fisheries, caused a mass seabird die-off and spurred toxic algal blooms up and down the coast. As Alaska braced for the second heat wave, it disappeared — at least for now.
Alaska
Alaska lawmakers seek oversight over ferry fleet’s fate
A three-line piece of legislation would prohibit the state of Alaska from selling, transferring or disposing of a state ferry without express approval by lawmakers.
Cruise ships dumped more than 3 million pounds of trash in Juneau last year
Juneau’s landfill managers say it took over 3.3 million pounds of trash from cruise ships in 2019, up from 1.8 million pounds in 2018. That concerns some in Juneau, since the landfill is expected to be full in 20 years.
Alaska state lawmaker wants to name new icebreaker ‘Polar Bear’
An Alaska state representative wants the federal government to name one of its new polar icebreakers the Polar Bear, in a nod to a historic American vessel.
Lawmakers, Alaska Permanent Fund trustees differ on how to protect reserve
Alaska’s legislative leaders say the state’s ability to spend down fund earnings is a political dilemma, at a time when Gov. Mike Dunleavy and some legislators want to pay back the amounts PFDs have been cut.
With no ferries to haul waste, Southeast Alaska’s septic tank problem could get messy
Not all rural communities have normal sanitation systems like city sewer and water treatment plants: They rely on septic systems that need to get pumped periodically. And while the Alaska Marine Highway System is closed, pump trucks can’t get to some small towns that rely on them.
Dramatic ocean changes are coming ‘a couple decades too early,’ scientists say
One researcher says now is a key time for studies on Arctic Ocean conditions, before hotter temperatures from climate change become the new normal.
Anxiety creeps into oil-dependent Alaska as banks step back from Arctic investment
Development in the Arctic is booming as the global climate warms and ice melts. But environmental opposition has come along with it, making some big banks like Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase more reticent about investing.
Rescuers called yet again to the site of the ‘Into the Wild’ bus
Officials say they rescued five Italian tourists from “the Bus” — that’s the old Fairbanks city bus made infamous by Christopher McCandless.
Coast Guard workers detect high levels of hazardous gas at Foodland, prompting evacuation
Two U.S. Coast Guard employees were shopping at Foodland when gas meters they happened to be carrying detected high levels of hazardous gas.