Clean air advocates say they’re disappointing that local and state regulators haven’t made more progress in getting the Fairbanks North Star Borough’s air-quality program up and going.
Energy & Mining
Filmmaker hikes, floats remote cross-border river
An Anchorage filmmaker hiked and floated the Unuk River from British Columbia’s interior to northeast of Ketchikan, documenting an area downstream of several mining projects.
B.C. OKs another mine near AK border
British Columbia recently granted provisional environmental approval to the Brucejack mine project, putting another gold mine upstream from Southeast Alaska a step closer to opening.
As legislature passes gasline bill, feud with governor continues
The Alaska Legislature has passed a bill meant to keep Gov. Bill Walker from spending money on an alternate gasline proposal.
26th anniversary of Exxon spill prompts anti-Shell protest at White House
Their message was less about Exxon and tanker safety than it was about Shell and its plans to drill in the Chukchi Sea.
Mount Polley disaster prompts new requirements for B.C. tailings dams
The British Columbia Environmental Assessment Office announced Thursday it’s adding information requirements for mines undergoing environmental review to ensure the safety of new tailings facilities.
Proposed Arctic drilling regs take holistic look at safety
The heads of the two federal agencies in charge of off-shore oil and gas drilling visited Alaska last week to discuss proposed safety regulations for drilling in the Arctic.
State considers B.C. mines as promoters plan visit
A new Walker-Mallott administration working group is addressing British Columbia’s mining boom near its border with Alaska. But the group is not ready to take the stands mine critics hope for.
Sec. Jewell on the Hot Seat in Murkowski’s Committee
Murkowski used the occasion to bash Jewell for recent department decisions blocking oil development on the North Slope.
Walker seeks to scale up state gasline project
Walker would like to substantially grow the Alaska Stand Alone Pipeline project, so the state could sell gas to Asian buyers, too.