Dan Bross, KUAC - Fairbanks
Dan Bross is a reporter at KUAC in Fairbanks.
US Arctic Representative Tours Alaska
The United States Special Representative for the Arctic is visiting Alaska. Retired Coast guard Admiral Robert Papp is charged with managing the country’s entire arctic portfolio. That includes investigation of issues and potential claims to arctic waters off Alaska’s northern coastline.
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Village Fire Crews Heading to Lower 48 to Fight Fires
Alaska village-based firefighting crews are heading south to fight blazes in the Lower 48. Alaska Division of Forestry spokesman Sam Harrel is tracking the deployments, which began over the weekend with crews from the communities of Delta Junction, Kaltag, Fort Yukon, Venetie, Koyukuk and Galena.
ConocoPhillips to Operate New Doyon Drill Rig
Doyon is building a new North Slope oil drilling rig, the Interior Regional Native Corporation will operate for Conoco Phillips.
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Usibelli Submits Coal Bed Methane Plan
Usibelli Coal has submitted a plan to drill coal bed methane exploration wells on state land near Healy. The company is licensed to look for shallow gas on over 200 thousand acres of state and private land in the area, and this is the first action the company has taken.
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Tribal Leaders Discuss Ambler Road
Tribal leaders are gathering interested parties, including state and federal officials, in the village of Allakaket to discuss the state’s proposed road into the Ambler Mining District. Upper Koyukuk River people are concerned about impacts to subsistence resources by the road, and mining development it would bring.
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Fort Yukon Plans New Landfill to Improve Safety, Facilitate More Recycling
The City of Ft. Yukon plans to build a new landfill. The project is aimed at improving safety and recycling some of the community’s waste stream.
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NASA Testing Arctic Sea Ice Monitoring Technology With High-Flying Ex-Spy Plane
NASA is piloting a mission out of Fairbanks with a specialized plane that can fly high enough to test technology destined for satellite applications.
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Fairbanks Wind Energy Battle Continues
A Fairbanks based alternative energy company continues to push Golden Valley Electric Association to buy more of its wind power. Alaska Environmental Power operates a wind farm in Delta Junction, and recently teamed with an Anchorage law firm on a report it hopes will sway utility members.
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Rep. Guttenberg Looks To Jumpstart Fairbanks LNG
State Representative David Guttenberg wants to jumpstart Fairbanks’ conversion to natural gas heating. The state is pursuing a public private project to process North Slope gas and truck it to Fairbanks, but Gutenberg says it faces a familiar problem.
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Fairbanks Rains Approach Record Levels
Scattered rain showers are in the Fairbanks area forecast, and any precipitation that falls will add to local totals that have Fairbanks on track to continue breaking wet weather records.
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Fairbanks Borough Pursuing Drone Park
The Fairbanks North Star Borough wants to set up a special area for companies to develop and test drone aircraft for the military. The project would capitalize on recent year’s state laws aimed at helping woo the defense industry and spur economic development.
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Rainy Weather Continuing Into July
Rain continues to fall across the central and eastern interior as July extends a trend that made June Fairbanks rainiest on record.
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Rain Causing Problems On Interior Roads
The rain is resulting in dangerous driving conditions. State Department of Transportation Northern Region spokeswoman Meadow Bailey says she issued numerous travel advisories this morning.
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UAF Releases Plan For Budget Cuts
The University of Alaska Fairbanks has released a list of budget cuts to be implemented during the new fiscal year. The reductions affect a wide range of programs and services.
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Fairbanks Weathers Wettest June On Record
It’s official. Last month was Fairbanks wettest June on record. National Weather Service meteorologist Benjamin Bartus credits precipitation that began late Monday with taking the total just past the previous record.
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Proposed Army Cutbacks Could Impact Alaska Bases
The U.S. Army is looking at greater cutbacks than previously considered, and there could be Alaska impacts. Ft. Wainwright and Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson are among posts nationwide being considered for reductions as part of the Army’s “2020 Force Structure Realignment.”
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Nenana Bridge Will Provide Access To Agricultural Land
A bridge being built across the Nenana River will open up access to long sought after state agricultural lands.
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Questions Remain Despite Successful Missile Defense Test
A physicist with the Union of Concerned Scientists is calling the Ground Based Midcourse Missile Defense System, less than proven, despite Sunday’s successful test over the Pacific Ocean.
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New Placer Mining Permits Proposed
Interior miners aren’t happy with changes proposed to federal permits for small scale placer operations that impact water resources, including wetlands. Dozens attended an Army Corps of Engineers public meeting in Fairbanks last week on the proposals.
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Fairbanks Area Sees Heavy Rainfall, Flooding
The Fairbanks area has seen some impressive rainfall over the last few days. National Weather Service meteorologist John Lingass reports 2 to 3 inches around Fairbanks, and 3 to 4 inches over the hills northeast of town. The heavy rains are causing flooding along rivers.
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