Crude spill at Valdez Terminal under investigation
According to Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, which operates the terminal, under 200 gallons of oil leaked from two arms used to load crude onto tankers. Listen now
State fines Hilcorp an additional $160K for violations
The state is fining oil and gas company Hilcorp an additional $160,000 for using nitrogen without permission while working on two wells in 2015 — the same practice that nearly killed three North Slope workers. Listen now
This solar farm is built on oil industry money and some recycled drilling pipe
Alaska's first commercial-scale solar farm is about to come online. Its builders say they want to move the world toward cleaner energy sources. But they're not ready to renounce oil and gas just yet. Listen now
Less sea ice means shorter hunting season for polar bears and scientists
Scientists travel into the Arctic every year to study polar bears. It helps them estimate the population. But this year, they had to cut that research short. Melting sea ice is making the task a lot more difficult. Listen now
BLM director visits North Slope
The director of the Bureau of Land Management is visiting the North Slope this week. Over the next two days, director Neil Kornze will meet with Native corporations, local government officials, and community leaders in the region. On Tuesday, Kornze was helping cap two legacy wells south of Barrow. The Simpson Core and Iko Bay were both drilled by the U.S. Navy in the 1950s. They’re among 18 legacy wells the BLM plans to clean up this year.
Ask a Climatologist: Calculating wind chill, then and now
The wind chill dropped to -77 in Arctic Village last week. That’s the coldest wind chill recorded this winter in a populated spot in Alaska. 77 below may sound bitterly cold, but climatologist Brian Brettschneider said its not even close to record territory. Listen now
Italian company submits plan to drill for oil in the Arctic
Italian energy company Eni this month submitted an exploration plan to drill for oil in federal waters in the Beaufort Sea. Listen now
Scientists agree starvation killed hundreds of puffins, but did PSP play a role?
What caused more than 300 puffins to wash up dead in the Pribilof Islands last fall? Starvation. At least, that’s the consensus among most scientists. Listen now
Goat yoga? In Fairbanks, there’s a new animal to flow with: reindeer
“You’ll see the reindeer getting into these amazing poses,” said Jane Atkinson, owner of Running Reindeer Ranch. “And it’s like wow…. Look at this little yoga move that they do!”
Conoco aims to up North Slope production with new drilling rig
ConocoPhillips Alaska has announced plans for a new drilling rig on the North Slope that will more than double the area it can develop from a single drill site. Listen Now
North Slope oil production ticked up again in 2017
Alyeska announced that the pipeline's average throughput went up by about 10,000 barrels per day in 2017 compared to 2016, a 1.5 percent increase. Listen now
At the top of the world, an international field school for research students
Earlier this month, the University of Alaska Fairbanks participated in an international field school in Utqiaġvik, giving early-career researchers a broad view of the Arctic coastal system and how it’s changing, along with some different methods for studying it. Listen now
Feds approve first oil exploration in Arctic federal waters since Shell
It's the first oil exploration in Arctic federal waters since Shell abandoned its campaign in 2015. The company, Eni, aims to begin drilling in December. Listen now
Fish and Game says crab counts were low this season, fishermen disagree
The Bering Sea Bairdi (or Tanner) crab fishery stayed closed this year, for the first time in four years. State biologists decided there were too few crab to safely harvest. But fishermen are questioning that decision. They say there were plentiful Bairdi when they were fishing for other species. Listen now
Did ‘the blob’ heat the Bering Sea enough to threaten your fish sticks?
The blob is gone now, but warm water remains to the north in the Bering Sea. Scientists are pondering potential effects on fish like pollock, which are processed into things like fish sticks and McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish sandwiches. Listen now
On methane, Alaska tells feds to clean up their act first
The Interior Department has proposed new rules aimed at reducing methane emissions from the oil and gas industry.
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Oil and gas tax credit debate rages ahead of legislative session end
The House spent six hours debating oil and gas tax credits Tuesday night. And they’re not done yet – lawmakers will pick up the bill again Wednesday. Download Audio
Activists say ‘keep it in ground’; Jewell calls it simplistic
Hundreds of environmental groups are uniting under a new banner to curtail greenhouse gas emissions. It’s called: “Keep it in the ground.” They’re asking President Obama to stop new petroleum leases on public lands. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell rejected the idea in a meeting with reporters today.
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For now, Hurricane Harvey not expected to impact Alaska’s oil and gas
Hurricane Harvey has caused nearly 100 oil and gas production platforms in the Gulf of Mexico to temporarily shut down, but that drop in production doesn't necessarily translate to a higher demand for Alaska's oil. Listen now
Science program tries to make amends after sending mixed signals to native youth in Y-K Delta
Last year, Jasmine Gil, a young scientist from Bethel who participated in Polaris, said that the group marginalized her project because it relied on traditional knowledge. Now, the organization is trying to make amends. Listen now