News

The top oil lobbyist in Washington DC says Shell Oil should not be hampered by the grounding of the Kulluk. The American Petroleum Institute says Shell Oil should move forward with its Arctic Ocean plans this year.

Services are planned for this afternoon for a Juneau defense attorney who unexpectedly passed away on New Year's Day. Fifty-seven-year old Robert Francis Meachum was a public defender who had worked most recently out of the Dillingham and Juneau offices.

A list of nearly 60 bills and resolutions was released today in preparation for the upcoming legislative session in Juneau. The pre filed bills...

Alaska’s 28th legislature meets in Juneau on Jan. 15. Some legislators have already filed bills in advance of the 90 day session. Democratic Senator Bill Wielechowski of Anchorage has pre-filed a bill that allows active-duty military members who have maintained their Alaska residency while outside the state to retain their Permanent Fund dividend eligibility.

Southeast Alaska was jarred by a significant earthquake early Saturday morning just about midnight. The quake had a preliminary magnitude of 7.5 and originated off the coast of Central Southeast Alaska about 95 miles Northwest of Dixon Entrance. There were no reports of any significant damage or injuries.

Last night (Thursday) Royal Dutch Shell’s vice president for Alaska and two Coast Guard commanders updated the Kodiak Island Borough Assembly on the response to the grounding of the floating drill rig Kulluk. It was the first public briefing made in Kodiak since the rig went hard aground on Sitkalidak Island in a New Year’s Eve storm.

Congress has passed the first of two relief bills for Superstorm Sandy. Money for Alaska was not in it. The Senate passed a $60 billion aid package a couple of weeks ago. Included was more than $60 million to study and prevent marine debris. Also included was $150 million for fishery disasters across the country.

Environmental groups are calling on the Obama administration to stop issuing permits for all offshore drilling in Arctic waters. Shell is leasing wells in the Arctic already, and Conoco’s permits begin in 2014.

A new report by independent oil industry analyst Richard Fineberg alleges mismanagement of the Trans Alaska Pipeline. It centers on recent years incidents in which pigs, mechanical devices used to inspect and clean the inside of the pipeline, failed to show up where operators expected.

Former University of Alaska professor and current oil spill response consultant Rick Steiner says the weather the Kulluk encountered is typical for the Gulf in winter, and he says the problem is that Shell didn’t prepare.

Alaska’s largest commercial fishing group has a new skipper at the wheel. Julianne Curry started today (Weds 1/2) as Executive Director for the United Fishermen of Alaska. Curry grew up in a fishing family and gained statewide prominence as director of the Petersburg Vessel Owners Association. Curry says she has a deep found respect and passion for the industry and wanted to continue her advocacy on a larger scale.

Kikkan Randall once again dominated an event in the Tour de Ski yesterday, winning all heats of the freestyle sprint event. Her rival, Justina Kowalchik of Poland, did not make the final heat. Randall ended up 8.7 seconds ahead of her closest competitor.

The Kulluk grounded on the southeast shoreline of Sitkalidak Island (between the north edge of Ocean Bay and Partition Cove) at approximately 9 p.m. on December 31, 2012. The shoreline of Partition Cove is primarily comprised of mixed sand and gravel beaches. Severe weather conditions continue to impact operations.

As New Year’s Eve approaches, Congress is at an impasse on the so called fiscal cliff, signs point to an agreement on taxes but it’s unclear what will be done about spending cuts.

The Senate passed a disaster relief bill today. Included is money for fishery disasters across the country. Subsistence and commercial fishermen won’t get any money soon, because the House is unlikely to take up the bill.