Why students and scientists spend summer on ice
The Juneau Icefield Research Program has been around for 70 years. First, exploring the icy expanse. And later, tracking the rate Southeast glaciers are shrinking.
Offshore lease schedule for Beaufort draws flak
Democrats in Congress are sounding the alarm about the Interior Department's efforts to hold an offshore oil lease sale in the Beaufort Sea next year. Listen now
Hilcorp CEO steps down
Hildebrand is known for being among the wealthiest people in the world, with a net worth of $7.6 billion, according to Bloomberg. Listen now
Fracking in Alaska: Who should weigh in?
The state agency that oversees oil and gas drilling held a hearing Thursday, Dec. 15 on whether more public input is needed when a company wants to start hydraulic fracturing in Alaska. Environmental groups say this would allow more transparency, while the industry argues there are already enough rules to make sure hydraulic fracturing is safe. It’s up to the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (AOGCC) to decide who is right.
State monitoring spill at Tesoro pipeline facility near Cook Inlet
Workers at a Tesoro facility on the Kenai Peninsula are cleaning up contaminated soil and snow after more than 120 gallons of oily water spilled out of a pipeline near Cook Inlet. The company notified the state of the spill at its Kenai Pipeline Facility on Dec. 18. Listen Now
From permafrost to polar bears, draft report evaluates Alaska gasline’s environmental impact
The report concludes the $43 billion export project could have significant impacts on the environment — but would be a boost for state and local economies
Top four gubernatorial candidates voice support for Donlin mine
Walker, who is running for re-election as an independent, and three other top gubernatorial candidates have pledged support for the Donlin mine, which would be the one of the biggest gold mines in the world. Listen now
What is Alaska LNG? Part 2: Meet the liquifaction plant
If it goes forward, the Alaska LNG project is expected to cost a whopping $45-$65 billion -- and roughly half of that cost would be a giant liquefaction plant. APRN's Rachel Waldholz visited an LNG plant, to find out what all the fuss is about.
Legislature releases audit of Alaska’s gasline corporation
Auditors found that, generally, the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation has followed the restrictions placed on spending the $480 million it has gotten from the state over the last eight years.
Statoil will exit Alaska, following Shell
Norwegian oil company Statoil said Tuesday (Nov. 17) that it will end exploration efforts in the Chukchi Sea and close its Anchorage office. The decision comes just two months after Shell ended its quest to drill in the Arctic Ocean, citing disappointing results at its first well.
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Renewable energy competition wants Alaskans to ‘fail fast’ to eventually find ‘gold’
In late March, Volt49's organizers assigned a unique challenge related to renewable energy in Alaska to four teams across the state, and they have had five weeks to solve it. Listen now
Six Y-K Delta communities clean up household waste with help from Donlin Gold
This is the first time that the Green Star program has helped out in the Y-K Delta. Before then, villages stored household waste in a container and waited for the barges to come in the spring. Listen now
In Newtok, residents worry the encroaching river will destroy a way of life
When the river takes the first houses, the village could start to scatter. And Newtok’s blend of the modern and traditional could erode away with the land. Listen now
Alaska law says lobbyists can’t fundraise for candidates. But the invitations keep coming
Some of Alaska’s most prominent lobbyists are boosting the fundraising efforts of political candidates, prompting questions about whether they’re breaking a state law that’s designed to limit lobbyists’ influence over the legislative process. Listen now
Eruptions can’t stop sealife from calling Bogoslof home
Before Bogoslof volcano started erupting, it was a haven for endangered Steller sea lions, fur seals and sea birds. But scientists did not know when and if animals would return to the eastern Aleutian Island. Listen now
Marine heatwaves will cripple salmon, cod and pollock at twice the rate previously predicted, study says
Slight rises in sea temperatures can cause dramatic collapses in the reproduction of some fish and patches of warm water in the Gulf of Alaska can have particularly severe affects for important fish stocks.
Alaska’s warming waters could slow coral growth, impacting fish
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said warming ocean temperatures, due to climate change, could slow the growth of some Alaska coral. In a study released Thursday, scientists warned about the potential impact to fish, which take refuge in thickets of coral. Listen now
Wildlife officials race to trap rogue rat on St. Paul Island
For more than two decades, the Pribilof Islands have had a rat prevention program to keep the island rat-free. During that time, six rats have been killed near the docks, but now one is at large. Listen now
Companies trumpet 1.2 billion-barrel oil discovery on North Slope
The companies behind an already significant oil find on Alaska’s North Slope on Thursday said they’ve confirmed the biggest onshore discovery in the U.S. in three decades. Listen now
Report: Gas line project not competitive without major changes
Alaska’s natural gas pipeline project -- as currently envisioned -- is not competitive and likely cannot succeed in the current market. That’s the conclusion of a report from the outside consulting firm Wood Mackenzie. Listen now