Economy & Environment
Disaster aid has arrived, but Western Alaska’s salmon and crab problems continue
As $216 million in federal aid is flowing to help Alaskans cope with salmon and crab collapses over the past three years, conditions that caused some of the harvest failures persist. The Alaska congressional delegation announced on Friday that the U.S. Commerce Department released the disaster aid. The money is to go to harvesters, processors […]
GOP’s desired work requirements for federal aid would kick roughly 21M from anti-poverty programs
Congressional Republicans’ efforts to slash federal spending by tying work requirements to Medicaid and SNAP would have far-reaching consequences for people with mental health issues, chronic health problems, and some people with disabilities if enacted, policy experts on anti-poverty programs say. They say the work requirements as laid out by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s “Limit, […]
A default on the U.S. debt would be far worse than a government shutdown. Here’s how.
WASHINGTON — A U.S. default on its debt would have a significantly broader impact on federal operations, financial markets and the global economy than recent government shutdowns that have left ordinary Americans largely untouched. While the two have been confused frequently during debate over the debt limit, the federal government has had considerable practice with […]
Alaska lawmakers approve ban on firefighting ‘forever chemicals’ and refrigerants phase-out
The Alaska Legislature has passed a bill requiring the end of use of firefighting foams containing substances known as “forever chemicals” because of their resistance to any natural degradation. Those substances, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, have been generally used by airport fire departments. The PFAS bill requires a switch to alternative foams by […]
Overhaul federal permitting as part of the debt limit deal? Not as easy as it sounds.
Congressional leaders negotiating a deal to avoid a catastrophic default on the nation’s debt are talking about including an overhaul of how the federal government reviews projects for their environmental impact. There is bipartisan support for changes to the lengthy environmental approval process among climate-minded Democrats eager to speed construction of renewable energy projects, as […]
Alaska House follows Senate to pass bill authorizing sale of carbon credits from state land
The Alaska House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a bill that would allow the state to set up a system for using state land to sell carbon-offset credits. The House action amounted to final passage of the bill, which was approved the previous day by the state Senate. The measure, Senate Bill 48, authorizes the […]
Alaskans deserve to know more about companies profiting from our natural resources, like Hilcorp
On June 28, the Alaska Supreme Court will hear arguments on the city of Valdez’s cases related to the Regulatory Commission of Alaska’s approval of the BP-Hilcorp deal. Alaska Supreme Court oral arguments are open to the public and will also be livestreamed. Though the seduction of the summer outdoors is strong, Alaskans need to […]
Rural electric co-ops to get $10.7B in USDA funds for clean energy grants, loans
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will begin to administer two loan and grant programs worth nearly $11 billion to boost clean energy systems in rural areas, administration officials said Tuesday. Congress approved the federal spending — $9.7 billion for a grant and loan program the department is calling the New Empowering Rural America program, or […]
Alaska Senate passes bill to create carbon credits for preserved forest land
The Alaska Senate on Monday unanimously passed a bill that would set up a system for selling credits by preserving forested Alaska land to offset carbon burned or released elsewhere. The carbon-offset credits bill would allow leases of up to 55 years in duration, with payments made to the state by businesses and other entities […]
EPA again proposes power plant carbon rules
The Obama administration’s 2015 Clean Power Plan — intended to cut carbon emissions from power plants — was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court. The Trump administration’s much-criticized replacement, the Affordable Clean Energy rule, derided as a “tortured series of misreadings” of the U.S. Clean Air Act, was also tossed by a federal court. […]
Alaska lawmakers consider using forested lands for money-making carbon credits
Legislators are considering whether Alaska, one of places in the world most transformed by climate change, can be a solution by keeping habitat intact. That is the idea behind an initiative by Gov. Mike Dunleavy, who has introduced and is championing two bills that would put Alaska on the path to what he describes as […]
Alaska trollers will feel pain and unnecessary hardship from ruling on orca lawsuit
As president of Seafood Producers Cooperative, representing nearly 400 fishermen-owners, who reside in California, Oregon, Washington and Alaska, I want to convey our great disappointment and frustration with the recent ruling concerning the Wild Fish Conservancy and their lawsuit directed at our Salmon Troll fleet. SPC and its fishermen-owners have been the premier producers, processors […]