ALASKA'S NEWSPAPER

| Updated: 3:50 AM

Sen. Begich visits troops in Afghanistan

Sen. Mark Begich meets with Marika Steenblock from Petersburg at Camp Leatherneck January 14, 2012 in Afghanistan's Helmand Province.

Alaska Sen. Mark Begich visits Afghanistan in mid-January, meeting Alaska-based military personnel from Fort Wainwright's 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division in mid-January.

Coast Guard icebreaker escorts tanker through Bering Sea ice

The Russian-flagged tanker Renda steams toward Nome, Alaska, through a path in the Bering Sea ice broken up by the Coast Guard Cutter Healy Jan. 6, 2012.

A Russian tanker carrying fuel for an iced-in Nome that without a delivery could run out of crucial supplies before winter's end encountered ice early Friday in the eastern Bering Sea and was escorted by the Coast Guard Cutter Healy Friday, Jan. 6, 2012. Read more

SOLDIER PROFILES

Alaska's Fallen Soldiers

Running list of profiles of Alaskan, or Alaska-based, soldiers who have died since 2003.

Water at local military bases declared safe to drink

FLUSH PIPES: Officials say to run all taps for 15 minutes before use.

Defense officials announced Thursday evening that it is safe to drink tap water at Fort Richardson and Elmendorf Air Force Base.

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For about two days, the water supply for the two bases was contaminated with excessive amounts of fluoride.

Starting Wednesday morning, base officials warned people who live and work at the two installations against drinking, brushing their teeth or cooking with the tap water.

In a press release issued at 5 p.m. Thursday, Elmendorf officials said people at home at both facilities should turn on all of their hot and cold water taps and allow them to run for 15 minutes to flush out any old water that remains in the pipes.

The faulty equipment that caused the fluoride contamination has been removed from service, according to the Elmendorf release.

Fort Richardson Water Treatment Plant workers discovered early Wednesday morning that the level of fluoride in the water exceeded the state's safety threshold. That threshold for fluoride is 4 parts per million but the water contained as much as 11 parts per million, a utility official said.

The water is now testing below 2 parts per million, defense officials said Thursday evening.


Find Elizabeth Bluemink online at adn.com/contact/ebluemink or call 257-4317.

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