Environment

Environmental group to sue EPA to protect polar bears

An environmental group said Wednesday that it plans to sue the federal government to stop approving pesticides that end up in food eaten by polar bears.

Senators plan for climate change tour

U.S. Sen. Mark Begich is planning to bring some senators to Alaska in August for a climate change tour.

Land going to Alaska Natives

The federal Bureau of Land Management has filed public notice to convey more than 554,000 acres to a handful of Alaska village and regional Native corporations.

Climate report devotes chapter to Alaska

Alaska merits a chapter in a new White House report on climate change that says temperatures in the state have climbed at twice the rate of the rest of the nation over the last half-century.

Redoubt watch

Alert level on Tuesday remained at Watch.

Sunken boat fuel recovery stalls

Fuel recovery operations from a sunken boat in Alaska's Cook Inlet are on hold. State environmental officials on Monday said recovery attempts will cease until safety and engineering concerns can be addressed

Tides complicate fuel removal from submerged vessel

Divers on Sunday began removing fuel from an oil field supply boat that sank in Cook Inlet five months ago, but the work was soon halted when the Inlet's extreme tides started rocking a vessel being used as a staging platform.

Businessman's millions bankrolled anti-Pebble drive

For years, a wealthy Alaska businessman who funded opposition to the proposed Pebble mine has shunned the spotlight. But the status quo for Bob Gillam, an Anchorage financial manager, has drastically changed now that he is in hot water with state regulators.

The Pebble Blog

2,500 gallons of diesel spill near Iliamna River

An estimated 2,500 gallons of diesel spilled on the ground within a few dozen feet of a Southwest Alaska river after a tractor-trailer truck accident, state officials said Monday.

Federal report says erosion-threatened villages need more help relocating

The federal government could be doing more to help relocate Alaska Native communities whose vulnerability to erosion and flooding has only worsened with global warming, concludes a report from the Government Accountability Office.

Army says cleanup is completed at Fort Wainwright housing site

The Army says a contaminated site on Fort Wainwright has been cleaned up at a cost of $15 million. The site is designated for housing but soldiers will have the option of living elsewhere.

Favorable weather a boon for firefighters near McGrath

The wildfire burning near McGrath continues to grow, but favorable weather is helping firefighters.

New roads in Tongass must get Ag secretary OK

No new roads or logging will be allowed in 45 million acres of national forest land for the next year, the Obama administration announced today.

Yukon River flooding moves toward Emmonak

Flood waters ebbed somewhat Thursday in the village of Russian Mission, but about eight families have evacuated their homes and the airport remained underwater.Flood waters ebbed somewhat Thursday in the village of Russian Mission, but about eight families have evacuated their homes and the airport remained underwater.

Photos: Yukon flooding

National Weather Service current Alaska warnings, watches

PEBBLE BLOG

Superfund listing for two Alaska mines?

Federal officials are mulling a Superfund toxic cleanup for a couple of mines -- one near the Kuskokwim River, the other on Prince of Wales Island -- that closed decades ago.

Fairbanks considers ban on outdoor wood, coal furnaces

City officials in Fairbanks plan to draft an ordinance that would require removal of all outdoor wood and coal furnaces within about five years.

ALASKA NEWSREADER

Send cash, not furniture, say Yukon River flood victims

Residents of isolated Interior communities damaged by floodwaters and breakup ice say they have nowhere to store hard goods being donated by well-meaning Alaskans.

Weather helps crews battle Homer wildfire

Higher humidity and misting rain helped crews make significant progress Friday on a wildfire near Homer, fire managers said.

Photos: Homer wildfire

Alaska Newsreader: Personal stories from the fire zone

Funds available for Eagle cleanup

Landowners in Eagle are eligible for federal funding to help remove debris from the flooding that occurred this month in the Yukon River community. The Emergency Watershed Protection program has $25,000 for the cleanup.

Cool weather helps firefighters battling blaze near Homer

Cooler weather kept the Homer-area wildfire from growing overnight, officials said. Meanwhile, residents of three Russian Old Believer communities were still holding out against the smoldering blaze.

Alaska Newsreader: Personal stories from the fire zone

Photos: Homer wildfire

Spilled fuel may have fouled Yukon waters

It could take months to know if the Yukon River will suffer lasting harm from fuel spills caused by flooding, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.