Balancing workers’ rights with responsibility, Alaska employers navigate COVID-19 vaccine policies
Should companies require employees to be vaccinated? Alaska companies are choosing different approaches.
Business/Economy
Alaska files lawsuit against producers of toxic chemicals found in groundwater
The lawsuit names 3M, DuPont and others for the production of two toxic compounds that were commonly contained in firefighting foams used at airports to prevent fuel fires.
Airlines including Alaska ground 737 Max fleets after Boeing discloses wiring problem
Boeing said in a statement the problem stemmed from a “production issue” and affected planes used by 16 of its customers.
Federal regulators order Hilcorp to replace 7-mile pipeline that leaked natural gas into Cook Inlet
The company has a year to replace the subsea pipe, installed in 1965, the agency said in a 12-page order.
Small Australian oil explorer hits potential pay zones in Nanushuk on Alaska’s North Slope
The leaders of 88 Energy Ltd. believe they have continued a trend that is driving two of the largest Slope prospects in decades.
NOAA awards contract to rebuild its port facility in Ketchikan
The project includes upgrades such as a new office building, a floating pier and revamped utility systems for use by visiting ships.
Masking requirement on commercial fishing boats draws ire of Alaska senators and state officials
Doug Vincent-Lang, commissioner of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, said he is speaking with officials in other coastal states and hopes to garner support to overturn the mask requirement.
New construction at Gustavus airport digs up old worries about toxic chemicals
A plan to upgrade the Southeast Alaska airport has faced criticism from residents as contractors plan to begin construction this month.
Hilcorp shuts down two offshore platforms in Cook Inlet after natural gas leaks from fuel line
The leak was cut off on Saturday, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation said. The incident occurred in the same 8-inch fuel line as Hilcorp’s natural gas leak in the Inlet in 2017.
After a year of upheaval, do you still have your employees’ trust? Here’s why it matters.
Workplace advice: When employees trust their company’s leaders, they can focus on doing their jobs. What happens when trust goes missing? Productivity follows.
Feds OK $47.5 million for Alaska airports including a new airport for village that’s relocating due to erosion
In addition to a new airport for Newtok-Mertarvik, Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport and Kenai Municipal Airport will receive funding for upgrades.
An Alaska aerospace startup achieves its orbital ambitions
The Launch Co. helps other companies get their rockets into space.
Airlines boost schedules for another Alaska summer without big cruise ships
Fewer ships on the water appears to be leading to more planes in the sky, according to some Alaska tourism industry leaders.
University of Alaska makes public pitch for help achieving $200 million fundraising goal
UA leaders hope to complete a first-ever fundraising effort for scholarships, research and other priorities.
Judge throws roadblock into Hilcorp oil exploration in Cook Inlet, citing potential impacts to beluga whales
Conservation groups sued the federal government in 2019 to stop the project.
Most Alaska Air executives’ pay in 2020 cut by massive airline downturn
Three out of the four most highly paid executives at Alaska Air took pay cuts in a year when the airline lost $1.3 billion due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pandemic boosted sales of Alaska canned salmon to record levels
Fish Factor: More Americans are choosing the shelf-stable product for its health benefits and as an easy-to-use ingredient for sandwiches, salads and more.
Don’t let pandemic-induced burnout claim your best employees
Workplace advice: Employers, lulled by the fact that employees hung on to their jobs during the pandemic, need to focus on retaining key employees if they want to bounce forward as the pandemic wanes.
Alaska job numbers continue to reflect pandemic toll
Alaska had 22,300 fewer jobs last month than it did in February 2020, the state labor department reported Friday.
In a reversal, the oil industry’s top lobbying group now supports a federal price on carbon emissions
The American Petroleum Institute’s shift in policy comes after President Biden suspended leasing in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.