Air Force seeks permit to spray herbicides in Eielson cooling pond

The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation is accepting public comments through June 13, 2026, on Eielson Air Force Base's application to apply herbicides in its Central Heat and Power Plant cooling pond. The base wants to control aquatic vegetation that clogs cooling water intake systems and threatens power plant operations.

The Army Corps of Engineers awarded Eielson a federal grant of up to $220,308 in 2024 for vegetation removal and bird strike hazard reduction at the cooling pond.

The Air Force proposes to apply three herbicides between June and August, one to three times per year. SonarOne contains fluridone and would be spread as pellets from a boat-mounted granular spreader. Litorra and Reward both contain diquat dibromide and would be applied through weighted subsurface hoses trailing from a boat. The application is governed by DoD Instruction 4150.07 and Air Force Manual 32-1053, which establish protocols for the DoD Pest Management Program and integrated pest management.

The base says excessive aquatic vegetation creates clogs in cooling water intake screens, affecting the power plant's ability to maintain temperature regulation. Herbicide treatments are expected to reduce clogs and increase reliability of cooling water flow.

Comments must include the project name "Eielson CHPP Aquatic Weed Pesticide Use Permit" and be submitted online at https://dec.alaska.gov/comment/ or mailed to Rebecca Colvin, DEC Pesticide Program, 555 Cordova Street, Anchorage AK 99501. For questions about the application, contact Karin Hendrickson at the DEC Pesticide Control Program, 1700 E. Bogard Road, Suite B103, Wasilla AK 99654, or email [email protected]. The application is available online through the state public notice system.

The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation also monitors PFAS groundwater discharge at Eielson Air Force Base through its Division of Spill Prevention and Response.