Regulates Alaska's air and water quality, contaminated site cleanup, food safety, and oil spill prevention and response. Issues permits for discharges and air emissions statewide.
Department of Environmental Conservation, Juneau, AK 99801, USA
State lifts Kaktovik do-not-drink water order
Kaktovik do-not-drink order lifted Sept. 26 after ethylene glycol contamination of the North Slope Borough community water system; free household glycol tests offered.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1d ago2 min read
FDA to pay Alaska $540,768 for state food safety inspections
FDA awards Alaska DEC a $540,768 contract for human food safety inspections as Sen. Lisa Murkowski presses FDA nominee Heidi Overton to keep the state funding.
by Walter AlaskaNews3d ago1 min read
Kotzebue water system exceeds federal lead action level after two of 10 homes test high
Kotzebue drinking water exceeds EPA lead action level after two of 10 homes test high; city expands testing and advises flushing taps and using cold water.
by Alaska News4d ago2 min read
FAA hires Calista-owned firm for next round of decades-old Cold Bay fuel cleanup
FAA awards $471,000 contract to Calista subsidiary Brice Solutions for fuel-contaminated soil cleanup and groundwater monitoring in Cold Bay, Alaska.
by Alaska News4d ago3 min read
Palmer's plan to test whether its two main wells can produce more clears state review
Palmer has asked the state for a $1.5 million loan to find out whether the two wells that supply about 90% of its water can produce more. The study cleared state environmental review Tuesday; follow-on design work may include a standby generator.
by Walter AlaskaNews6d ago1 min read
Kenai Assembly asks state to ban cloud seeding, on consent agenda
The Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly asked the state to ban weather modification after a California company cloud-seeded over the borough without notifying officials.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 1w ago3 min read
Kaktovik's do-not-drink notice stays until sharper lab results arrive
Kaktovik's do-not-drink water notice remains in effect as the North Tank begins refilling Friday and results from Sept. 14 samples with lower detection limits are pending.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read
State moves to permit an antimony ore crusher near Port MacKenzie
Alaska tentatively approved an air permit for a rock crusher at an antimony processing plant near Port MacKenzie, with public comment open through Oct. 14.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago1 min read
Draft permit would let Fairbanks discharge 11.2 million gallons a day into the Tanana
A draft state permit would let Fairbanks and Golden Heart Utilities keep discharging up to 11.2 million gallons of treated sewage a day into the Tanana River.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2w ago1 min read
Sitka takes household hazardous waste free for two days next month, but not lithium-ion batteries
Sitka households may drop off solvents, paints, pesticides and lead-acid batteries free Oct. 3 and 4 at the Wastewater Treatment Plant on Alice Loop. Lithium-ion and nickel-metal hydride batteries are excluded, and the notice does not say where those should go.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago1 min read
Juneau's wastewater permit would be renewed despite a record of violations
Alaska's environmental agency proposes renewing Juneau's permit to discharge treated wastewater into Gastineau Channel, despite a record of recent violations.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago1 min read
Red Dog's port has carried a top-tier air violation for years with no penalty
EPA records show the port shipping Red Dog ore has carried a high-priority air violation for dust since 2019, unresolved by Alaska, with no penalty recorded.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago3 min read
Ninety-two Alaska water systems are listed as serious violators
EPA compliance data list 92 Alaska public water systems serving 29,185 people as serious violators of the Safe Drinking Water Act. The state's last formal enforcement action against any of them was in August 2020. Informal contact has continued, with 2,487 actions logged.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago3 min read
Doyon says the Rig 26 tundra cleanup is in its final phase
Doyon says cleanup at the site where Rig 26 toppled onto tundra 6.5 miles northwest of Nuiqsut is in Phase 3, with soil and surface water samples at a state-approved lab. DEC has published no situation report since February.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 3w ago2 min read
PFAS found in three Anchorage Bowl wells, one pulled from service
AWWU testing detected PFAS in three high-production groundwater wells in the Anchorage Bowl, and the utility removed the one well exceeding proposed federal standards. A $5.1 million forgivable state loan for the Tanaina Hills Subdivision would connect PFAS-contaminated private wells to public water.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
Hilcorp wants to fill 95 acres of Arctic wetlands for a gravel mine — comment by Sept. 4
Hilcorp Alaska is seeking state approval to fill about 95 acres of North Slope wetlands near Deadhorse for a gravel mine to supply oil development. Comment is open until Sept. 4.
by Bill AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
Fairbanks would keep its 11.2 million gallon Tanana discharge cap
Alaska DEC's preliminary draft APDES permit for the City of Fairbanks and Golden Heart Utilities plant again proposes a maximum discharge of 11.2 million gallons a day into the Tanana River, up from 8.0 million in the 2015 draft. Applicant review closes Sept. 2, with public comment to follow.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
Hilcorp wants to dig a 95-acre gravel pit near the Putuligayuk River
Hilcorp Alaska is seeking state water-quality certification for a 95-acre gravel pit on the North Slope near the Putuligayuk River. Public comment closes Sept. 4.
by Bill AlaskaNewsadded 1mo ago2 min read
NOAA is still testing groundwater in the Pribilofs, decades after it left
NOAA awarded a $186,644 contract for groundwater monitoring under the 1996 Pribilof Islands Environmental Restoration Agreement, running through January 2028.
by Alaska News1mo ago2 min read
Alaska's cruise ship wastewater permit expired in 2019 and is still in force
Alaska's large cruise ship wastewater permit, written in 2014 and expired since 2019, remains in force by administrative continuance with no renewal posted.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
A Caterpillar dealer wants to fill nearly 20 acres of south Anchorage wetlands to build a new store
NC Machinery has applied to fill nearly 20 acres of south Anchorage wetlands for a Caterpillar dealership, proposing no new mitigation, with state public comment open through Sept. 18.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
Kodiak fights landfill bears with a second fence and a look at composting
Kodiak's landfill has stayed out of compliance as bears keep reaching the trash, prompting the borough to weigh a second interior fence and a composting program to divert the organics that attract them.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
The state gave Red Dog another decade of eased water limits as the mine looks to run longer
Alaska DEC reissued Teck's Red Dog Mine wastewater discharge permit on April 9, 2026, extending interim discharge limits by ten years on the basis that permafrost thaw has no reasonably available remedy, over the Kivalina IRA Council's request for denial and with NANA Regional Corporation's support.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 1mo ago2 min read
Alaska takes a first step toward new air permits for Hilcorp's Nikaitchuq oil field
The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation posted notice Aug. 7 of a preliminary decision approving a new minor air permit for Hilcorp Alaska's Nikaitchuq Development at Oliktok Point, plus a significant revision to the field's operating permit. Comment is open before the decision is final.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
State says Kodiak landfill is out of compliance on bears and borough could be fined
At a Kodiak Island Borough Assembly work session Thursday, a DEC landfill specialist said the landfill violates state wildlife rules because bears keep reaching trash, and an ADF&G biologist said the borough could be fined for negligently feeding wildlife while officials weigh a $250,000 interior fence.
by Bill AlaskaNews1mo ago3 min read
Juneau's wastewater plant has been out of compliance for three years, and ratepayers foot the bill
Juneau's main wastewater treatment plant has been out of compliance with federal clean-water rules for three years as the state begins issuing a new permit, with ratepayers covering the cost.
by Lucas Brown1mo ago2 min read
Anchorage and Fairbanks airports finish swapping PFAS foam out of crash trucks
Alaska DOT&PF says the aircraft rescue and firefighting fleets at Ted Stevens Anchorage International and Fairbanks International have fully converted from PFAS-containing foam to fluorine-free foam, with sampling showing reductions of up to 99.999 percent in foam tanks.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
Bears are still raiding the Kodiak dump, weeks after a state plan to keep them out
Bears continue to get into the Kodiak Island Borough landfill on Monashka Bay Road despite a repaired electric fence and a Bear Management Plan the state approved July 15, and borough staff attribute it to a constant attractant. ADEC and ADF&G will join an Assembly work session Thursday.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
Alaska takes over hazardous waste permitting — the first state to do so in 25 years
Alaska's environmental agency has taken over hazardous waste permitting from the EPA, the first such state handoff in over 25 years, amid tribal and industry objections.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
EPA grants Alaska authority to permit hazardous waste facilities
The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation will take over permitting and enforcement for hazardous waste treatment, storage and disposal facilities statewide after EPA Region 10 Administrator Emma Pokon signed a final authorization July 31. EPA keeps authority in Indian country.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 1mo ago4 min read
The little Kachemak Bay lab watching Alaska's ocean for 70 years
A preliminary draft state permit would let the Kasitsna Bay Laboratory, across Kachemak Bay from Homer, discharge up to 374,400 gallons of flow-through seawater a day from its aquaria. The applicant review closed July 29, and a 30-day public comment period is still to come.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
Alaska takes over hazardous waste rules, with enforcement in question
Alaska won EPA authorization to run its own hazardous waste program, the first state in 25 years, shifting permitting and enforcement to DEC amid questions about remote reach.
by Lucas Brown2mo ago1 min read
Wasilla is borrowing $6 million to expand its sewage plant
Wasilla plans to expand its wastewater treatment plant's capacity, funded largely through a $6 million Clean Water State Revolving Fund loan, after clearing state environmental review.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Trident is renewing its tanker spill plan, in waters it has spilled in before
Trident Seafoods is renewing the oil-spill plan for two tank vessels operating in Alaska waters, where the company has a spill history. Public comment is open until Aug. 27.
by Bill AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago1 min read
The North Slope's fuel farms sit on thawing ground
Alaska DEC opened comment on renewing spill-prevention plans for North Slope fuel storage facilities, as coastal erosion and permafrost thaw threaten Arctic tank farms.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Hilcorp seeks 50 megawatts of new power at Milne Point
Hilcorp has asked Alaska regulators to approve three 16,530-kilowatt turbines at Milne Point's Z Pad, roughly 50 megawatts of new North Slope power generation.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
DEC issues proposed final APDES permit for Hilcorp's Prudhoe Bay discharge
The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation issued a proposed final APDES permit authorizing Hilcorp Alaska to discharge up to 12.4 million gallons of seawater backwash daily into Stefansson Sound. The permittee has until July 24 to review the proposed permit; public comments closed July 10.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
ADEC proposes final discharge permit for Kodiak landfill leachate plant
The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation issued a proposed final APDES permit Monday authorizing the Kodiak Island Borough to discharge up to 288,000 gallons per day of treated landfill leachate into wetlands draining to Monashka Bay, with strict limits on mercury, copper, and ammonia that must be met at the end of the discharge pipe.
by Melinda Communities.News2mo ago1 min read
Kodiak conservation district seeks permit to spray glyphosate in Buskin watershed
The Kodiak Soil and Water Conservation District has applied to ADEC for a permit to apply Roundup Custom, a glyphosate herbicide, to invasive Reed Canarygrass in the Lower Buskin and Lake Orbin watersheds, waters that support salmon and Kodiak's subsistence and sport fisheries.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Wasilla's sewer plan is 25 years old — and it's stalling development
The Wasilla City Council will hold a public hearing Monday on accepting a $75,000 fully forgiven state loan to update a sewer master plan last revised in 1999, a document that shapes where and how fast the city can grow.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read