Alaskan interest in growing kelp continues to outpace that of shellfish, based on applications filed during the annual window that runs from January through April.
Despite Concerns About Dangerous Mercury Exposure, Alaska Commissioner Rubber-Stamps Donlin Gold Mine Certification Decision follows administrative law judge ruling that mine will result in violations of water quality standards; certificate should not have been issued
Contacts
Olivia Glasscock, Earthjustice, oglasscock@earthjustice.org, (907) 586-2751
Gloria Simeon, Culture Bearer, gsimeon@gci.net, (907) 545-4463 Bethel, AK
Today Commissioner Jason Brune of the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) rejected an administrative law judge’s conclusion that the state s water quality certification for the Donlin Gold mine is unsupported, as there is no reasonable assurance that the mine would not violate water quality standards for mercury and other factors.
Alaskan interest in growing kelp continues to outpace that of shellfish, based on applications filed during the annual window that runs from January through April.
The number of 2021 applicants dropped to just seven, reversing a steady upward trend that reached 16 last year, likely due to a âwait and seeâ approach stemming from the pandemic.
âWe had people whose personal situations changed because of COVID. They became homeschooling parents, things like that, where they can no longer dedicate the time they thought they were going to have out on a farm site,â said Michell Morris, permit coordinator at the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game.
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With help from Anthony Adragna, Kelsey Tamborrino, Eric Wolff and Alex Guillén.
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Meghan Barker fell in love with Alaska during a summer internship at Glacier Bay National Park.
As a political science and environmental studies major, Meghan Barker ’17 had planned to work in environmental policy in D.C. But a summer internship in Alaska’s Glacier Bay National Park changed everything. She fell in love with the place with its breathtaking nature, the sheer scale of its glaciers, its community of warm, caring, quirky people. “It’s very intentional living it’s hard to live here,” she says from her home in Anchorage. “You have to invest a lot mentally, emotionally, and physically. And that very much aligns with how I want to live my life.”