John Davies

The University of Alaska Fairbanks is building a heat-and-power plant to replace the old facility that went into service in 1964. The new $245 million powerplant, scheduled to come online next year, will feature updated technology that’ll reduce most pollutants – but it will continue to emit  greenhouse gases blamed for warming the planet. Many on campus say that conflicts with UAF’s leadership in Arctic climate-change research.

Clean air advocates say they’re disappointing that local and state regulators haven’t made more progress in getting the Fairbanks North Star Borough’s air-quality program up and going. As KUAC’s Tim Ellis reports, Citizens for Clean Air members are worried the slow-moving process could jeopardize the local program, because opponents are already working to get an initiative before voters in the fall.

The Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly passed a sweeping air-quality ordinance Thursday night that supporters hope will finally begin to clean up Fairbanks’s wintertime air pollution. Most members agreed the ordinance isn’t perfect, but that it’s a good start.

The Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly got to work Thursday night fine-tuning an ordinance that spells out how the borough’s new air-quality regulations would be enforced. Assembly members tried to balance the need to enforce the regs and reduce air pollution against the need to get the public to go along with them. And to give a break to people who can’t afford to upgrade their heating system.

The Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly held a second, lengthy public hearing Thursday night on an ordinance that would set standards for local air-quality, and policies and penalties to enforce those standards. Many of the comments focused on the health impacts of the ordinance.