Avery Ellfeldt wrote a great piece on the issue for Alaska Public Media. It was published in early September but got overshadowed a bit — it’s definitely been busy for our team.
Not long before that, Rachel Levy of the Alaska Current talked with Pacific Environment’s Kay Brown, author of On thin ice: Why shipping’s black carbon emissions demands urgent action, about black carbon, another byproduct of burning heavy fuel oil, and our resident expert, Aaron, provided some background about the vessels using HFO here in Southeast Alaska. Read it here.
Concern about pollution from heavy fuel oil is growing in coastal Alaska, which is why we’ve partnered with Pacific Environment, Alaska Community Action on Toxics, Alaska Longline Fisherman’s Association and 350Juneau to host a Town Hall event on October 8 — which is coming up fast!
Cleaner Fuel Brighter Future Town Hall
Join us on October 8, starting at 5 p.m. at the Juneau Arts & Culture Center or online via Zoom — the program will start at 5:30 with a panel discussion on the heavy fuel oil pollution issue, impacts, and the importance of protecting Alaska’s marine waters. After a break, there will be a discussion of the policy landscape and possible solutions and an opportunity for community input. MC Pat Race will lead us through the full program, including live music during breaks and time to visit host organization tables for more information. Add it to your calendar! To learn more and for Zoom registration, click here.
Taking a stand for clean water
We’re pleased to share that a number of Southeast Alaska Tribes and municipalities have passed resolutions calling for action on this pollution problem, including Yakutat, Organized village of Kake, Ketchikan Indian Community and Organized Village of Kasaan, with more considering resolution in the next month. If you’d like your community to consider a resolution, please get in touch!
We also have a business sign-on letter if you own or know of a business that values clean water in Alaska. Business owners can sign on here.
Dirty fuel pollution in the news
Alaska’s certainly not alone in dealing with the pollution generated by ships burning heavy fuel oil. Here’s some news from this summer, in case you missed it.
Bans on Wastewater Discharges from Cargo Ships in Finnish Territorial Waters Come into Force. Baltic Sea Action Group, July 1, 2025.
In a landmark move, OSPAR bans scrubber discharges in North-East Atlantic waters. Offshore Energy, July 1, 2025.
Ottawa stalls while cruise ships dump toxic wastewater along West Coast. Canada’s National Observer, July 18, 2025.
Portland, Maine to consider ‘scrubber’ ban to curb pollution from cruise ships. Portland Press Herald, July 9, 2025.
