Pan Arctic Forum

CBC News

The federal Defence department has announced a new project that should improve its ability to “detect and track small ships, predict routes and destinations, and identify suspicious vessels, oil spills and illegal oil dumps,” according to a news release Friday.

Global communications company MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Systems Ltd. will join the National Research Council to lead the project. Other partners include the armed forces, the Coast Guard, Environment Canada, the RCMP and Transport Canada.

No further details are provided, including how much the project will cost.

By Craig Fleener and Nils Andreassen

Alaska Dispatch News

Over the course of the summer, Gov. Bill Walker has initiated the formation of the Alaska Arctic Council Host Committee. This body is charged with highlighting Alaska perspectives and priorities by showcasing the state’s people and potential. Co-chaired by GCI’s Ron Duncan and Mayor Charlotte Brower of the North Slope Borough, the Host Committee will serve to develop a robust program designed to welcome visiting delegations, inform Alaskans of Arctic Council activities and link decision-makers to the realities, richness and responsibility of Alaska’s Arctic. The committee will assist, as needed, the State Department and Governor’s Office in identifying and convening subject matter experts, local community leaders and other stakeholders for participation in Arctic Council or other activities during this period.

By Bob Reiss

Newsweek

It was just after Christmas 2012, and the Kulluk, a 250-foot-high, floating oil-drill rig, swung like a metronome in gale-force winds blowing through the Gulf of Alaska. The tug that had been towing the rig bobbed helplessly in 50-foot waves, her four diesel engines flooded with seawater as the rig’s skeleton crew of 18 drifted toward a barrier island. If the Kulluk hit, it might split open, spilling 143,000 gallons of diesel fuel and 12,000 gallons of hazardous fluids into the water.