The Environmental Protection Agency plans to unfreeze $150 million in federally funded Fairbanks road projects, benefiting infrastructure development. The EPA announced Wednesday that it intends to suspend sanctions imposed on Alaska over Fairbanks North Star Borough air pollution failures.
Sanctions initially imposed in December 2023 halted progress on key road construction projects while Alaska revised its pollution control plan. On Tuesday, the EPA published a draft notice indicating state compliance, setting the stage for a formal announcement in the Federal Register.
Jason Olds, Alaska’s Division of Air Quality director, expressed cautious optimism about this long-awaited milestone. “It’s taken 12 years, I think, of planning exercises to get here. It’s spanned a few careers, some before my time,” said Olds.
Olds emphasized the community’s perseverance in tackling pollution in Fairbanks Valley geography caused by temperature inversions. Fairbanks has long grappled with PM 2.5 particle pollution from wood stoves, coal use, and aging oil furnaces.
These conditions frequently trap harmful air within the valley, pushing pollution levels to hazardous extremes. In 2009, the EPA labeled the borough noncompliant with federal air quality standards, requiring Alaska to create actionable redemption plans.
Despite repeated submissions, the EPA rejected Alaska’s proposals as insufficient, culminating in December’s sanctions. Jackson Fox, the leading Fairbanks transportation planning organization, explained how these sanctions delayed critical highway construction projects.
In total, you’re looking at about $150 million of infrastructure improvements that could have advanced to construction for this coming summer, or maybe 2026 or maybe 2027 if our funding plan wasn’t frozen in place,” stated Fox, referring to key traffic areas poised for Fairbanks road projects.
Furthermore, Alaska awaited federal approval after submitting an updated pollution plan in December 2024. Wednesday’s announcement signifies preliminary approval, with sanctions lifted immediately to accelerate progress.
However, public feedback remains open during a 30-day comment window. For Alaska, achieving long-term air quality goals by 2027 hinges community participation. Officials aim to shift residents toward cleaner energy sources while enforcing compliance regulations to meet EPA standards. Fox confirmed immediate planning meetings to resume project timelines, emphasizing how lifting sanctions revive hope.
This news article was originally published by Alaska Beacon.
