[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6244608,"mediaKeyId","3229276-4193c4d76ac72c8053d41bfb0184982e","parentId",3229276,"title","AWU seeks SRF loans for Girdwood and Tenaina Hills projects; AWWU and Solid Waste discuss waste‑to‑energy options","audioSeconds",1055,"startMs",2891000,"endMs",3946000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3229276-4193c4d76ac72c8053d41bfb0184982e&start=2891&end=3946","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3229276-4193c4d76ac72c8053d41bfb0184982e/thumbnail_2891000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6244608/Anchorage-Municipality/Alaska/AWU-seeks-SRF-loans-for-Girdwood-and-Tenaina-Hills-projects-AWWU-and-Solid-Waste-discuss-wastetoenergy-options","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6244608-e0b57b6a20e724c92eb977d0727356cc/orig.mp4?Expires=1770979879&Signature=FCVS~~ju7eVNPEqe7IsZST1iy8zqqLBY-n6I5TY7KSzXk1~AqrSPkH6MUX1R3opGVPifUucYRjTDx-aimadXm6XTQ4pNX8GVYzZmxVgGe5sZEitwJ7JWDhMUuHzP9PghrRnl~-t1PFj6M7jQxIeAkPI2PcR~DvWMJjM6OmxBiSdPxGSgKaQiEPEzyAKM54oQ6Mu8ZflDvMFrVxTJ4m5WBqWWXy6f6U53gdP3McTqK238eEx~gkrenCfp6yYIv~JVL8ifx80zXdnEPB7RKgIqgBeY66RLjytdjsm3N-iRZjZ6JSV6bY6jBvbrZbamfmMTZXkvuAahCOGM4jE27MGz3w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Municipality of Anchorage","date","2025-04-18T08:12:56Z","article","Anchorage Water & Wastewater Utility (AWWU) officials briefed the Assembly on two state revolving fund (SRF) loan opportunities they seek to use for water-supply and water-main work in Girdwood and Tenaina Hills, and discussed a joint waste-to-energy exploration with Solid Waste Services to manage biosolids and landfill residuals.

“A program that the state through the DEC is offering” includes two competitive SRF tracks—emerging contaminants and compliance order funding—AWWU said. The utility identified Girdwood well replacement and a Tenaina Hills distribution project as candidates that meet program eligibility for partial forgivability.

Nut graf: AWWU said $9.5 million in potential funding is available to apply to a new Girdwood well project via a mix of SRF and a congressionally directed spending (CDS) grant; the project’s rough order-of-magnitude is $15–$20 million, and AWWU expects to supplement grants with capital funds and future assembly approvals to accept loans.

Mark Shimsharma, director of engineering, said Girdwood currently has two wells: one with an emerging‑contaminant manganese issue and another under a DEC compliance order because groundwater may be under the influence of surface water. The utility has advanced exploratory work on two wells at a new town site and plans a potential 500,000‑gallon storage tank and treatment options. Shimsharma said AWWU has committed $5,000,000 from the emerging contaminant program, $1,500,000 from an intended‑use plan allocation and a $3,000,000 CDS grant applied for through Senator Murkowski’s office; the combined available funds total about $9.5 million but additional capital will be required.

On Tenaina Hills, AWWU said the project addresses PFOS/other emerging contaminants linked to airport-area impacts. The DEC is encouraging on-property hookups for affected households in that neighborhood; AWWU described about $3.3 million committed for mainline work plus roughly $1 million projected for on-property hookups, with a likely total in the $4.5–$5.0 million range. AWWU said on‑property connection charges would be levied upon connection so non-participants would not pay.

AWWU described timeline and next steps: staff will present to the Girdwood board, introduce supplemental CIP budget amendments and resolutions to accept SRF loans, and anticipate a public hearing in the assembly schedule as required by municipal process.

On waste-to-energy, AWWU staff said biosolids production at the Aspen Water Pollution Control Facility is high‑energy material—roughly 20 dry tons per day—and the plant’s aging multi‑hearth incinerator consumes about $3 million a year in fuel and electricity. Replacing the incinerator and moving toward a combined solution with Solid Waste Services could reduce energy use, eliminate a Title V air-permitting obligation and create opportunities for energy recovery; the departments plan a characterization and siting study under a program-management office approved by resolution.

AWWU said the waste‑to‑energy effort remains at planning and procurement‑definition stages; procurement and contractor selection will follow normal municipal purchasing rules and the municipality will retain oversight of any projects and ownership structures.

Ending: Assembly members acknowledged the potential to deliver clean water to affected neighborhoods at low or no cost to homeowners if funds are awarded, and asked staff to proceed with outreach and to return with formal budget and loan acceptance items for the assembly to consider.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Infrastructure, Enterprise and Utility Oversight Committee-of-the-Whole Meeting - Apr 18, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Anchorage Water & Wastewater Utility staff described grant-eligible SRF opportunities for new wells in Girdwood and a Tenaina Hills water-line project to address emerging contaminants, and AWWU joined Solid Waste Services to outline a potential waste-to-energy approach for biosolids processing and long-term waste planning.","taxTitle","Anchorage Municipality, Alaska","taxId",2653,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6244613,"Municipal Solid Waste officials report methane levels at Merrill Field; mayor signs emergency procurement for gas-collection repairs",691,1995000,2686000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3229276-4193c4d76ac72c8053d41bfb0184982e&start=1995&end=2686","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3229276-4193c4d76ac72c8053d41bfb0184982e/thumbnail_1995000.jpg","/articles/6244613/Anchorage-Municipality/Alaska/Municipal-Solid-Waste-officials-report-methane-levels-at-Merrill-Field-mayor-signs-emergency-procurement-for-gas-collection-repairs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6244613-503dced6ab2fbecc7fd761e7c7b52e1a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770979879&Signature=BO5xlvy9dmGVlRXpreRePAxtIFM~MaqOv~Mk~4Y2bc2VUPfTVFxejIzsyd83cG4M8q8UsQKyiN2u8C0mPEXqPQC8ifC7k24DlI2kszsz94x5G4M2a946iFK5eu4r3IejaV3HNhVWueA~nLjgNoyjijHr0T2l8ClbheJ-zsmFNW2an6eXWqa1aKI2sClDSgBZfnz1eKN0vHX7Zf5yVixFrsRuaTGXSF9DbBGlIr9Ftn1aKX0nSRW5QkMPZ4UGXWIADeMeMZTjEdSCgXoObLVttIchuhV6uJo4Sp~8lg~zWsDyl~zsrzaU8SXxTPOLWLSA1oEsHfzedkO6ARzmdEqasA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Solid Waste Services (SWS) told the Anchorage Assembly that the historic municipal landfill beneath Merrill Field is producing landfill gas at concentrations that have exceeded lower explosive limits in some tenant buildings, prompting an Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC) enforcement timeline and an urgent procurement to repair gas collection infrastructure.

“On 03/11/2025, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation required a timeline for remediation,” SWS staff reported, and staff said ADEC later cited the situation as a potential violation of AS 60.805 if left unaddressed.

Nut graf: SWS told the assembly the landfill dates to the 1940s, was closed in the 1980s, and a passive gas system was installed in the 1990s; recent winter storm power surges and aging, crushed pipes have rendered the existing gas-collection control system beyond repair and created an immediate health-and-safety urgency.

SWS said monitors placed inside buildings showed methane at levels that exceeded lower explosive limits in some locations; staff advised tenants to ventilate enclosed spaces and installed monitors for affected tenants. The department described structural impacts caused when areas were dynamically compacted before asphalt was placed and said some buried infrastructure is obsolete or crushed.

The mayor signed an emergency procurement order “yesterday,” SWS said, invoking health-and-safety and time-sensitive procurement justifications so construction can proceed this season and the municipality will not miss a critical construction window. As part of the procurement, SWS intends to proceed with SBS Engineers, which the department described as a longstanding contractor on monitoring and landfill-gas work with design-build capabilities.

SWS displayed a two-phase map showing a phase‑1 line replacement behind tenant buildings where monitors recorded high methane and a phase‑2 extension that would relieve pressure in a larger area of the old landfill. SWS emphasized efforts to minimize impacts to Merrill Field tenants and airport operations and said it will coordinate closely with the airport director as construction is scheduled.

SWS also provided related context: Merrill Field opened as a municipal landfill in the 1940s, closed in the 1980s, and a passive gas system was installed in the 1990s; SWS has continued routine monitoring and fence installation. SWS said it has previously drilled test wells and probes to gather data and will address leachate and other aging infrastructure issues on a separate but near-term track.

Ending: Assembly members pressed for confidence about tenant safety; SWS said monitors remain in place and tenants know to ventilate or vacate if alarms show unsafe methane levels. SWS committed to reporting back with the procurement schedule and stated phasing for the repair work.","Solid Waste Services told the Anchorage Assembly a failing landfill-gas collection system at the historic Merrill Field landfill exceeded lower explosive limits in some tenant buildings, ADEC has required a remediation timeline and the mayor signed an emergency procurement to repair and replace the system.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6244618,"Chugach Electric details vegetation management, new line-safety measures to reduce wildfire risk",1449,535000,1984000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3229276-4193c4d76ac72c8053d41bfb0184982e&start=535&end=1984","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3229276-4193c4d76ac72c8053d41bfb0184982e/thumbnail_535000.jpg","/articles/6244618/Anchorage-Municipality/Alaska/Chugach-Electric-details-vegetation-management-new-line-safety-measures-to-reduce-wildfire-risk","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6244618-0cd613424634b8848b528d25b6f89069/orig.mp4?Expires=1770979879&Signature=mM5HUy831SNXaronTzaEH8HuJjKWoT8SCTiKSEb9vcDPbPK~1s55h~gx2T0ZrQsCFtOyN1dtuJS7-lwB4fEbys6PN6Ha19eWqtmQi5QaLGvjgPcM9rEf1oP1~iwv4v4zjjq41k7RUdbuqtu-4rVSVHFd-ONGAfHSpCZnNhUpQvDF8wG3GSjBqqRYW3qnO39O6x8bYCRHxDFGGVKfeyZqHAtms1SLboZtiaEN-W7N0EGK25NZnFf8Bv-cSrB5ZqMwynPL7cMLoF7m1u-rpbKO2sz0v9mh9Fs28cXtXS5~dUyhBqxAlbCaAWxxKHgrI6gWmIgLEcJ8fLwl9~MAqr0SMg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chugach Electric told the Anchorage Assembly the utility’s primary tool to reduce wildfire risk is routine vegetation management in rights of way and easements, and it plans to add more sensitive power-line safety settings and other operational steps as fire danger increases.

“The number 1 thing that Chugach Electric does to prevent wildfire is vegetation management within our easements,” said Trish Baker, government affairs manager for Chugach Electric, describing tree and brush removal along the roughly 10-foot easement on either side of poles and subsequent mulching to discourage regrowth.

The measure is part of a broader five-part program Chugach described to the assembly that includes vegetation management, disabling automatic reclosing on selected feeders, enhanced power-line safety settings (EPSS), public safety power shutoffs (PSPS) and coordination with incident command and emergency operations.

Nut graf: Officials said the combined steps aim to reduce electrical ignitions during high fire-danger periods while recognizing some measures increase outage scope or duration. Chugach emphasized it will apply those measures selectively and communicate proactively when it takes steps that materially affect customers.

Chief Operating Officer Andrew Laughlin explained industry terms and how operations will change during elevated fire danger. He said breakers on the system normally trip and then reclose automatically to restore power after short faults; under some conditions the utility disables automatic reclosing so crews can patrol before reenergizing lines. “Closed means energized. Open means not energized,” Laughlin said, clarifying terminology for non-technical listeners.

Laughlin described enhanced power-line safety settings as making protection thresholds more sensitive so breakers trip on smaller fault signatures; that reduces the chance an energized conductor will spark off vegetation but increases the number and area of outages and the time crews must patrol before reenergizing. He said when EPSS or disabled reclosing is used, crews physically patrol affected lines before restoring service.

Julie Haskett, senior corporate communications manager for Chugach Electric, said the utility will notify the public and media before major operational steps. “If we were gonna do any of those steps beyond vegetation management, we send out alerts to the media, social media,” Haskett said, and added the utility has a membership list (about 92,000 members) and an email list of roughly 60,000–70,000 addresses it uses for notices.

Assembly members asked where undergrounding fits as a long-term mitigation step and about recent under-frequency load-shed events the utility has executed. Chugach said it collects a small undergrounding fee on bills and is proceeding with a multi-decade undergrounding program for older neighborhoods; homeowner permission is required where work extends onto private property. On under-frequency load shed, Laughlin said that is a separate protective scheme that acts in seconds to preserve system stability and that the recent event caused about a 10% staged load shed until units were returned to service.

The utility said it monitors a fire weather index (fuel moisture, temperature, wind and humidity) and will use that index as a trigger to change operational settings. Chugach also described continued participation in community wildfire protection planning and incident-response coordination, including working with local fire departments on line de-energization requests during incidents.

Ending: Assembly members thanked the utility for the briefing and indicated they expect follow-up information on undergrounding priorities and communications protocols should Chugach move to more aggressive operational steps in a high-risk period.","Chugach Electric told the Anchorage Assembly it relies chiefly on easement vegetation management but will also use more sensitive line-protection settings, temporary disabling of automatic reclosing and, in extreme conditions, public-safety power shutoffs to reduce wildfire ignitions.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

AWU seeks SRF loans for Girdwood and Tenaina Hills projects; AWWU and Solid Waste discuss waste‑to‑energy options

Municipal Solid Waste officials report methane levels at Merrill Field; mayor signs emergency procurement for gas-collection repairs

Chugach Electric details vegetation management, new line-safety measures to reduce wildfire risk