Fairbanks is experiencing the same trend and that is shown in declining school enrollment, Robinson said, which is down 7.3% from pre-pandemic levels. Because state funding for local schools is tied to enrollment, the trend of working-age out-migration, which includes families, also reduces state aid to local schools. The biggest issue for Fairbanks is in heating costs, however, and this could get worse. Most of the community is heated by oil and wood stoves, although the Interior Gas Utility, or IGU, is gradually expanding local distribution of gas trucked in as liquefied natural gas, or LNG. Fairbanks has a serious air pollution problem during winter cold periods, however, that is created mainly by pollutants from wood stoves. The Fairbanks North Star Borough, the state Department of Environmental Conservation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have been grappling with this for years, and it’s a complex problem. The state and borough have put forth a plan to deal with winter air pollution, but the EPA is reported to be set to reject it. The agency may order the use of Ultra-Low Sulfur, or ULS, diesel for heating in place of the No. 1 heating oil now used in the community. ULS diesel is now required for transportation. Elsewhere in the U.S. the EPA has mandated the use of the ultra low-sulfur fuel as a substitute for No. 1 heating oil and the concern is that the agency may require this for Fairbanks. Since ULS diesel, sold for trucking, is about $1 a gallon more expensive than No. 1 heating oil in Fairbanks, the impact on building and home heating costs could be substantial. Another worry is that in addition to this EPA could order new pollution control equipment to be installed on coal-fired power plants, such as THE LINK: OCTOBER 2023 44 CONTINUED from PAGE 43 Photo Courtesy Usibelli Coal Mine Usibelli Coal Mine is a major Interior Alaska employer.
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