North Slope communities to share NPR-A compensation

BARROW (AP) -- The North Slope Borough and four of the borough's communities will share $28 million in compensation for development impacts of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska.

Barrow, Atqasuk, Nuiqsut and Wainwright will receive the impact fund grants, the Arctic Sounder reported Thursday.

The petroleum reserve makes up about a third of the borough and encompasses the four communities.

The grant money will come as 24 separate grants earmarked to pay for a variety of services, said Deborah Sedwick, commissioner of the Alaska Department of Community and Economic Development.

The borough is getting 10 of the grants, the largest being $10 million for power plant and electrical distribution and waste heat conversion upgrades for Wainwright, Atqasuk and Nuiqsut.

Small borough grants, between $100,000 and $200,000, will pay for a police officer in Nuiqsut for three years, monitoring for subsistence hunting and a water fowl survey.

The city of Barrow received four grants totaling $3.3 million. The grants will pay to renovate and upgrade the city's teen and community centers, and for other building construction and maintenance.

Nuiqsut received about $7.5 million, most of it to fund natural gas piping and hookups for homes and buildings. Another $765,000 is earmarked for a boat dock and ramp.

Atqasuk received $200,000 for local government operations, and a small grant will be used to renovate the senior center in Wainwright.

The funds should be available in June, said Dennis Packer, borough chief administration officer.

The borough received $28 million from the impact funds and the state received $12 million. The funds were allocated from proceeds of last year's $105 million lease sale in the NPR-A.