Arctic deep water port: long-term asset envisioned.

• Author: Lowther, Paula
• Position: TRANSPORTATION

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There has been discussion about the viability of an Arctic deep water port in the United States, but those talks took a serious turn when Senator Lisa Murkowski joined Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Nuuk, Greenland for a meeting of the Arctic Council last May. The Arctic Council, a high-level intergovernmental forum that addresses the issues facing Arctic countries, is made up of foreign affairs ministers and leaders from the U.S., Canada, Russia, Norway, Iceland, Finland, Sweden and Denmark.

INCREASED MARINE TRAFFIC

Shrinking sea ice in the Arctic has contributed to increased marine traffic, raising concerns over whether northern nations are prepared to respond to Arctic emergencies such as search and rescue and environmental spill response. During the Arctic Council's bi-annual ministers' meeting, an international treaty was signed by all Arctic Council nations that would require coordination of emergency response efforts in the event of a plane crash, cruise ship sinking or other major disaster. This legally binding treaty puts significant responsibility on each country to fulfill its obligations under the agreement.

Days after the Arctic Council treaty was signed, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers partnered with the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities to host the Arctic Deep-Draft Ports Planning Charrette in Anchorage. The purpose of this planning session was to bring together representatives from state and federal agencies and organizations to begin the process of joint planning for potential U.S. ports in the Arctic regions of Alaska. Involved agencies included the Alaska Department of Natural Resources Division of Coastal and Ocean Management, Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority, Denali Commission, Northern Waters Task Force, NORAD, U.S. Arctic Research Commission, Arctic Council, Institute of the North, Marine Exchange of Alaska, Committee of the Arctic Maritime Transportation System, and the U.S. Navy.

MAINTAINING SOVEREIGNTY

Alaskan leaders have long recognized the need for Arctic port development on a national and state level. Senator Mark Begich introduced seven pieces of legislation in 2009 known as the Inuvikput Package that urged lawmakers to take the necessary steps in maintaining sovereignty in light of increased Arctic traffic and activity while expanding and diversifying Alaska's economy.

Also in 2009, Murkowski introduced legislation that would require the...