The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is set to lift air pollution sanctions on Fairbanks, Alaska, allowing $150 million in road construction projects to proceed. This decision follows the state’s revised air pollution plan, which the EPA has found acceptable.

The sanctions, imposed a year ago due to the state's failure to address toxic air pollution in the Fairbanks North Star Borough, had halted federally funded construction projects. Now that the sanctions are poised to be lifted, state officials are optimistic about progress.

Jason Olds, director of the Division of Air Quality in the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, expressed excitement, stating, "The fat lady hasn’t sung yet, but we are celebrating." He acknowledged the years of planning that led to this point, calling it a significant milestone.

Fairbanks faces significant air quality challenges, including temperature inversions that trap pollution in the valley, exacerbated by wood stoves, coal burners, and older oil furnaces. In response to the EPA’s 2009 declaration of air quality failure, the state has worked to develop and revise a pollution control plan. After multiple revisions and warnings, sanctions were imposed in 2023.

Jackson Fox, executive director of Fairbanks’ transportation planning organization, highlighted the importance of the decision. “If we get these projects on track … we can get $150 million of work on the street, and get contractors working and families paid,” he said, expressing hope for moving forward with projects as soon as summer 2025.

The EPA's announcement will include a 30-day public comment period, but sanctions are expected to be lifted immediately. However, the state has until 2027 to meet the EPA’s pollution goals, with potential for sanctions to return if these targets are not met. The state plans to encourage residents to adopt cleaner heating practices to meet the 2027 deadline.

“We are going to depend on hearts and minds,” Olds said, focusing on community engagement to help achieve the pollution reduction goals.