Unalaska, AK – Rat Island may almost be considered rat-free, but spreading 50 tons of poisoned rat bait over the 6,871-acre Aleutian island might have had unintended consequences. When seven U.S. Fish and Wildlife biologists returned to the area this summer they didn't find any live rats, but they did find 186 dead glaucous-winged gulls and 41 dead bald eagles.

Fish and Wildlife spokesperson Bruce Woods said the bird die-off is uncommonly high, but they can't say for sure if it was linked to the rodenticide, which in total only contained 2.5 pounds of active poison. The biologists sent samples of both the gulls and the eagles to labs for testing to determine the cause of death.

Unalaska, AK – The City of Unalaska is taking a new approach to the Makushin geothermal project. Instead of negotiating for resource and land use rights from private landowner Jack Wood, the city is now negotiating with the Aleut Corporation and the Ounalashka Corporation.

"So our negotiations basically fell apart with Mr. Wood," said city manager Chris Hladick. "So we've got our geologists looking in other places."

Unalaska, AK – The city council discussed a proposed increase to port tariffs and fees at last week's meeting. The proposal was based on a study produced by Northern Economics, which recommended increasing all tariffs and fees by 4.8 percent each year for the next three years. The tariffs would apply to all cargo moving across the city docks, including goods being brought in as well as shipped out. Ports Director Alvin Osterback said that the tariffs and fee schedule haven't changed in 10 years.

Unalaska, AK – Thursday marked the ceremonial ground breaking for the Carl E. Moses Boat Harbor. Carl Moses himself attended the event along with representatives from the Army Corps of Engineers, the governor's office, the city, and the Ounalashka Corporation. KUCB's Anne Hillman joined the festivities.

Unalaska, AK – The city and the Inland Boatmen's Union of the Pacific, which represents the ports employees, successfully negotiated and ratified a collective agreement bargaining agreement last week. The new contract includes a 3 percent per year increase in wages for some employees. Shop steward Tim Mahoney said employees who were above step 10 only get a three percent increase for the first year and a 1.5 percent increase for the next two. The contract also includes a clause which says that if an upcoming wage and compensation study shows that harbor officers are being under paid then their wages will be increased. The contract covers the cost of health insurance as well. It took over a year to negotiate the new contract. The last agreement expired at the end of the last fiscal year, in 2008. The new agreement, including the pay increases, is retroactive to July 1, 2008.

Unalaska, AK – A Kodiak company is trying to run a fiber optic cable along the ocean floor and provide high-speed internet to all of western Alaska, including Unalaska. KUCB's Anne Hillman and Vic Fisher have the details.

Unalaska, AK – Pollock B season started Wednesday in the Bering Sea and the fleet has over 472,000 metric tons left to catch. KUCB's Anne Hillman asked about their expectations for the season and about salmon bycatch.

Unalaska, AK – The Dutch Harbor airport does not meet the Federal Aviation Administration's safety standards and the state has until 2015 to use $25 million of federal funds to fix it. The problem is, there isn't much room to expand the safety areas to fit the requirements. Alaska Department of Transportation manager Judy Chapman said they have two options to modify the airport to fit regulations for the smaller, B-II category aircraft that currently use the airport or to prepare it for the larger B-III aircraft that will eventually land here.

Unalaska, AK – The Aleutian Island Risk Assessment advisory panel held its first meeting last month. The meeting aimed to help the panel become associated with the risk assessment process.

"It was a meet and greet," explained management team member Coast Guard Commander James Robertson. We were "getting the members of the advisory panel altogether, generally, with discussion on how to get our way ahead so we are all at a unified position as we begin to basically get our hands dirty in the project."