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Fuel shortage, cost have village seeking state assistance

by Ted Land
Thursday, December 11, 2008

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- The price of fuel in the village of Emmonak has residents deeply concerned about their future, and one member of the village has taken it upon himself to represent their concerns to the state.

Martin Moore has been coming to a borrowed Anchorage office for the past few months, making phone calls, writing letters, and setting up meetings with state officials advocating help with his village's high fuel costs.

"It's very serious," Moore said. "The cost of fuel now is $7.60 a gallon."

Moore is asking the state to declare a disaster and pay for an emergency supply of fuel.

"The heating fuel is needed to warm the homes, otherwise if they don't have the fuel, the water, sewer lines will freeze and the people might get sick from being in the cold weather," Moore said.

The icy Yukon River blocked their attempt to barge in the winter's supply of fuel. The villagers say the fuel they have  now will last them until January, at best.

The only option now is to fly in more fuel, which is not cheap, costing close to $180,000 on top of what they've already paid for the barge.

But they can't afford it, and the state can't just hand over the money.

"It really needs to be something imminent that's a threat to life, health, safety, that's caused by a natural disaster," Scott Ruby, operations manager with the Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development.

The state is monitoring the situation, but it does not qualify as a state disaster at present, Ruby said.

The best they can do for now is offer low-interest loans.

"They're going to have to eat the cost, or pass on the cost to residents of the higher fuel costs," Ruby said.

But that's not good enough for Moore.

His village is coming off a dismal fishing season, with the average fisherman making less than $1,500 this year. He says few can afford the fuel when -- or if -- it arrives.

So Moore continues his fight.

"It's worthwhile," he said. "It's my satisfaction if the people up there get help on the disaster situation."

If the village is diligent and fills out all the proper forms, it could have a state loan in the next two or three days.

Contact Ted Land at tland@ktuu.com