U.S. Names Arctic Policy Czar to Keep Tabs on China, Russia.   Career diplomat, James DeHart, tapped to bolster the U.S. position in the  Arctic, including repelling Beijing's advances. 

James DeHart begins work Wednesday as the first U.S. coordinator for the Arctic region,  representing the State Department in a Trump administration campaign encompassing  several U.S. government departments and agencies. He will report directly to Secretary of  State Mike Pompeo and Deputy Secretary Stephen Biegun, advising them on Arctic policy  and engaging other Arctic nations in regional talks. Wall Street Journal  (pay wall).  This appointment was previously  mentioned, on July 7, by the Yohnap News Agency here.

An Oil Spill in Russia's Arctic Exposes Risks for Moscow's Far North Plans. The smell of diesel was so overpowering that it made Vasily Ryabinin dizzy. That meant he was getting close. As an inspector from Russia's environmental agency, Ryabinin went on his own to the Daldykan River in the Siberian city of Norilsk to see firsthand the aftermath of a major fuel leak at a metals plant. The Washington Post

 

NORTHCOM Nominee Supports Building New US Arctic Base for Icebreakers. NORTHCOM Nominee Supports Building New US Arctic Base for Icebreakers. The nominee to lead U.S. Northern Command told a Senate panel he would support placing a base for the Coast Guard's new icebreaker fleet in the Arctic. Fielding questions today from the Senate Armed Services Committee during his confirmation hearing to lead the combatant command, Air Force Lt. Gen. Glen VanHerck told Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) he agreed that placing one of the sites for the icebreakers in the portion of the U.S. within the Arctic region is a good option. USNI News  

 

Newer PFAS Compound Detected for First Time in Arctic Seawater. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), found in many household products and food packages, have raised concerns because of their persistence and possible toxicity to people and wildlife. Because the compounds don't break down naturally, they have become environmental contaminants. Now, researchers reporting in Environmental Science & Technology have studied the transport of 29 PFAS into and out of the Arctic Ocean, detecting a newer compound for the first time in Arctic seawater. Phys.org  

 

Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences Sends Great Norilsk Expedition to Arctic. A group of scientists from Russia's Academy of Sciences has embarked on a comprehensive study of the ecosystems and environment of the Arctic in an expedition to the Taymyr Peninsula at the invitation of Russian mining giant Nornickel. As part of its expedition, the group is tasked with developing proposals and recommendations on the best environmentally-friendly practices and solutions for industrial companies operating in the Arctic. The objective behind the expedition transcends the need to find viable, sustainable environmental solutions to solve local problems the group's findings are expected to form the basis of new principles of management in Russia's Arctic. The scientists will take into account both the experience of other countries engaged in resource extraction in polar latitudes and domestic developments. Steel Guru  

 

Sea Ice Extent in the Arctic Researches Historical Low in July. The sea ice retreat has been especially pronounced off the Siberian coast, leading to a virtually ice-free Northeast Passage by mid-July along nearly all of Russia's Arctic coastline from the Bering Sea in the east to the Barents Sea in the west, researchers said. The record low ice extent in July followed a scorching month of June when a cell of warm air produced extremely high temperatures in Siberia that seriously impacted the sea ice cover in the Russian Arctic, according to the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate, or MOSAiC for short. The Barents Observer