Rusting rivers and huge rainfall have complicated pollution control at Northwest Alaska’s massive zinc mine.

Elevated lead levels were found in drinking water fixtures at Mildred Hall School in Yellowknife, the fourth Yellowknife school to test positive this year. The N.W.T. government will fund alternate drinking water for any territorial school while testing and remediation continue.

The 81-foot tender F/V Pavlof sank Thursday morning while moored in Haines Harbor, prompting an oil-containment response and salvage efforts. Harbor staff, divers, and local vessels worked through low tide to free the vessel and limit contamination.

Gratangen municipality orders a farmer to stop an alleged illegal discharge of manure effluent. The farmer says the releases have ceased, but the municipality disagrees.

Two separate fuel spills occurred at the Kangaatsiaq power plant within a week, releasing an estimated total of up to 27,000 liters into the building, surrounding ground, and the sea. Authorities say the extent of the marine spill is unknown and could not be contained due to wind, waves, darkness, and lack of equipment.

About 4,000 liters of diesel leaked from the grounded landing craft M/S Sørøysund near Fjelldal in Tjeldsund. Emergency crews are pumping fuel off the vessel and have deployed absorbent booms; authorities do not currently fear major impacts to wildlife.

Northwest Territories officials issued a drinking water advisory for Hay River, Enterprise, Kátł’odeeche First Nation and Ka’a’gee Tu First Nation (Kakisa) after elevated trihalomethanes were detected. No illnesses are reported; residents are advised to use filtration, let water sit uncovered, or boil for infant formula, while mitigation and monitoring continue.

Norton Sound Health Corporation issued an air quality alert for Nome after PM10 levels exceeded 301 (hazardous) on Oct. 23. Officials cite recent freeze–thaw cycles and dry conditions for the unusual late-October dust; residents are advised to limit outdoor exposure and use N95 masks.

Maine has issued a do-not-eat advisory for white-tailed deer and wild turkeys in parts of Knox, Thorndike and Unity after tests found elevated PFAS in muscle tissue. The advisory expands earlier restrictions tied to contamination from sludge-applied farm fields.

A reindeer in Nordkapp, Finnmark, was found entangled in trash and was freed by a passerby. The article warns that litter can kill reindeer through exhaustion or starvation.