Construction of the two 115,000 deadweight ton tankers is expected to begin in mid-2012, with each ship being able to carry 730,000 barrels of oil.

Alaska's longtime congressman has more than a quarter-million dollars on hand through the second quarter, according to his latest Federal Elections Commission filing.

Marilyn Crockett, longtime executive director of the Alaska Oil and Gas Association, says she'll retire at the end of the year.

The 300-page federal science report was well-received by environmental groups and the oil industry, but the USGS says more research is needed on how an oil spill would be contained in the Far North.