Modified Schedule for June 16-20 2025

Alaska state offices will be closed on Thursday, June 19th in observance of Juneteenth Day.

As a result, the sample acceptance schedule for June 16 - June 20 must be modified, as follows:

Shellfish Growing Water (SGW) samples will be accepted Monday June 16 and by noon Tuesday June 17.

Paralytic Shellfish Toxin (PST) commercial samples will be accepted Monday June 16, Tuesday June 17, by noon Wednesday June 18, and by noon Friday June 20.

Wet Storage samples will be accepted Monday June 16 by noon.

Raw meat samples will be accepted Monday June 16 and by noon Tuesday June 17, however meat samples are pooled for efficiency, generally once a week.

Slaughter sponge samples are good for 24 hours per USDA. Sponges will be accepted Monday June 16 and by noon Tuesday June 17 unless written extension is provided to hold longer than 24 hours for testing.

Manufactured and Cottage food samples will be accepted Monday June 16, Tuesday June 17, Wednesday June 18, and Friday June 20, however the testing will be conducted when samples are pooled for efficiency.

Dairy testing is scheduled once a month, as usual, and is next scheduled for the week of June 9th.

Paralytic Shellfish Toxin (PST) recreational/research (PCOX) sample will be accepted any workday; however, the testing will be as soon as possible given current backlog.

Normal sample acceptance schedules resume on Monday, June 23, 2025.

Assistance is available with timing of sample collections, completion of submission forms, packaging, temperature requirements, shipping, and sample tracking. Sampling questions, planned sampling activities, and shipping notifications, can be made to DEC.EH-Lab-ShippingReceiving@alaska.gov or 907-375-8231.

Regards,

Patryce D. McKinney, MBA

Chief, Environmental Health Laboratory