Modified Schedule for October 13 - 17, 2025

Alaska state offices will be closed on Friday, October 17th in observance of Independence Day.

As a result, the sample acceptance schedule for Oct 13 - Oct 17 must be modified, as follows:

Shellfish Growing Water (SGW) samples will be accepted on Monday Oct 13, Tuesday Oct 14, and by noon on Wednesday Oct 15.

Paralytic Shellfish Toxin (PST) commercial samples will be accepted Monday Oct 13, Tuesday Oct 14, Wednesday Oct 15, and by noon on Thursday Oct 16.

Wet Storage samples will be accepted by 3pm Monday Oct 13.

Raw meat samples will be accepted Monday Oct 13, Tuesday Oct 14, and by noon on Wednesday Oct 15, 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 Oct 13, Tuesday Oct 14, and by noon on Wednesday Oct 15, unless written extension is provided to hold longer than 24 hours for testing.

Manufactured and Cottage food samples and swabs will be accepted Monday Oct 13 - Thursday Oct 16, 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 Oct 20th.

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, Oct 20, 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