Modified Schedule for January 19 - 23, 2025

Alaska state offices will be closed on Monday, January 19th in observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

As a result, the sample acceptance schedule for January 19 - January 23 must be modified, as follows:

Shellfish Growing Water (SGW) samples will be accepted Tuesday Jan. 20, Wednesday Jan. 21, and by noon Thursday Jan. 22.

Paralytic Shellfish Toxin (PST) commercial samples will be accepted Tuesday Jan. 20, Wednesday Jan. 21, Thursday Jan. 22, and by noon Friday Jan. 23

Wet Storage samples will be accepted by 3pm on Tuesday Jan. 20.

Raw meat samples will be accepted Tuesday Jan. 20, Wednesday Jan. 21, and by noon Thursday Jan. 22, 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 Tuesday Jan. 20, Wednesday Jan. 21, and by noon Thursday Jan. 22 unless written extension is provided to hold longer than 24 hours for testing.

Manufactured and Cottage food samples and swabs will be accepted Tuesday Jan. 20, Wednesday Jan. 21, Thursday Jan. 22, and Friday Jan. 23, however the testing will be conducted when samples are pooled for efficiency.

Dairy testing is scheduled once a month, as usual, and is scheduled for the week of Jan. 12th and then Feb. 23rd.

Geoduck inorganic arsenic testing will be performed during designated testing weeks and is next scheduled for the week of Jan. 26th and then Feb. 16th.

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, January 26, 2026.

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