Q: How much money do residents of Alaska get every year, or per month, from the Alaskan pipeline? If I move there and become a resident, how much money would I get?
—Eddie Webster, Douglasville
A: The amount Alaska residents receive in a yearly payment from the Alaska Permanent Fund varies per year.
Residents received a record $2,072 in 2015, an increase from $1,884 in 2014.
“The dividend can only be paid from fund earnings,” according to the fund corporation’s website, apfc.org. “If the earnings reserve is zero or negative on June 30, no money can be paid out.”
The fund was created in 1976 as a result of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. The first payments of $1,000 were given out in 1982.
To qualify to receive a fund payment, people must live in Alaska for one calendar year.
More than 643,000 people were eligible to receive this year’s payment, according to Gov. Bill Walker’s office.
Q: In the center of the highway, going north from about 10th Street to the Brookwood interchange, there are empty lanes not used or accessible. Why are they there and are the future plans for them?
—George Nathan, Atlanta
A: Equipment and material was kept in that area during several projects.
“The area is no longer accessible, so it is not currently being used, but we are evaluating potential options for the location,” a Georgia DOT spokeswoman told Q&A on the News in an email.
Andy Johnston with Fast Copy News Service wrote this column. Do you have a question? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
