"It's just an allegation," Gerharz said. "It’s a settlement agreement because Uber left the state."
Any company paying employees must also pay for workers' compensation insurance, which pays for medical treatment and care after an injury at work.
Drivers who have been approved by Uber pick up customers through a smartphone app. Payments are made through the app and Uber takes 20 percent of each ride as a "technology fee."
Salvage operations were still being determined Thursday. Global Diving and Salvage Inc., which specializes in marine salvage, will defuel the vessel, DEC wrote.
Crews have been directed to replace saturated sorbent materials inside the boom, while around 600 feet of harbor boom and anchors will be pre-staged at the mouth of the Indian River in response to any potential release.
The U.S. Coast Guard was still investigating why the vessel sank Thursday, the DEC wrote.
No injuries or impacts to wildlife have been reported. Everybody, have a seat. Have a seat. Just relax. I'm going to be here for a while. (Applause.)
It is wonderful to be in Alaska. And I look forward to spending some quality time here. And I’ve gotten such a wonderful welcome all across the state -- so I want to thank all of you. Thanks to the Mayor of the Northwest Arctic Borough, Reggie Joule. Where’s Reggie? (Applause.) Reggie, right here. Your Mayor, Maija Lukin. (Applause.) I want to acknowledge the presence of our Lieutenant Governor here -- thank you so much, Byron Mallott. (Applause.) And all of you for the warm Iñupiaq reception here in Kotzebue. (Applause.) We are so grateful. Thank you.
AUDIENCE MEMBER: (Inaudible.)
THE PRESIDENT: I think that's a good thing, whatever it he was talking about. (Laughter.) When you're President, you never know. (Laughter.) Sometimes you get some hecklers. (Laughter.)
I did have my team look into what other Presidents have done when they visited Alaska. I'm not the first President to come to Alaska. Warren Harding spent more than two weeks here -- which I would love to do. But I can’t leave Congress alone that long. (Laughter.) Something might happen. When FDR visited -- Franklin Delano Roosevelt -- his opponents started a rumor that he left his dog, Fala, on the Aleutian Islands -- and spent 20 million taxpayer dollars to send a destroyer to pick him up. Now, I’m astonished that anybody would make something up about a President. (Laughter.) But FDR did not take it lying down. He said, “I don’t resent attacks, and my family doesn’t resent attacks -- but Fala does resent attacks. He’s not been the same dog since.” (Laughter.)
President Carter did some fishing when he visited. And I wouldn’t mind coming back to Alaska to do some fly-fishing someday. You cannot see Alaska in three days. It's too big. It's too vast. It's too diverse. (Applause.) So I'm going to have to come back. I may not be President anymore, but hopefully I'd still get a pretty good reception. (Applause.) And just in case, I'll bring Michelle, who I know will get a good reception. (Applause.)
In fact, on Monday, Governor Walker and Byron personally gave me a fishing license. Thank you, Lieutenant Governor. I think it expires, though, pretty quick, and I haven't gotten out there yet.
But there’s one thing no American President has done before -- and that’s travel above the Arctic Circle. (Applause.) So I couldn't be prouder to be the first, and to spend some time with all of you.
Before I begin my remarks, I want to thank our veterans who are in the audience, because we have so many Alaska Natives who serve our country and defend us. And in fact, I met some World War II vets, and Korean War vets. And we want to make sure that they know how much we appreciate everything that they’ve done on our behalf. (Applause.) We appreciate them very much.
And I want to thank everybody in Kotzebue for something else -- which is taking such good care of my team over the past week. (Applause.) I know that when I come to town there are a lot of people who come first, and it's a big footprint. But all of them have told me incredible stories of your kindness. I heard that you stuffed them full of all kinds of meat at Cariboufest. (Laughter.) John Baker, who was the winner of the 2011 Iditarod, let them play with his Husky puppies. (Applause.) I heard about offers to go berry-picking on the tundra, last night’s cultural night. And I heard that you’re even teaching them some Iñupiaq. I don't know how good they are. (Laughter.) They’re probably a little better than me. But the teams that advance my trip, they spend a lot of time far away from home. They do great work. Most of them are really young people. So I just want to say thank you to all of you for making them feel so at home even when they’re 4,000 miles away. (Applause.)
So I’ve had a great week here in Alaska. Flying in on Monday, I had the view of something extraordinary from Air Force One -- “the Great One,” Denali. (Applause.) We’ve restored its Alaska Native name. I know that it's been a long time coming for Alaskans. I’ve had the chance to sit in the cockpit of a float plane. But the Secret Service didn’t let me fly it. (Laughter.) I still enjoyed it. We had a chance to hike to the Exit Glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park. I went out on Resurrection Bay and saw dolphins and a humpback whale and otters and puffins.
And in Dillingham, just earlier today, I watched Alaska Native fishermen bring in their salmon catch, and a tribal elder prepare it in the traditional way. I had a chance to visit a middle school where Alaska Native youth performed a traditional Yup’ik dance. And I participated. It's on video. (Applause.)
So the warmth and hospitality has been incredible, and I'm so grateful for it.