03/14/2012 01:00 PM House RESOURCES

                SJR 17-ARCTIC COUNCIL TASK FORCE                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
1:11:22 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR SEATON announced that the  first order of business would                                                               
be SENATE JOINT  RESOLUTION NO. 17, Welcoming  the Arctic Council                                                               
Task  Force  for Arctic  Marine  Oil  Pollution Preparedness  and                                                               
Response to the  state for its March 2012 meeting  and urging the                                                               
task force  to use its  time in the  state to inform  and inspire                                                               
the work of the task force.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:11:49 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MICHAEL  PAWLOWSKI, Staff,  Senator Lesil  McGuire, Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature,  introduced SJR  17  on behalf  of Senator  McGuire,                                                               
sponsor, reporting that on March  20-22, 2012, the Arctic Council                                                               
Task  Force  for Arctic  Marine  Oil  Pollution Preparedness  and                                                               
Response will be holding a hearing  in Girdwood, Alaska.  He said                                                               
the resolution is  designed to be presented to the  task force to                                                               
encourage them  to use their time  in the state to  inspire their                                                               
work on  this arctic instrument.   He  added that the  task force                                                               
was created under the Arctic Council.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:12:45 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. PAWLOWSKI  explained that the  points of  particular interest                                                               
to Alaska start on  page 2, line 14, of the  resolution.  He said                                                               
lines 14-18  recognize that in terms  of shipping it is  not just                                                               
the Arctic region  of Alaska that will be affected,  but also the                                                               
Aleutian Islands;  therefore, the  Aleutian Islands  are included                                                               
throughout the resolution  as well.  According to page  16 of the                                                               
Aleutian Islands  Risk Assessment Project Phase  A Summary Report                                                             
[August 2011],  included in the  committee packet,  roughly 2,000                                                               
vessels  are  currently transiting  the  Aleutians.   The  [2004]                                                               
spill by  the M/V Selendang Ayu  was one of the  larger spills in                                                               
state history.  The  purpose of HJR 17 is to  express to the task                                                               
force -  which has  the responsibility  to create  the instrument                                                               
for Arctic cooperation  on oil spills and response  - that Alaska                                                               
would like  to see  vessels in  innocent passage  acknowledge the                                                               
critical  role   of  local  response   organizations,  indigenous                                                               
people, state  and local governments, and  response organizations                                                               
in preparedness  and response.   When  a vessel  in international                                                               
waters  loses control  and ends  up in  state waters,  it is  the                                                               
state that must respond and deal with the mess.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:14:11 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. PAWLOWSKI noted that lines  19-22 of the resolution urge that                                                               
ships  in the  Bering  Strait and  Aleutians regions  voluntarily                                                               
engage local  authorities in contingency  planning, and  that the                                                               
Instrument on  Cooperation on  Marine Oil  Pollution Preparedness                                                               
and Response  in the  Arctic encourages that  engagement.   It is                                                               
putting the  point that while the  State of Alaska does  not have                                                               
jurisdiction, it can participate  through this resolution at this                                                               
international body  to encourage  items that  are in  the state's                                                               
interest.  He  related that Senator McGuire  sees this resolution                                                               
as  part of  the broader  strategy  of engaging  on these  Arctic                                                               
issues that the legislature has taken the lead on.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:14:59 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. PAWLOWSKI, in response  to Representative Gardner, understood                                                               
that  "innocent"  passage involves  ships  that  are outside  the                                                               
waters  of the  state and  transiting not  to a  port within  the                                                               
state.  Directing attention to the  map on page 16 of the summary                                                               
report, he said  the "great circle route" is one  of the shortest                                                               
distances between  Asia and the West  Coast of the U.S.  and runs                                                               
through the Aleutian  Islands.  A ship on this  route would be in                                                               
innocent passage because it is  not heading into the jurisdiction                                                               
of the State of Alaska.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:15:50 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER inquired as to  how confident the State of                                                               
Alaska is that  every vessel coming to an Alaska  port is meeting                                                               
the standards being  requested in SJR 17, aside from  oil and gas                                                               
which is carefully monitored in the state's waters.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
MR. PAWLOWSKI  replied the standards requested  in the resolution                                                               
are voluntary.  He understood  that vessels coming into an Alaska                                                               
port must  comply with State  of Alaska rules.   However, vessels                                                               
currently  moving through  the Arctic  and the  Aleutians by  and                                                               
large do  not have to;  they are covered under  the International                                                               
Maritime Organization.   Through  these international  bodies the                                                               
state advocates  for stricter  standards.   For example,  the M/V                                                               
Selendang  Ayu was  a Malaysian  freighter that  functioned under                                                               
international  rules, not  State of  Alaska rules.   In  that the                                                               
Arctic nations  through the Arctic  Council are  getting together                                                               
to develop  a framework, the  State of  Alaska through SJR  17 is                                                               
expressing  an interest  in seeing  the  stricter standards  that                                                               
Alaska has  to protect its  coasts showcased at this  meeting and                                                               
encouraging  this  group  to adopt  stricter  standards  for  the                                                               
Arctic than currently exist.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:17:15 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HERRON inquired whether  Alaskans will be involved                                                               
in these discussions.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MR.  PAWLOWSKI  understood  Alaskans   would  not  officially  be                                                               
involved.   He directed  attention to page  2 of  the resolution,                                                               
beginning  on  line  30,  which   directs  where  copies  of  the                                                               
resolution are to be sent.   He said he does not believe Alaskans                                                               
are  on  the task  force  given  it  is an  international  group.                                                               
However, he  understood that Alaskans  will be at the  meeting to                                                               
advocate for issues that are in Alaska's interest.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HERRON  offered his support  for SJR 17  saying it                                                               
is artfully written to send a  memorandum to this group asking it                                                               
to  consider  Alaska's concerns  during  the  development of  its                                                               
comprehensive Arctic strategy.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MR. PAWLOWSKI,  in response  to Representative  Munoz, reiterated                                                               
that the  task force meeting  is taking place March  20-22, 2012,                                                               
at [Hotel Alyeska].                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR SEATON opened public testimony on SJR 17.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:19:15 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
NILS  ANDREASSEN,  Managing  Director, Institute  of  the  North,                                                               
stated he is  testifying in his capacity as co-chair  of the host                                                               
committee  for the  coming Arctic  Council Oil  Spill Task  Force                                                               
meeting.   He  said the  Institute of  the North  has had  a long                                                               
history of interaction  with the Arctic Council -  it has chaired                                                               
projects  under  the  working  groups,  including  a  circumpolar                                                               
infrastructure  task  force,  and  was co-editor  of  the  [2009]                                                               
Arctic  Marine Shipping  Assessment Report,  which is  considered                                                               
the bible of Arctic marine  shipping.  The Arctic Marine Shipping                                                               
Assessment  Report  recommended  there  be a  search  and  rescue                                                               
agreement, which  was approved  [May 2011]  by the  senior Arctic                                                               
officials.   At that  May meeting the  Arctic Council  decided to                                                               
form the Task Force for  Arctic Marine Oil Pollution Preparedness                                                               
and Response.  That task force  has now met in Norway and Moscow.                                                               
Since  its intent  was to  next  meet in  America, some  Alaskans                                                               
successfully urged  that that meeting  be held in Alaska.   Eight                                                               
delegations from around the Arctic  are bringing nearly a hundred                                                               
experts on  oil spill response  and preparedness to  this meeting                                                               
in Alaska.   This is a  great opportunity for Alaskans  to take a                                                               
leadership  role in  welcoming these  delegations and  helping to                                                               
shape some of the negotiations that will be taking place.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:21:04 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. ANDREASSEN said this is  an important time for Alaska because                                                               
the U.S. will be  the chair of the Arctic Council  in a few years                                                               
and the U.S. is forming its  strategy for its chairmanship.  This                                                               
is a  good first opportunity  for Alaskans  to weigh in  on these                                                               
issues.   He  said the  host committee  is encouraged  by SJR  17                                                               
because it sends a great message  to these guests from around the                                                               
Arctic.   From the host  committee's perspective there will  be a                                                               
number  of  public  opportunities  for  engagement.    While  the                                                               
sessions themselves are  closed, he and several  Alaskans will be                                                               
observers  and  will have  opportunities  for  interaction.   The                                                               
Institute of  the North is  hosting a  reception on March  19 for                                                               
the attendees.  Ambassador [David]  Balton of the U.S. Department                                                               
of State will  host a debriefing of the three-day  session on the                                                               
afternoon of March  22.  He reiterated that  [the host committee]                                                               
is glad to  see SJR 17 as  it sends a great  welcoming message to                                                               
these foreign dignitaries  and experts.  In  response to Co-Chair                                                               
Seaton,  said   he  has   not  seen  a   full  list   of  meeting                                                               
participants,   but  U.S.   Senator  Begich's   office  will   be                                                               
represented at each of the public forums.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:23:18 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR SEATON  closed public testimony after  ascertaining that                                                               
no one else wished to testify.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  MUNOZ moved  to report  SJR 17  out of  committee                                                               
with individual recommendations and  the accompanying zero fiscal                                                               
note.  She  thanked the sponsor, saying Senator  McGuire has been                                                               
a leader in Arctic issues.   There being no objection, SJR 17 was                                                               
reported from the House Resources Standing Committee.