04/14/1994 02:05 PM House FIN

  SB 33     An  Act relating  to  grants  for local  emergency                 
            planning   committees   and   emergency   response                 
            organizations;  and  providing  for  an  effective                 
            date.                                                              
                                                                               
            SB   33   was   placed  into   Subcommittee   with                 
  Representative           Foster  as  Chair and  with members                 
                           Representative    Therriault    and                 
                           Representative Brown.                               
  SENATE BILL 33                                                               
                                                                               
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       "An Act relating to grants for local emergency planning                 
       committees  and  emergency response  organizations; and                 
       providing for an effective date."                                       
                                                                               
  ANNETTE KREITZER, STAFF, SENATOR LOREN LEMAN, commented that                 
  CS  SB  33  (FIN)  would   address  emergency  planning  and                 
  response.  The Hazardous  Substance Spill Technology  Review                 
  Council  would transfer to  the Department  of Environmental                 
  Conservation and  the State  Emergency Response  Commission,                 
  including its  duty to designated  local emergency  planning                 
  districts emergency planning committees to the Department of                 
  Military  and Veterans'  Affairs.    A requirement  that the                 
  State and regional oil discharge  prevention and contingency                 
  plans be revised annually would be eliminated.                               
                                                                               
  Ms. Kreitzer explained  that the  intent of the  legislation                 
  was to facilitate a better  working relationship between the                 
  local emergency planning  committees and local  governments.                 
  It would  efficiently  accomplish  the  goals  of  emergency                 
  planning  and  planning  for  oil  and  hazardous  substance                 
  discharges by  reducing the opportunities for duplication of                 
  effort at the state  level.  Additionally, the abilities  of                 
  local communities to plan for disasters would be enhanced.                   
                                                                               
  ERVIN  MARTIN,  (TESTIFIED  VIA  TELECONFERENCE),  DIRECTOR,                 
  ALASKA  DIVISION   OF  EMERGENCY  SERVICES,   DEPARTMENT  OF                 
  MILITARY  AND  VETERANS  AFFAIRS, spoke  in  support  of the                 
  legislation noting that it would  provide good public policy                 
  by consolidating functions.                                                  
                                                                               
  JEFF MORRISON,  LEGISLATIVE LIAISON,  DIRECTOR, DIVISION  OF                 
  ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF MILITARY AND VETERANS                 
  AFFAIRS,  pointed  out   the  joint  support  of   both  the                 
  Department  of  Environmental  Conservation  (DEC)  and  the                 
  Department of  Military and  Veterans Affairs  (DMVA).   The                 
  legislation  would expand the  responsibilities of the State                 
  Emergency Response System  (SERS) for all hazards  and would                 
  require  an  additional  two  planners to  be  hired  by the                 
  Department in order to develop that plan.                                    
                                                                               
  Mr. Morrison explained that the legislation would coordinate                 
  all  planning  activities.   Currently,  DMVA is  charged by                 
  statute  to  work  with  communities  to prepare  plans  for                 
  disasters.     DEC  is  charged  by  statute  to  work  with                 
  communities to prepare plans for hazardous substance and oil                 
  spills.   To  the extent  that those  two programs  overlap,                 
  there are conflicting statutes.  The legislation would place                 
  DMVA in charge of developing these plans.                                    
                                                                               
  Discussion followed between  Committee members, Ms. Kreitzer                 
  and  Mr.  Morrison  regarding  the  response  plan  and  the                 
                                                                               
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  associated timing of the plan.                                               
                                                                               
  Co-Chair Larson placed CS SB 33 (FIN) into Subcommittee with                 
  Representative   Foster   as   Chair    and   with   members                 
  Representative Therriault  and Representative Brown.   CS SB
 (FIN) was HELD in Committee for further consideration.