04/03/1996 08:07 AM House RES

 SJR 38 - TOXIC RELEASE INVENTORY PROGRAM                                    
                                                                               
 Number 095                                                                    
                                                                               
 ANNETTE KREITZER, Legislative Assistant to Senator Loren Leman,               
 appeared on behalf of the Senate Resources Committee.  She stated             
 that SJR 33 was an expansion of the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI)             
 program, and the Senate Resources Committee is concerned about the            
 expansion of federal intrusion, or expansion of programs relating             
 to reporting.                                                                 
                                                                               
 MS. KREITZER informed that the Senate has introduced legislation              
 dealing with excessive reporting requirements: SB 69 and SB 199.              
 The Senate Resources Committee would appreciate favorable                     
 consideration of SJR 38.                                                      
                                                                               
 Number 319                                                                    
                                                                               
 CO-CHAIRMAN GREEN agreed that the resolution appears to be a                  
 continuation of, what might be considered a proliferation of,                 
 unnecessary, or overindulgence in regulations.  He stated his                 
 concurrence with the senate resolution.                                       
                                                                               
 Number 350                                                                    
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE SCOTT OGAN asked Ms. Kreitzer to explain page 2,               
 line 4, "Whereas the only way to monitor these varying discharges             
 would be for operators to perform regular, expensive waste stream             
 tests; and."  What was the standard prior to the TRI program and              
 what increased testing is now required?                                       
                                                                               
 Number 402                                                                    
                                                                               
 MS. KREITZER commented that, "Currently, oil and gas exploration              
 production companies are not covered under the "Toxic Release                 
 Inventory" program.  It is a program that covers chemical companies           
 and the entire process of reporting under a TRI, it is not a                  
 situation where it is less reporting that is required now and this            
 would be mean an increase in an existing program.  They are                   
 expanding the program, not only the number of chemicals to be                 
 reported, but also expanding the program to new industries, and               
 that is the problem.  It is an expansion of a program - we feel               
 like the reporting requirements can be met under the Clean Water              
 Act and Clean Air Act and other existing acts.  The committee felt            
 that this was just excessive, duplicative reporting."                         
 Number 474                                                                    
                                                                               
 CO-CHAIRMAN WILLIAM K. "BILL" WILLIAMS moved that SJR 38 move from            
 the House Resources Committee with individual recommendations.                
 There were no objections, so SJR 38 moved from committee.