04/08/1993 03:40 PM Senate RES

  SENATOR MILLER announced HCR 16 ESTABLISH STATE COAL POLICY                  
  to be up for consideration.                                                  
                                                                               
  BOB  STILES,  President,  Alaska   Coal  Association  (ACA),                 
  supported HCR 16, because the policy  reflects the work of a                 
  lot of the membership of the ACA as well as other industrial                 
  organizations throughout the state.  This legislation  sends                 
  a  message to  the  international  investment community  and                 
  international customers for  Alaskan coal  that Alaska is  a                 
  good place to  do business.  This perception is tremendously                 
  important and of value to the long-term future of the state.                 
                                                                               
                                                                               
  Number 490                                                                   
                                                                               
  SENATOR FRANK asked if  he expected a domestic market  to be                 
  viable?  MR. STILES replied yes, that the domestic market is                 
  in  two  places  -  Hawaii,  which  is  currently  importing                 
  Indonesian coal, and in the state of Washington.                             
                                                                               
  SENATOR FRANK asked what the  chances for waiving the  Jones                 
  Act were.  MR. STILES said there are numerous waivers to the                 
  Jones Act. The State Ferry System has a waiver to  the Jones                 
  Act, for instance.  He believes  there is a good possibility                 
  of getting a Jones Act exemption  and, given that exemption,                 
  opens some  potential markets to  Alaskan coal that  are not                 
  now available to us.                                                         
                                                                               
  Number 508                                                                   
                                                                               
  CHARLIE  BODDY,  Alaska Coal  Association and  Alaska Miners                 
  Association, said they supported HCR 16.                                     
                                                                               
  SENATOR LEMAN moved to discharge HCR  16 from committee with                 
  individual  recommendations  and  accompanying fiscal  note.                 
  There were no objections and it was so ordered.