Legislature(2017 - 2018)BARNES 124

04/25/2017 11:30 AM House ARCTIC POLICY, ECONOMIC DEV., & TOURISM

Note: the audio and video recordings are distinct records and are obtained from different sources. As such there may be key differences between the two. The audio recordings are captured by our records offices as the official record of the meeting and will have more accurate timestamps. Use the icons to switch between them.

Download Mp3. <- Right click and save file as

Audio Topic
11:34:48 AM Start
11:35:39 AM HJR19
11:43:49 AM Adjourn
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+= HJR 19 ARCTIC MARINE SAFETY AGREEMENTS TELECONFERENCED
Moved CSHJR 19(AET) Out of Committee
-- Public Testimony --
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled TELECONFERENCED
-- Public Testimony --
                    ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                  
           HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON ARCTIC POLICY,                                                                          
               ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND TOURISM                                                                              
                         April 25, 2017                                                                                         
                           11:34 a.m.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Representative Dean Westlake, Chair                                                                                             
Representative Andy Josephson                                                                                                   
Representative Chris Tuck                                                                                                       
Representative Gary Knopp                                                                                                       
Representative Mark Neuman                                                                                                      
Representative David Talerico                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Representative Bryce Edgmon                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 19                                                                                                   
Commending the Arctic Waterways  Safety Committee; supporting the                                                               
adoption of prevention measures  into international agreements to                                                               
ensure clear,  universal, and enforceable marine  safety measures                                                               
in the  Arctic; and urging  the state's delegation in  the United                                                               
States  Congress and  the  governor to  promote  the adoption  of                                                               
spill prevention  measures into international  agreements; urging                                                               
the  President  of  the  United  States  and  the  United  States                                                               
Department  of  State  to initiate  negotiations  to  enter  into                                                               
international  agreements  to  ensure  safe  and  environmentally                                                               
responsible marine operations in the Arctic.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     - MOVED CSHJR 19(AET) OUT OF COMMITTEE                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
BILL: HJR 19                                                                                                                  
SHORT TITLE: ARCTIC MARINE SAFETY AGREEMENTS                                                                                    
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) WESTLAKE                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
04/07/17       (H)       READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS                                                                        
04/07/17       (H)       AET                                                                                                    
04/11/17       (H)       AET AT 11:30 AM BARNES 124                                                                             
04/11/17       (H)       Scheduled but Not Heard                                                                                
04/20/17       (H)       AET AT 11:30 AM BARNES 124                                                                             
04/20/17       (H)       Heard & Held                                                                                           
04/20/17       (H)       MINUTE(AET)                                                                                            
04/25/17       (H)       AET AT 11:30 AM BARNES 124                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
WITNESS REGISTER                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
WILLIAM HERRINGTON                                                                                                              
Anchorage, Alaska                                                                                                               
POSITION  STATEMENT:    Offered   a  correction  to  his  4/20/17                                                             
testimony on HJR 19.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
ACTION NARRATIVE                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
11:34:48 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DEAN WESTLAKE called the  House Special Committee On Arctic                                                             
Policy,  Economic Development,  and Tourism  meeting to  order at                                                               
11:34  a.m. Representatives  Tuck,  Josephson, Neuman,  Talerico,                                                               
and Westlake were  present at the call to  order.  Representative                                                               
Knopp arrived as the meeting was in progress.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
             HJR 19-ARCTIC MARINE SAFETY AGREEMENTS                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
11:35:39 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WESTLAKE  announced that the  only order of  business would                                                               
be  HOUSE   JOINT  RESOLUTION  NO.  19,   Commending  the  Arctic                                                               
Waterways   Safety   Committee;   supporting  the   adoption   of                                                               
prevention  measures  into  international  agreements  to  ensure                                                               
clear, universal,  and enforceable marine safety  measures in the                                                               
Arctic; and  urging the state's  delegation in the  United States                                                               
Congress  and  the governor  to  promote  the adoption  of  spill                                                               
prevention  measures into  international  agreements; urging  the                                                               
President of the  United States and the  United States Department                                                               
of  State to  initiate negotiations  to enter  into international                                                               
agreements to ensure safe  and environmentally responsible marine                                                               
operations in the Arctic.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
11:36:04 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
WILLIAM  HERRINGTON  corrected   information  from  his  previous                                                               
testimony on HJR 19, given  before the House Special Committee On                                                               
Arctic Policy,  Economic Development, and Tourism  on 4/20/17, by                                                               
noting that although he had  said it was the British Broadcasting                                                               
Corporation (BBC)  that reported the  story, in actuality  it was                                                               
Nippon  Hoso Kyokai(NHK)  Japan [official  English name  is Japan                                                               
Broadcasting Corporation].   He added that  the story highlighted                                                               
the  Russian-Japanese cooperation  to supply  Japan with  natural                                                               
gas for the foreseeable future.   He noted that Royal Dutch Shell                                                               
(Shell) is  building huge gas  processing ships called  drill and                                                               
processing vehicles (DPVs).   He described that  the vehicles are                                                               
over nine  football fields in  length and ten stories  in height.                                                               
He  added  that  the  vehicles require  no  onshore  pipeline  or                                                               
onshore  labor, the  DPV  simply would  park over  a  field.   He                                                               
reminisced about  the old  Alaska license  plates that  read "the                                                               
Last Frontier" and  opined that the Arctic is  certainly the next                                                               
frontier, as far as development.   He inquired whether anyone had                                                               
looked up the program he mentioned.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WESTLAKE answered no.   He disclosed that the committee has                                                               
been working with the department and Mr. Fuhs and Captain Page.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
11:38:21 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WESTLAKE closed public testimony on HJR 19.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
11:38:35 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  TUCK asked  Chair  Westlake whether  he would  be                                                               
open to a slight amendment.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WESTLAKE answered yes.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
11:39:10 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE TUCK  moved to adopt  Conceptual Amendment  1 that                                                               
would  change Page  2,  line  29, from  saying  "the state's"  to                                                               
"Alaska's".   There  being no  objection, Conceptual  Amendment 1                                                               
was adopted.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE TUCK shared his  appreciation for Mr. Herrington's                                                               
claim  that the  Arctic  is  the new  frontier.    He added  that                                                               
countries are  racing to stake claim  in the region.   He pointed                                                               
out that  were it  not for  Alaska, the  United States  would not                                                               
even be an  Arctic nation.  He surmised that  Alaska would play a                                                               
pivotal  role when  looking at  both the  East and  the Northwest                                                               
routes because  both start  and stop  between Alaska  and Russia.                                                               
He noted  that Alaska is the  key point of access  to the Arctic,                                                               
as well  as to shipping routes  in the Pacific.   He extended his                                                               
appreciation  for  HJR  19  because  it  would  ensure  the  best                                                               
interests of  Alaska are being looked  at as well as  making sure                                                               
newer and safer technologies are  constantly being applied in the                                                               
region.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
11:41:33 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE TUCK  moved to report  HJR 19, as amended,  out of                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations and  the accompanying                                                               
fiscal  notes.   There being  no  objection, CSHJR  19 (AET)  was                                                               
reported  from  the House  Special  Committee  On Arctic  Policy,                                                               
Economic Development, and Tourism.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 11:42 a.m. to 11:43 a.m.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
11:43:49 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
There being no further business before the committee, the House                                                                 
Special Committee On Arctic Policy, Economic Development, and                                                                   
Tourism meeting was adjourned at 11:44 a.m.                                                                                     

Document Name Date/Time Subjects