01/28/2002 01:06 PM House RES
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+ teleconferenced
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ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE RESOURCES STANDING COMMITTEE
January 28, 2002
1:06 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Drew Scalzi, Co-Chair
Representative Hugh Fate, Vice Chair
Representative Joe Green
Representative Lesil McGuire
Representative Gary Stevens
Representative Beth Kerttula
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Beverly Masek, Co-Chair
Representative Mike Chenault
Representative Mary Kapsner
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
HOUSE BILL NO. 263
"An Act relating to water quality standards applicable to flow-
through hot springs pools."
- MOVED CSHB 263(RES) OUT OF COMMITTEE
PREVIOUS ACTION
BILL: HB 263
SHORT TITLE:REGULATION OF HOT SPRINGS WATER
SPONSOR(S): REPRESENTATIVE(S)FATE
Jrn-Date Jrn-Page Action
04/28/01 1310 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME -
REFERRALS
04/28/01 1310 (H) RES
01/23/02 (H) RES AT 1:00 PM CAPITOL 124
01/23/02 (H) Heard & Held
MINUTE(RES)
01/28/02 (H) RES AT 1:00 PM CAPITOL 124
WITNESS REGISTER
JANICE ADAIR, Director
Division of Environmental Health
Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)
555 Cordova Street
Anchorage, Alaska 99501
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified on HB 263.
ACTION NARRATIVE
TAPE 02-3, SIDE A
Number 0001
CO-CHAIR DREW SCALZI called the House Resources Standing
Committee meeting to order at 1:06 p.m. Representatives Scalzi,
Fate, Green, McGuire, Stevens, and Kerttula were present at the
call to order.
HB 263-REGULATION OF HOT SPRINGS WATER
Number 0010
CO-CHAIR SCALZI announced that the first order of business
before the committee would be HOUSE BILL NO. 263, "An Act
relating to water quality standards applicable to flow-through
hot springs pools."
Number 0190
REPRESENTATIVE MCGUIRE moved to adopt the proposed committee
substitute (CS) for HB 263, version 22-LS0985\C, Lauterbach,
1/25/02, as the working document. There being no objection,
Version C was before the committee.
Number 0276
REPRESENTATIVE FATE, speaking as the sponsor of HB 263, thanked
Janice Adair from the Department of Environmental Conservation
(DEC) for working with the [committee] and coming to an
agreement on the bill. He said that she had some real concerns
that he hoped Version C does meet. He indicated his
understanding that DEC approved of the changes.
Number 0331
REPRESENTATIVE FATE noted that four changes were made in Version
C. He indicated that "body of water" is a replacement for the
original term "pool" because a pool could be a swimming pool,
for example. He said there were concerns that the "dangerous
levels of disease-causing pathogens" did not include the word
"chemicals", which was added. He specified that the intent is
to protect the health of the people who are entering these
bodies of water. He indicated that the term "geothermal water"
was added to line 11 for clarity.
REPRESENTATIVE FATE reported that these were the only
substantive changes. He said he thought that this was good
legislation that will help develop the rural areas and will
provide safety for those people who are using the [hot springs].
Number 0448
REPRESENTATIVE KERTTULA said that she really appreciates all of
the work done by [Representative Fate] and DEC. She said that
she wanted to be sure that Version C clearly won't apply to
manmade concrete pools that contain hot springs [water], but
will apply to [natural] hot springs.
Number 0489
REPRESENTATIVE FATE responded that [Version C] purposely doesn't
deal with the material that the [hot springs] is made of. He
suggested that research will show that almost every hot spring
trickles out of the spring itself and is altered, whether it's
dug out by hand or [a material] such as concrete is added.
REPRESENTATIVE FATE explained that the intent is not to use a
hot springs as a swimming pool; the intent of this bill is for
the perceived medicinal purposes as stated in [Version C] or for
aesthetic reasons. He said there are some regulations
concerning pools and hot springs that he had not enumerated in
[Version C]. He suggested that it is DEC's [responsibility] to
enumerate the depth of a hot springs versus the depth of a
swimming pool and so forth. He reiterated that the reason for
the clarification is so that this bill could not be misconstrued
as pertaining to a swimming pool; it's strictly for a hot
springs.
Number 0579
REPRESENTATIVE KERTTULA said that her question had been
answered; the changes have taken out the word "pool" and
[replaced] it with "body of water". She suggested that this
change would make it so the bill cannot apply strictly to a
manmade concrete pool that water is being put into.
Number 0610
REPRESENTATIVE FATE said that the [hot springs] could contain
gravel, cedar, wood, or concrete. He said [Version C] doesn't
apply to swimming pools. He reiterated that [Version C] deals
with making the water safe. He indicated that [alterations]
such as adding material [may affect the outcome of the water
testing]; if it is not safe, then it will be [required] to be
made safe. He indicated that it might require changing the
construction to meet the standards.
Number 0649
REPRESENTATIVE STEVENS asked Ms. Adair if [Version C] allows DEC
to do its job and protect public health.
Number 0680
JANICE ADAIR, Director, Division of Environmental Health,
Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), testified via
teleconference. She informed the committee that she had not
seen [Version C], but it does sound as if it follows exactly the
version that Representative Fate's staff had drafted and sent to
her. She said the changes are sufficient for DEC.
Number 0727
REPRESENTATIVE MCGUIRE moved to report CS for HB 263, version
22-LS0985\C, Lauterbach, 1/25/02, out of committee with
individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal note.
There being no objection, CSHB 263(RES) was moved from the House
Resources Standing Committee.
ADJOURNMENT
Number 0783
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Resources Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at an
unspecified time.
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