02/09/1999 05:07 PM House WTR

       HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON WORLD TRADE                                                                                   
            AND STATE/FEDERAL RELATIONS                                                                                         
                  February 9, 1999                                                                                              
                     5:07 p.m.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
PRESENTATION:  BRIEFING ON THE ALEUT CORPORATION'S EFFORTS TO                                                                   
               COMMERCIALIZE FACILITIES ON ADAK                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
TAPE(S)                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
99-01, SIDE(S) A & B                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CALL TO ORDER                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR RAMONA BARNES called the House Special Committee on World                                                                 
Trade and State/Federal Relations meeting to order at 5:07 p.m.                                                                 
Members present at the call to order were Representatives Barnes,                                                               
Cowdery, Phillips, Berkowitz and Joule.  Representatives Masek and                                                              
Green arrived at 5:14 p.m.  Also present was Representative Moses.                                                              
                                                                                                                                
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CHRISTOPHER GATES, Executive Director, Adak Reuse Corporation, came                                                             
forward to brief the committee on the latest developments in Adak.                                                              
He outlined four commercial focus areas:  the port, the airport,                                                                
the fuel farm, and potential ocean research/Coast Guard station.                                                                
He addressed challenges involving oil spill clean-up, unexploded                                                                
ordinances, asbestos removal and demolition of abandoned buildings.                                                             
He emphasized the benefits of utilizing the airport as a strategic                                                              
location and detailed the costs involved.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
KJETIL SOLBERG, Owner, Adak Seafood LLC, described the goals of his                                                             
company in the processing and international marketing of cod from                                                               
the waters around Adak beginning the end of February 1999.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
DAVID JENSEN, Vice President, Reeve Aleutian Airways, stressed the                                                              
importance of using Adak as an emergency alternate airport, and                                                                 
detailed reasons why both its size and location are of utmost                                                                   
value.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
KRIS LETHIN, Vice President, Aleut Enterprises Corporation,                                                                     
addressed measures their corporation has taken to ensure                                                                        
indemnification from the federal government in liability issues.                                                                
He stressed the corporation's desire to make Adak a community, as                                                               
opposed to a "company town," and outlined ways that bypass mail                                                                 
could assist in recruiting the types of business needed for                                                                     
community growth.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
The committee took no action.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
There being no further business, the House Special Committee on                                                                 
World Trade and State/Federal Relations meeting was adjourned by                                                                
Chair Barnes at 6:05 p.m.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
NOTE:                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
The meeting was recorded and handwritten log notes were taken.  A                                                               
copy of the tape(s) and log notes may be obtained by contacting the                                                             
House Records Office at 130 Seward Street, Suite 211, Juneau,                                                                   
Alaska  99801-1182, (907) 465-2214, and after adjournment of the                                                                
second session of the Twenty-first Alaska State Legislature, in the                                                             
Legislative Reference Library.