02/26/2015 11:15 AM Senate SPECIAL CMTE ON THE ARCTIC
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB1 | |
| Presentation: Managing the Arctic Maritime Domain Through Available Technology | |
| Adjourn |
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| = | HB 1 | ||
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON THE ARCTIC
February 26, 2015
11:18 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Cathy Giessel, Co-Chair
Senator Lesil McGuire, Co-Chair
Senator Lyman Hoffman
Senator Gary Stevens
Senator Donald Olson
Senator Click Bishop
Senator John Coghill
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator Berta Gardner
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 1(EDA) am
"An Act declaring the Arctic policy of the state."
MOVED SCS CSHB 1(ARC) OUT OF COMMITTEE
PRESENTATION: MANAGING THE ARCTIC MARITIME DOMAIN THROUGH
AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGY
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HB 1
SHORT TITLE: STATE ARCTIC POLICY
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) HERRON
01/21/15 (H) PREFILE RELEASED 1/9/15
01/21/15 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
01/21/15 (H) EDA, STA
01/27/15 (H) EDA AT 10:15 AM BARNES 124
01/27/15 (H) Heard & Held
01/27/15 (H) MINUTE(EDA)
02/05/15 (H) EDA AT 11:30 AM BARNES 124
02/05/15 (H) Moved CSHB 1(EDA) Out of Committee
02/05/15 (H) MINUTE(EDA)
02/06/15 (H) EDA RPT CS(EDA) 1DP 5NR
02/06/15 (H) DP: HERRON
02/06/15 (H) NR: JOHNSON, TILTON, WOOL, ORTIZ,
STUTES
02/10/15 (H) STA AT 8:00 AM CAPITOL 106
02/10/15 (H) Moved CSHB 1(EDA) Out of Committee
02/10/15 (H) MINUTE(STA)
02/11/15 (H) STA RPT CS(EDA) 3DP 1NR 2AM
02/11/15 (H) DP: TALERICO, STUTES, LYNN
02/11/15 (H) NR: KELLER
02/11/15 (H) AM: KREISS-TOMKINS, GRUENBERG
02/13/15 (H) TRANSMITTED TO (S)
02/13/15 (H) VERSION: CSHB 1(EDA) AM
02/18/15 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
02/18/15 (S) ARC, STA
02/19/15 (S) ARC AT 11:15 AM BUTROVICH 205
02/19/15 (S) -- Testimony < Public and Invited > --
02/26/15 (S) ARC AT 11:15 AM BUTROVICH 205
WITNESS REGISTER
KARA MORIARTY, President/CEO
Alaska Oil and Gas Association (AOGA)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 1.
ED PAGE, Executive Director
Marine Exchange of Alaska
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented information on Managing the Arctic
Maritime Domain through Available Technology.
ACTION NARRATIVE
11:18:51 AM
CO-CHAIR LESIL MCGUIRE called the Senate Special Committee on
the Arctic meeting to order at 11:18 a.m. Present at the call to
order were Senators Hoffman, Stevens, Olson, Coghill, Bishop,
Co-Chair Giessel, and Co-Chair McGuire.
HB 1-STATE ARCTIC POLICY
11:19:33 AM
CO-CHAIR MCGUIRE announced the consideration of HB 1. She noted
that when she recessed the meeting on February 19, 2015, the
committee had adopted version S and was considering Amendment 1.
She had objected for discussion purposes.
SENATOR BISHOP withdrew Amendment 1 and offered Amendment 2:
Page 3, line 13:
Insert new subsection:
Section 2 AS 44.99.105(1)
(G)Continue to prepare all Alaskans for emerging
economic activities, by utilizing multiple education
and training opportunities and implementing state
workforce plans.
CO-CHAIR MCGUIRE objected for discussion purposes.
SENATOR BISHOP read the amendment. He said he thinks it is an
improvement over Amendment 1 and "gets us where we want to go."
CO-CHAIR MCGUIRE withdrew her objection. There being no further
objection, Amendment 2 was adopted.
KARA MORIARTY, President/CEO, Alaska Oil and Gas Association
(AOGA), testified in support of HB 1. She related that AOGA is
the professional trade association whose mission is to foster
the long-term viability of the oil and gas industry for the
benefit of all Alaskans. She said AOGA members have been
exploring, developing, producing, transporting, and refining
Alaska's natural resources in the Arctic for more than 40 years.
She said AOGA is proud of its partnership with the people of
Alaska providing revenue to the state, economic opportunities,
and infrastructure to the Arctic Region.
She thanked the 26 members of the Arctic Policy Commission for
the substantial amount of work undertaken the past two years.
The outcome, both the report and the implementation plan and
this bill, are to be commended as a robust and comprehensive
views of Alaska's Arctic. Both place the people of the Arctic at
the forefront and reiterate Alaska's commitment to vibrant
communities through a healthy environment and economic
stability. Since statehood, the industry has fueled Alaska's
economy by providing jobs and revenues to the state and local
funding. Today, the oil and gas industry accounts for more than
92 percent of the state's general unrestricted funds, and 99
percent of the revenue to the North Slope Borough.
MS. MORIARTY noted that AOGA was not an official member of the
commission, but was actively engaged in the process. AOGA's
comments were focused on two main tenants, access and
predictability. She concluded that the industry has partnered
with the state to uphold and defend multiple use of Arctic
public lands for development that would lead to immense
potential for supporting Arctic economies, filling the Trans-
Alaska Pipeline System, and generating billions of dollars in
government revenues.
She said, although access to land is itemized in the
implementation plan, AOGA appreciates the commission's renewed
commitment in its policies. AOGA has long fought for
predictability in development. Stable tax, regulatory, and
permitting processes encourage investment and drive economically
vibrant communities. The oil and gas industry has been commended
by the people of the Arctic for outreach efforts and integration
of traditional knowledge in industry operations. Many companies
have dedicated tribal liaisons who spend considerable time in
the communities. She said the bottom line is AOGA members engage
with Arctic communities every day and look forward to continuing
to do so for years to come. She thanked the Co-chairs and
Representative Herron for their leadership.
11:24:46 AM
CO-CHAIR MCGUIRE thanked Ms. Moriarty and noted the arrival of
Senator Coghill.
CO-CHAIR GIESSEL thanked AOGA, the Miners Association, the
Support Industry Alliance, and the Resource Development Council
for their contributions to the bill and for providing awareness
of where economic development and the protection of the
environment come from.
CO-CHAIR MCGUIRE agreed.
CO-CHAIR GIESSEL moved to report SCS CSHB 1, version 29-
LS1103\S, as amended, from committee with individual
recommendations and attached zero fiscal notes. There being no
objection, SCS CSHB 1(ARC) was reported from the Senate Special
Committee on the Arctic.
11:26:43 AM
At ease
11:28:28 AM
CO-CHAIR MCGUIRE brought the meeting back to order and announced
the arrival of Senator Stevens.
^PRESENTATION: Managing the Arctic Maritime Domain through
Available Technology
PRESENTATION: Managing the Arctic Maritime Domain through
Available Technology
11:28:33 AM
ED PAGE, Executive Director, Marine Exchange of Alaska,
presented information on Managing the Arctic Maritime Domain
through Available Technology. He thanked the legislature for its
support for the Marine Exchange. He provided information about
his background in the Coast Guard and gave examples of where
people perished on ships and of environmental tragedies. He said
he became very involved in safety and prevention. He maintained
that responsible development of resources must be accompanied by
an obligation for industries and agencies to be pro-active
regarding risk mitigation and environmental protection.
He related that the Marine Exchange was developed with funding
from the state, Coast Guard, and Maritime Ministry. It leverages
technology as it relates to managing the Arctic maritime domain.
He noted he developed the Marine Exchange for Alaska, the most
challenging maritime state.
11:31:39 AM
MR. PAGE describe the Maritime Exchange as a non-profit
organization located in Juneau and established to provide the
Alaska maritime community information, communications, and
services to ensure safe, secure, efficient and environmentally
responsible maritime operations. He said marine exchanges date
back to the 1800's and used telescopes, semaphores and chalk
boards. Today, radar, radio, AIS, email, the web, and satellites
are used.
11:32:36 AM
SENATOR BISHOP referred to the chalk board as a means of
tracking ships. He maintained that the maritime industry has
impeccable written records as far back as the 1400's.
MR. PAGE he agreed. He explained that the old system whereby
ships called for help no longer exists; under the new system
they are tracked and contacted whenever a situation arises. He
pointed out that if Captain Hazelwood [Exxon Valdez] knew he was
being watched, he probably would not have left the channel. He
concluded that monitoring can influence behavior. Today
information is disseminated by technology, such as the internet,
smart phones, and PDA's.
11:34:08 AM
SENATOR OLSON asked how the state can avoid costs related to
maritime disasters.
MR. PAGE opined that if mariners knew they were being monitored
there would be less risk. The Marine Exchange is currently
monitoring vessels using a system that did not previously exist.
He noted Canada is very interested in adopted a similar program.
SENATOR OLSON inquired how a ferry grounding could have been
avoided.
MR. PAGE reiterated that if they had been monitored by the home
office those events would be less likely to occur.
SENATOR OLSON asked if monitors will be installed in the wheel
house.
MR. PAGE pointed out that the wheel house knows their location.
With the Maritime Exchange all vessel positions are updated
every couple seconds for those who are supposed to oversee the
vessels.
SENATOR OLSON spoke of the financial challenges for funding new
monitors.
MR. PAGE asked if he is referring to the ferry system.
SENATOR OLSON said yes.
MR. PAGE said all the monitors are in place already and the
system is up and running.
11:38:00 AM
MR. PAGE showed a slide of busy Alaska vessel traffic at one
point in time.
He listed the reasons for tracking vessels: safety net, risk
assessments, environmental protection, validate compliance,
emergency response, improve efficiency, and maritime security.
The goal is for safe, secure, efficient, and environmentally
sound maritime operations.
He noted the need for 100 percent success, a very high standard
demanded by the agencies. He said the Marine Exchange is a
commitment shared by the marine industry, Coast Guard, and the
state. He listed the names of the state agencies involved:
Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), Department of
Transportation and Public Facilities (DOTPF), Department of
Military & Veterans Affairs (DMVA), Department of Commerce,
Community and Economic Development (DCCED), and Department of
Environmental Conservation (DEC).
11:39:41 AM
MR. PAGE turned to common marine challenges Canada and Alaska
share. Canada is trying to replicate a similar safety net in the
northern transportation system. Both countries share concerns
about: climate change and changing ice conditions, new and
expanded resource development, community resupply, tourism with
smaller vessels and cruise ships, increased marine traffic,
limited search and rescue capacity, limited infrastructure, cost
of building and maintaining infrastructure, and international
interests. He showed a map of two common areas that Alaska and
Canada share.
He discussed the Automatic Identification System (AIS)
technology and spoke of problems encountered. About ten years
ago the international maritime community required vessels to
have transponders, much like aircraft. However, the Coast Guard
did not have the funding to build a receiver. With the help of
state money, Exxon Valdez settlement funds, Maritime Ministry
funds, and Coast Guard funds, the AIS system was put in place.
11:41:21 AM
MR. PAGE showed a map of Marine Exchange marine safety site
locations in 2014. Locations include Norway and Iceland.
He noted the state has been a great funding source, however,
currently, the Marine Exchange is not relying on the state. The
state is providing 12 percent funding now, as opposed to 60
percent in 2009.
He showed a slide of vessel tracking support and the Alaska
maritime community support of the AIS Network. Support by
entities such as lighthouse associations, pilot stations, harbor
offices, fish hatcheries, tribal offices, and oil facilities
make the Marine Exchange affordable. He showed remote self-
supported AIS sites and the vehicles and methods of access.
11:43:21 AM
He turned to Southeast Alaska operations and a variety of access
networks. He spoke of the rescue by a state Fish and Game vessel
and the use of vessels other than the Coast Guard for rescue. He
noted that the Coast Guard and the Marine Exchange see the same
information. He noted that there are speed restrictions in
certain areas that are surrounded by an "automatic fence." He
opined it is a great way to compel compliance.
11:45:30 AM
SENATOR OLSON asked if the Maritime Exchange has regulatory
authority.
MR. PAGE said no. They simply remind the vessels of their
infractions. He said Shell requested monitoring after one of
their contract vessels went into the wrong area.
SENATOR OLSON spoke of the effects extreme tides and winds have
on vessels.
MR. PAGE explained how they include those factors.
He shared an example of when a Canadian barge went adrift in the
U.S. Arctic. The Marine Exchange found an easy way to track them
using a small transponder and small sand bags.
11:47:58 AM
MR. PAGE spoke of the Arctic Safety Net Project and the use of
small transponders. The sponsors are Pew, IUCN, Oak Foundation
and the Arctic Council. He showed a variety of maps from the
Arctic and how the data can be used. Another map showed where
ships are located and their routes on a specific date and the
trends by year.
SENATOR OLSON asked which side of the Diomede Islands has the
majority of the traffic.
MR. PAGE said the U.S. side does. Most of the traffic goes to
the Red Dog Mine and oil exploration support.
SENATOR OLSON asked why the most traffic stays on the U.S. side.
MR. PAGE said each country's vessels stay on their respective
sides.
11:50:56 AM
He explained how the evaluation of maritime activity is compiled
and shared with other agencies. He showed Red Dog cargo ship
paths.
He shared statistics about traffic density and how passenger
vessels might route. He showed pictures of a variety of vessels
that use the northern water.
11:52:35 AM
MR. PAGE contrasted northern transits with those near Juneau. He
stressed that the domain awareness issue is one thing to know;
but whose domain it is, is another issue. In the Selendang Ayu
situation there was no maritime domain awareness or management.
That situation has changed and is presently there. He gave
another example of an area where there is no domain awareness.
He suggested moving into the area of domain management, such as
with bulk cargo vessels who typically have high risk transits.
SENATOR STEVENS asked why the cargo vessel used the high risk
route.
MR. PAGE did not know.
He talked about the Alaska Maritime Prevention & Response
Network, made up of 25 people, of which he is president. He said
he started the non-profit network to implement alternative spill
response and prevention methods that most cost effectively meet
the environmental protection objectives of state and federal
regulations. There are tanker and non-tank vessel Alternative
Planning Criteria (APC's).
He said the network was created because, even though the Coast
Guard has pollution prevention regulations, they have never
applied them in Alaska. The network provides an alternative to
that. The network purchased over $1 million in oil spill
response equipment, but the focus is on prevention.
11:57:24 AM
SENATOR STEVENS asked about the makeup of the map near Russia.
MR. PAGE explained the map depicts the effects of the Pribilof
Islands. He termed it a "donut hole" where the Marine Exchange
does not track vessels. He noted the size of Alaska provides
great challenges in spill response. Coast Guard regulations are
only being met in Cook Inlet and in Prince William Sound.
11:58:23 AM
MR. PAGE turned to extreme weather conditions and the
responsibilities and challenges in spill response. He maintained
that the best response is prevention. He talked about the
limited infrastructure of the network and where alternative
planning criteria by the Coast Guard would be needed.
He talked about prevention and response enhancements. He showed
the risk mitigating routes through passes and offshore routes.
He showed the route bulk cargo vessel Red Jasmine would take
after APC implementation and an example of a vessel not under
command in Western Alaska waters and another not in compliance
with OPA-90. He provided an example of a typical message to the
Coast Guard.
MR. PAGE shared statistics from the emergency response data
base. There were 450 vessels found to be non-compliant last year
and the Coast Guard was notified. Currently, there is only about
one a day out of compliance, a great improvement.
He shared how revenues are being allocated: to enhance spill
response equipment, enhance prevention capabilities, fund spill
response organization, and for administration costs. He shared
the network's five-year plan and network developments in 2014.
The network enrolled 2,000 vessels, enhanced vessel tracking
capabilities with more AIS sites, supported cooperative research
and development agreement with the Coast Guard, procured
$950,000 in oil spill response equipment, established an office
in Anchorage, and initiated a ship arrestor R & D project with
Glosten Engineering.
He showed graphs of non-participating vessels last year and how
much improvement was made. He spoke of their role in providing
environmental information by using Alaska Ocean Observing
System's sponsored AIS weather project. The Marine Exchange is
building 28 weather sites and developing the software.
12:04:06 PM
He discussed the cooperative research and development agreement
USCG-MXAK - CRADA and the Arctic Next Generation Navigational
Safety Information System. It provides virtual aids to
navigation, shows the locations of whalers and whales, provides
environmental data, shows vessels in distress, and notifies
vessels in areas to be avoided or exceeding the speed limits. He
spoke of when Simushir was adrift, which was a good example of
the disparity between Alaska and Canada.
He summarized that there is a tool box which was not previously
in place to manage maritime domain and communicate risks to
vessels. Arctic Maritime Safety and Environmental Protection
consists of maritime domain awareness and management,
implementation of risk mitigation measures, monitoring and
compelling compliance, response network and capabilities, and
leveraging technology to enhance maritime safety.
He voiced appreciation for the support the state has provided
over the years.
CO-CHAIR MCGUIRE thanked Mr. Page for his presentation.
SENATOR STEVENS asked what the current state investment is.
MR. PAGE said the Marine Exchange is not in the budget this
year. He mentioned previous funding such as the cruise ship head
tax which does benefit the whole maritime community. He said he
is hoping to have state funding reinstated at $500,000 as in the
past.
CO-CHAIR MCGUIRE introduced Senator Gardner who is the alternate
member of the committee.
12:09:25 PM
There being nothing further to come before the committee, Co-
Chair McGuire adjourned the Senate Special Committee on the
Arctic at 12:09 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| Senate CS for CS for HB1 Version S.pdf |
SARC 2/26/2015 11:15:00 AM |
HB 1 |
| HB1 - Sectional Analysis.pdf |
SARC 2/26/2015 11:15:00 AM |
HB 1 |
| HB1 - Sponsor Statement.pdf |
SARC 2/26/2015 11:15:00 AM |
HB 1 |
| HB1 Fiscal Note LEG.PDF |
SARC 2/26/2015 11:15:00 AM |
HB 1 |
| HB1 Fiscal Note DEC-Spar.PDF |
SARC 2/26/2015 11:15:00 AM |
HB 1 |
| HB1 Fiscal Note DEC-Water.PDF |
SARC 2/26/2015 11:15:00 AM |
HB 1 |
| HB1 Fiscal Note DHS.PDF |
SARC 2/26/2015 11:15:00 AM |
HB 1 |
| Summary of Changes Version I.A to S.pdf |
SARC 2/26/2015 11:15:00 AM |
|
| Ed Page- Vessel Tracking Briefing Senate.pdf |
SARC 2/26/2015 11:15:00 AM |