HB 171-PFAS USE & REMEDIATION; FIRE/WATER SAFETY  2:01:54 PM CHAIR PATKOTAK announced that the final order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 171, "An Act relating to pollutants; relating to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances; relating to the duties of the Department of Environmental Conservation; relating to firefighting substances; relating to thermal remediation of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substance contamination; and providing for an effective date." 2:02:39 PM TIM CLARK, Staff, Representative Sara Hannan, Alaska State Legislature, on behalf of Representative Hannan, prime sponsor of HB 171, noted that the committee packet included the full report from the Michigan Science Advisory Workgroup with methodology for setting maximum allowable levels of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), as well as the basis for the language in HB 171 specifying the seven PFAS compounds to be regulated. He explained that, with regard to the text of AS 46.03.345(a), the action described is the regulatory practice within the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), so the proposed legislation could be characterized as codifying that practice. 2:06:06 PM RANDY KRAUSE, Fire Chief, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Port of Seattle, said that the Port of Seattle has been working with partners at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to implement the use of a fluorine-free firefighting foam. He said that, while federal law currently requires the use of firefighting foam that includes PFAS chemicals, the airport director has urged FAA to aggressively pursue a fluorine-free option. The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 requires the evaluation and implementation of fluorine-free foam by October 2021, which many airports around the world have already done. He said that he has observed the use of fluorine-free foam with "great success" and is confident that FAA will reach a solution by the October deadline. 2:08:30 PM REPRESENTATIVE FIELDS asked for more detail on the different types of firefighting foam. MR. KRAUSE explained that many other countries have switched to fluorine-free products with "great success" both in performance and the ability to effectively mitigate fires. He said that he sits on an advisory panel for FAA and that various products are being tested. 2:10:00 PM REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN asked Mr. Krause to discuss the characteristics of oil and gas fires and possible developments in using fluorine-free products for that industry. MR. KRAUSE said that the foam containing fluorine is a very robust and effective product. He explained that fires at airports are surface fires, rather than the deep-seated fires one would find in the oil and gas industry, and that in his opinion, the fluorine-based products are "over designed" for airport use. He expressed his understanding that the deeper penetration of the fluorine-based foam is preferable for the "plunge" fires in an oil or gas field. He then noted that a company called LASTFIRE (Large Atmospheric Storage Tank Fires) is seeing success in the development of fluorine-free products. In response to Chair Patkotak, he said he would provide contact information for LASTFIRE to the sponsor's staff. 2:15:49 PM REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN thanked committee members and noted the complexity of the issue of PFAS pollution. 2:16:59 PM REPRESENTATIVE GILLHAM asked how the PFAS concentration cutoff of eight parts per trillion was chosen. MR. CLARK explained that the Michigan Science Advisory Task Force was assembled in 2018 and went through peer-reviewed studies on PFAS to arrive at the concentration limit. 2:18:15 PM CHAIR PATKOTAK asked about the distinction between the Michigan PFAS Action Response Team and the Michigan Science Advisory Task Force. REPRESENTATIVE MCKAY interjected that the Michigan PFAS Action Response Team is referred to as MPART. MR. CLARK said that MPART and the Michigan Science Advisory Task Force are both initiatives by the state government. 2:20:09 PM REPRESENTATIVE MCKAY said that the committee hasn't heard testimony from DEC or the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF), and has heard expert testimony only from sources in Michigan and Seattle. He said he would like information from Alaska's state toxicologist, if there is one, and the state fire marshal. CHAIR PATKOTAK noted that representatives from the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) and DOT&PF have been in both hearings. MR. CLARK said that testimony from experts in state agencies was heard during the Thirty-First Alaska State Legislature and that there would be opportunity for further testimony. 2:23:00 PM REPRESENTATIVE CRONK said that he thinks it would be helpful to be in contact with DEC. 2:24:06 PM REPRESENTATIVE GILLHAM said he would like to find out at the next scheduled bill hearing about the current concentration of PFAS in the affected areas within Alaska. [HB 171 was held over.]