SENATE COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS April 7, 1994 9:05 a.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Senator Randy Phillips, Chairman Senator Robin Taylor, Vice Chairman Senator Loren Leman Senator Al Adams Senator Fred Zharoff MEMBERS ABSENT All Members Present COMMITTEE CALENDAR HOUSE BILL NO. 446 "An Act relating to community agreements for environmental conservation purposes; and providing for an effective date." PREVIOUS SENATE COMMITTEE ACTION HB 446 - No previous action to record. WITNESS REGISTER John Sandor, Commissioner Department of Environmental Conservation 410 Willoughby Ave., Suite 105 Juneau, AK 99801-1725 POSITION STATEMENT: Jim Kohler, Director Southeast Conference 124 W. 5th St. Juneau, AK 99801-1925 POSITION STATEMENT: ACTION NARRATIVE TAPE 94-26, SIDE A Number 001 The Senate Community & Regional Affairs Committee was called to order by Chairman Randy Phillips at 9:05 a.m. He brought HB 446 (ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION AGREEMENTS) before the committee as the only order of business. Number 012 JOHN SANDOR, Commissioner, Department of Environmental Conservation, testifying in support of HB 446, said the legislation provides communities, regions and organizations with a formal mechanism to identify and address environmental issues. In October of 1993, the President of the Unites States issued an Executive Order relating to unfunded mandates and community partnerships agreements. DEC and other agencies are working towards a partnership agreement, and it has been proposed that the Environmental Protection Agency enter into partnerships with local communities and organizations, including the Southeast Conference. Commissioner Sandor said HB 446 will provide an additional nudge to the federal government to come to the table in individual communities to enter into such agreements. Number 072 SENATOR ADAMS asked how this legislation would help villages such as Kivalina and Point Hope with their hazardous waste projects, or an area where the federal government may be doing testing on Eskimos and military personnel in the iodine formula experiment. COMMISSIONER SANDOR answered that the bill will make it really necessary that DEC, EPA and other federal agencies sit down with the communities to utilize their expertise and knowledge in the evaluation of their problems and to setting objectives. Number 093 JIM KOHLER, Director, Southeast Conference, said the Southeast Conference has had a partnership agreement with the Department of Environmental Conservation for the last three years. They have been identifying the needs and priorities of various communities, looking at what the departments, be they state or federal have to address, and putting together a list on how to combine the resources in getting their needs addressed. The Southeast Conference, through this particular structure, has been able to design and put into place a household hazardous waste collection system throughout the entire region. In its first year this system has netted a savings to communities of approximately $150,000 to $170,000. Number 148 SENATOR TAYLOR asked if DEC needs statutory authority in order to do this. COMMISSIONER SANDOR responded that the problem is that the EPA and some communities believe that current authority is not clear enough. Number 178 SENATOR ADAMS moved that HB 446 be passed out of committee with individual recommendations. Hearing no objection, it was so ordered. There being no further business to come before the committee, the meeting was adjourned at 9:15 a.m.