00HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 56                                                                                         
01 Relating to yttrium mining and transfer of the linear induction motor research                                          
02 vehicle to Alaska.                                                                                                      
03 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                              
04  WHEREAS yttrium bearing and other rare earth minerals have been identified in large                                  
05 quantities on Prince of Wales Island, and the quantity is sufficient to establish facilities for                        
06 the mining of yttrium on Prince of Wales Island; and                                                                    
07  WHEREAS the Prince of Wales deposits are the only known deposits of yttrium                                          
08 bearing minerals in North America; and                                                                                  
09  WHEREAS, based on the present world market, one pound of 99.9999 pure yttrium                                        
10 has a market value of $320,000; and                                                                                     
11  WHEREAS the presence of yttrium in the state offers Southeast Alaska an economic                                     
12 development opportunity in the areas of mining, refining, research, and manufacturing; and                              
13  WHEREAS yttrium mining activity on Prince of Wales Island could result in                                            
14 transportation of the extracted materials to the Metlakatla/Ketchikan area for further refining                         

01 and processing; and                                                                                                     
02  WHEREAS the local availability of refined yttrium metal would promote the                                            
03 establishment of a major  research and manufacturing facility for yttrium-based products in                             
04 Metlakatla and Ketchikan, resulting in new career opportunities for Alaskans; and                                       
05  WHEREAS products manufactured using yttrium and technology involving yttrium                                         
06 include powerful frictionless motors and magnetic levitation equipment for use in                                       
07 transportation systems, superconducting fault limiters, electromagnetic mass launchers, and                             
08 yttrium coated tapes and wire; yttrium wire can also be used in medical equipment, including                            
09 field magnets in MRI-scanning machines; and                                                                             
10  WHEREAS the firm of Power Superconductor Applications Corporation, based in                                          
11 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has expressed an interest in working with the state to establish                              
12 manufacturing and research facilities in the Metlakatla/Ketchikan area using the local                                  
13 workforce and local facilities, including establishment of a high speed test track at the vacant                        
14 Annette Field at Metlakatla; and                                                                                        
15  WHEREAS Power Superconductor Applications Corporation has requested assistance                                       
16 from the state in securing use of a 30-ton linear induction motor research vehicle (LIMRV)                              
17 currently in storage by the Federal Railroad Administration; and                                                        
18  WHEREAS the LIMRV is expected to become part of a four-year based retrofit and                                       
19 research project involving yttrium, yttrium products, and yttrium technology; and                                       
20  WHEREAS the retrofit and research project is expected to start in 1998 and is                                        
21 expected to lead to the establishment of a new $3,100,000 yttrium and yttrium products                                  
22 manufacturing facility in the Metlakatla/Ketchikan area, employing 55 Alaskans; once transfer                           
23 of the LIMRV to the State of Alaska takes place, 15 new jobs for Alaskans are expected to                               
24 be established immediately; and                                                                                         
25  WHEREAS requests for funding to establish new yttrium industrial and research                                        
26 sectors in Southeast Alaska are not currently being made by the state;                                                  
27  BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature would welcome a transfer of the                                     
28 linear induction motor research vehicle (LIMRV) to the state as a federal contribution to                               
29 establishment of a new industrial and research sector located near Metlakatla and Ketchikan,                            
30 the only known North American source of the valuable metal yttrium; and be it                                           
31  FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature urges the Federal Railroad                                        

01 Administration, the Alaska Congressional delegation, and the Governor to facilitate transfer                            
02 of the LIMRV to Alaska for a period of at least four years.                                                             
03  COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to Ms. Jolene M. Molitoris, Administrator,                                   
04 Federal Railroad Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation; and to the Honorable Ted                            
05 Stevens and the Honorable Frank Murkowski, U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Don Young,                                  
06 U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in Congress.