05/05/2023 03:15 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE

          HB 166-PFAS: USE FOR FIREFIGHTING, DISPOSAL                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:16:20 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
VICE CHAIR RUFFRIDGE  announced that the first  order of business                                                               
would be  HOUSE BILL  NO. 166, "An  Act relating  to firefighting                                                               
substances; and providing for an effective date."                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
3:16:38 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CLIFTON COGHILL,  Staff, Representative Will Stapp,  Alaska State                                                               
Legislature,  on  behalf  of the  prime  sponsor,  Representative                                                               
Stapp,  gave  a  brief  overview  of   HB  166.    He  said  that                                                               
perfluoroalkyl  and polyfluoroalkyl  substances (PFAS)  have been                                                               
found to  be hazardous materials,  and HB 166 would  restrict the                                                               
usage of PFAS, except to the  oil and gas industry.  The proposed                                                               
bill  would  also  require  the   state  to  retrieve  some  PFAS                                                               
containing foam for disposal.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
3:17:41 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
VICE CHAIR RUFFRIDGE opened public testimony on HB 166.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:18:06 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DAVID PRUHS,  Mayor, City of  Fairbanks, stated that  he supports                                                               
the  bill, as  it would  provide a  stopgap measure  for fighting                                                               
certain  types  of fires  while  moving  away from  harmful  PFAS                                                               
containing  foams.    He  said that  the  stopgap  would  prevent                                                               
Fairbanks  from   having  to  spend  more   on  new  firefighting                                                               
equipment amidst a tight budget.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
3:19:41 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
PATRICE LEE,  representing self,  expressed support for  the bill                                                               
because it would address future contamination from PFAS.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:21:00 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SCOTT  RAYGOR,   Chief,  Fairbanks  Fire   Department,  expressed                                                               
support for  HB 166.  He  said that Fairbanks has  spent millions                                                               
of dollars  connecting residences to  city water because  of PFAS                                                               
contamination.   He  suggested that  this would  be a  good first                                                               
step  in  eliminating "forever  chemicals."    He expressed  some                                                               
concern  in  the  section  of the  bill  which  addresses  forest                                                               
firefighting materials.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:23:14 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
VICE CHAIR  RUFFRIDGE, after ascertaining  there was no  one else                                                               
who wished to testify, closed public testimony on HB 166.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:23:27 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER  moved to report  HB 166 out  of committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes.  There being no objection,  HB 166 was reported out of the                                                               
House Labor and Commerce Standing Committee.