04/12/2011 03:00 PM Senate COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS

             HJR 17-WATER & WASTE WATER REGULATION                                                                          
                                                                                                                              
3:45:18 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  OLSON  announced  the  consideration  of  HJR  17.  [CSHJR
(CRA) was before the committee.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
3:45:35 PM                                                                                                                    
PAUL  LABOLLE, staff  to Representative  Neal Foster,  sponsor of                                                               
HJR  17,  said   this  resolution  calls  on   Congress  to  pass                                                               
legislation  that provides  reasonable  standards for  wastewater                                                               
treatment.  That  includes  prohibiting  the  U.S.  Environmental                                                               
Protection Agency  (EPA) from adopting new  policy or regulations                                                               
for at  least two years  and requiring the EPA  to lay out  a 10-                                                               
year plan for regulatory activities.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  OLSON  asked if  there  is  a  precedent  to show  that  a                                                               
resolution like this can effectively rein in the EPA.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MR. LABOLLE replied he didn't  believe there is precedent to show                                                               
that a resolution has ever been effective.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR OLSON observed that in  this state the Legislature likes to                                                               
see resolutions  from communities,  particularly if  finances are                                                               
involved.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:47:22 PM                                                                                                                    
SHIRLEY MARQUARDT, Mayor,  City of Unalaska stated  that what was                                                               
once  a wastewater  issue for  the City  of Unalaska,  has turned                                                               
into  a significant  future  problem for  Alaska.  To design  and                                                               
finance a wastewater treatment plant  is a time-consuming process                                                               
that is  extremely costly to ratepayers,  municipalities, and the                                                               
state. HJR  17 is  a reasonable  message to  send to  Congress in                                                               
light of  diminished federal funding  and uncertain  future state                                                               
funding  for these  very expensive  projects.  The national  "one                                                               
size  fits all"  standard that  EPA has  adopted doesn't  work in                                                               
this state.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR OLSON expressed  support for the resolution  and the notion                                                               
of reining in the EPA.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MS.  MARQUARDT said  it is  extremely important  to have  support                                                               
from  legislators  and  the  state   and  the  municipality  will                                                               
continue to  fight this battle for  Unalaska and the rest  of the                                                               
state  to  the  extent  possible. She  offered  her  belief  that                                                               
resolutions  are  beneficial  to   let  Congress  know  just  how                                                               
important certain issues are to the state.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  WAGONER   expressed  empathy  and  noted   that  several                                                               
communities on  the Kenai  Peninsula are  going through  the same                                                               
process.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:51:17 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR WAGONER moved to report CSHJR 17(CRA), version I, from                                                                  
the committee with individual recommendations and attached                                                                      
fiscal note(s).                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR OLSON announced that without objection, CSHJR 17(CRA)                                                                     
moved from the Senate Community and Regional Affairs Standing                                                                   
Committee.