Legislature(2017 - 2018)BARNES 124
03/08/2018 11:30 AM House ARCTIC POLICY, ECONOMIC DEV., & TOURISM
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HJR33 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | HJR 33 | TELECONFERENCED | |
HJR 33-DEVELOP ARCTIC INFRASTRUCTURE & DEFENSE
11:37:03 AM
CHAIR LINCOLN announced that the only order of business would be
HJR 33, Urging the Alaska delegation in Congress to pursue the
establishment of a U.S. Coast Guard port in the Arctic region;
supporting the increase in defensive capabilities in the Arctic
region; and encouraging the development of critical Arctic
infrastructure. [Before the committee, adopted as a working
document during the meeting on 2/27/18, was the proposed
committee substitute (CS) for HJR 33, Version 30-LS1350\D,
Radford, 2/14/18.]
11:37:20 AM
MICHAEL LOWE, Intern, Representative Chris Tuck, Alaska State
Legislature, presented the proposed committee substitute (CS)
for HJR 33, Version 30-LS1350\D, Radford, 2/14/18, on behalf of
Representative Tuck, prime sponsor. He addressed a question,
raised at the previous [2/27/18] committee meeting, pertaining
to the possible location for the proposed U.S. Coast Guard port.
Nome is "at the top of the list, he said, based on "a number of
factors" including a 2012 U.S. Department of Transportation
(USDOT) survey that assessed 13 different areas in Western and
Northern Alaska. He opined that Nome is not far enough north
but reaffirmed its status as a tentative frontrunner.
MR. LOWE offered to provide the committee with copies of the
USDOT report.
11:39:14 AM
REPRESENTATIVE NEUMAN stated that, although he supported Version
D, he wished it highlighted the hard work done by the [Alaska
Arctic Policy Commission] (AAPC). He said he would like to have
seen references to the fully-developed plan proposed by AAPC and
suggestions that the plan be followed.
MR. LOWE said the AAPC report contributed to the writing of HJR
33. He agreed with Representative Neuman's assessment that AAPC
should have been mentioned.
REPRESENTATIVE NEUMAN reasserted the effort that was put forth
by AAPC. He offered to help add a suggestion to follow the
Commission's plan.
11:41:37 AM
CHAIR LINCOLN asked Representative Neuman to clarify if he was
requesting the bill be held until an amendment could be offered.
11:41:49 AM
REPRESENTATIVE EDGMON said he would not recommend holding the
bill. He suggested that Representative Neuman was alluding to
potential future action on the bill, such as on the House floor.
REPRESENTATIVE EDGMON stated that he served on the AAPC, as well
as its predecessor, the Alaska Northern Waters Task Force. He
said he did not recall the AAPC report suggesting a location for
an Arctic port. He said there has been a lot of work
investigating two possible sites: [Port] Clarence near Nome and
Cape Blossom outside Kotzebue. He said he believes Nome has "a
leg up at this point, if not officially been selected as the
site. He emphasized his belief that Version D was well-
intentioned and would serve its purpose. He said he did not
recall any civic designation coming from the legislature.
11:43:39 AM
REPRESENTATIVE NEUMAN suggested that Dutch Harbor was discussed
as an integral part of the plan due to its substantial
industrial infrastructure and its ability to deal with large
ships. Although there is support and need for a port in or
around Nome, he said, any traffic headed in that direction would
necessarily pass through Dutch Harbor, given its unique ability
to offer specialized services and repairs. Representative
Neuman recalled the AAPC discussing Dutch Harbor as "the entry
way" to northern latitudes.
11:44:32 AM
The committee took an at-ease from 11:44 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
11:45:17 AM
REPRESENTATIVE EDGMON suggested the Port Director of Nome and
Mayor of Nome be invited to address the question and offer
clarification.
11:45:52 AM
CHAIR LINCOLN opened public testimony on HJR 33.
11:46:11 AM
RICHARD BENEVILLE, Mayor, City of Nome, congratulated
Representative Tuck for drawing the attention of the legislature
to the importance of establishing a new port.
MR. BENEVILLE said he recently attended the Arctic Frontiers
Conference in Troms, Norway. He described feeling disheartened
after conversing with people from Finland, Norway, and Sweden.
"Those folks are not looking at the future," he said, "they are
living in it today." He said Alaska needs to do likewise in
order to help get the United States "on the map" as far as the
Bering Sea and Bering Strait are concerned.
MR. BENEVILLE shared his excitement that the City of Nome had
entered into a 50-50 cost-sharing agreement with the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers for a Nome-specific study, the results of
which would inform the creation of infrastructure. One day, he
opined, there will be a series of ports going north, as "what is
happening in the far north" is "that big." He named locations
of possible future ports: Nome, Port Clarence, Cape Blossom,
and Utqiagvik. There will be activity in all these places, he
said, because there will be "that much traffic coming through."
He cited a statistic that ports of call in Nome rose from 441 in
2016 to 723 in 2017. He said he looks forward to Nome being the
strategic port north of Dutch Harbor.
MR. BENEVILLE thanked the governor and the legislature for
approving $1.6 million in funds for Nome to enter into the
previously-mentioned cost-sharing agreement with the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers. He said he just returned from Washington,
D.C. and described the experience as "enlightening."
MR. BENEVILLE compared his experience growing up during the Cold
War to the present. He invoked Winston Churchill: "If you
don't learn from history, you are doomed to repeat it." He
stressed that "we are so behind in the far north." Alaska, he
said, needs a port closer to the Bering Strait.
MR. BENEVILLE said the quality of life in Western Alaska will
improve. The commerce that comes into the Port of Nome, he
explained, affects 53 villages. Further development in the
region, he said, would benefit not just Nome, but Western Alaska
and the United States as a whole.
11:50:09 AM
REPRESENTATIVE EDGMON said it was nice seeing Mr. Beneville in
Anchorage a couple days before. He wished the mayor a great
Iditarod.
MR. BENEVILLE extolled the Iditarod ("like Mardi Gras with
dogs") and invited the committee members to Nome.
11:51:28 AM
JOY BAKER, Port Director, City of Nome, clarified that the 2012
USDOT study referenced earlier by Mr. Lowe was a combined joint
study between USDOT and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Alaska
District. The study evaluated 13 sites in western and northern
Alaska for development of an Arctic port. The study settled on
the three sites mentioned by Representative Edgmon: Point
Spencer - a peninsula on Port Clarence, Cape Blossom, and the
City of Nome. A further evaluation of those three sites
concluded that Nome was the most logical and economically viable
site for expansion. This conclusion was due to Nome's existing
infrastructure including the hospital, airport, and onshore
facilities that support the harbor. She said this conclusion
was solidified in January 2015 by the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers' Alaska Regional Ports study. She said progress was
halted in summer 2015 when [Royal Dutch] Shell pulled out of the
Arctic and ceased operations.
MS. BAKER said the agreement between the City of Nome and the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had resumed the evaluation of
benefits offered by an expanded Port of Nome. She said she
believes Nome could "fit the bill" for a regional port. She
acknowledged the benefits offered by Dutch Harbor for larger
vessels but emphasized that Nome's proximity to the Arctic and
existing coastal infrastructure could save three to four days'
travel and costs for the maritime fleet.
MS. BAKER said Version D, as well as the federal Water
Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act (WIIN Act) of
2016, would benefit the region and not just Nome. She expressed
confidence that the new study would prove the benefits of port
expansion outweigh the costs. After that, she said, they would
soon move into the design and construction phases in order to
get an Arctic deep-draft port in place for use not just by the
region and the maritime fleet, but also for use by the military,
given "how far we are behind Russia."
11:55:20 AM
CHAIR LINCOLN, after ascertaining no one wished to offer further
testimony, closed public testimony on HJR 33.
11:55:30 AM
REPRESENTATIVE NEUMAN said resolutions that support
infrastructure in Alaska are important. He said that the
expansion of opportunities for ports and exports is important
for safety and security, but his concern is the economic
opportunity it provides for creating jobs. He said he wishes
more safety and infrastructure proposals could receive support.
He said there was one near his district that would inject $750
million into the economy, which would add a lot of safety. He
remarked, We just lost another one of our Alaskans a couple of
days ago because of the issues we are facing." He restated his
support for Version D and the development of infrastructure and
safety for all Alaskans.
11:57:20 AM
REPRESENTATIVE EDGMON moved to report CSHJR 33, Version 30-
LS1350\D, Radford, 2/14/18, out of committee with individual
recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being
no objection, CSHJR 33(AET) was reported out of the House
Special Committee On Arctic Policy, Economic Development, and
Tourism.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HJR033 Fiscal Note LEG-SESS -- 3.7.18.pdf |
HAET 3/8/2018 11:30:00 AM |
HJR 33 |