Legislature(2015 - 2016)SENATE FINANCE 532
04/09/2016 10:00 AM Senate FINANCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB201 | |
| SB200 | |
| SJR12 | |
| SB8 | |
| SB163 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | SB 201 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SB 200 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SJR 12 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SB 163 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SB 8 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
SENATE BILL NO. 163
"An Act relating to the nomination and designation of
state water as outstanding national resource water;
and providing for an effective date."
11:34:18 AM
Co-Chair MacKinnon OPENED public testimony.
11:35:04 AM
GUY ARCHIBALD, INSIDE PASSAGE WATER KEEPERS, JUNEAU (via
teleconference), testified in opposition to the bill as
written. He thought it should not be harder to the citizens
of Alaska to protect clean water than it was for industry
to pollute it. He pointed out that the Department of
Environmental Conservation did not currently require
baseline data on the receiving water, as part of the
application for discharge. He furthered that the
significant economic benefit analysis conducted by the
department had no minimum economic benefit level. He
thought there had to be waters in the state that were so
critical to the communities that they could be designated
without burdensome bureaucracy. He asserted that this issue
was not one of land use, but of water quality. He argued
that land owners did not retain the right to pollute the
water. He added that it was the responsibility of the
legislature and administrative agencies to protect clean
water.
11:37:21 AM
RAYMOND SENSMEIER, SELF, YAKUTAT (via teleconference),
testified in opposition to the bill as written. He read
from a prepared letter (copy on file):
On August 26 the Yakutat Tlingit Tribal Council
unanimously voted to seek Tier 3 Natural Resource
Water Designation, The Yakutat Tlingit Tribal Council
represents Yakutat Tlingit Tribe (Petitioners) in
nominating the Yakutat Forelands for ONRW status and
protection under 18 AAC 70.015(a)(3). To qualify as a
Tier 3, or ONRW water, one of two criteria must be
met. The water must either be in a national or state
park or wildlife refuge or be a water with exceptional
recreational or ecological significance (Emphasis
added). Under these criteria the Yakutat Forelands
qualify as both an exceptional recreational area and
as having special ecological significance.
Additionally, these lands contain many historic,
traditional, sacred and cultural sites vital to the
Yakutat Tlingit Tribe. The area is currently under
congressionally designated protection and within an
inventoried Roadless Area.
Even though the State of Alaska has no nomination
producers yet in place, the federal antidegradation
policy provides guidance for Petitioners. ONRW
designation offers special protection for waters of
"exceptional ecological significance." These are water
bodies that are important, unique, or sensitive
ecologically, but whose water quality, as measures by
the traditional parameters such as dissolved oxygen or
pH. may not be particularly high or whose
characteristics cannot be adequately described by
these parameters (such as wetlands).
Guidance for developing implementation methods for
antidegradation policies is provided through EPA's
Regional Offices.
[This 9 page document, in its entirety, can be found on
BASIS under the bill]
11:43:36 AM
ROSEMARIE HOTCH, SELF, ANCHORAGE (via teleconference),
testified against the bill as written. She felt that the
legislation was example of Alaska Natives being maligned in
waste water issue discussions. He hoped that the
legislature could move forward with legislation that
supported protecting Alaska's waters.
11:45:52 AM
Co-Chair MacKinnon CLOSED public testimony.
Co-Chair MacKinnon discussed housekeeping.
11:47:30 AM
RICK SOLIE, Alaska Miners Association, FAIRBANKS (via
teleconference), testified against the bill as written. He
expressed that that the association had significant
concerns with regard to AS 46.03.185, and believed that Sub
section (a) should be removed from the bill. He hoped that
the association could work with the committee to craft a
bill that would address the situation and allow the
administration to comply with EPA requirements.
11:49:32 AM
Co-Chair Kelly refuted previous testimony that the bill
would make it harder for Alaskans to protect clean water
than for corporations to pollute waters. He contended that
corporations kept water clean and offered the Red Dog Mine
as an example. He furthered that fishing improved in areas
of mining because industry was required to put cleaner
water back into watersheds than had been naturally
existing.
SB 163 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
11:50:51 AM
Co-Chair MacKinnon discussed housekeeping.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| SB 8 Public Testimony Packet 1.pdf |
SFIN 4/9/2016 10:00:00 AM |
SB 8 |