Legislature(2021 - 2022)BUTROVICH 205
04/20/2022 03:30 PM Senate RESOURCES
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB180 | |
| SB177 | |
| SB219 | |
| SB227 | |
| SB180 | |
| SB228 | |
| HCR2 | |
| HB54 | |
| Alaska Fisheries Presentation | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | SB 180 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 177 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 54 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 219 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 227 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 228 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HCR 2 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
SB 177-MICROREACTORS
3:57:58 PM
CHAIR REVAK announced the consideration of SENATE BILL NO. 177
"An Act relating to microreactors."
[SB 177 was previously heard on 3/21/2022, 4/6/2022, and
4/11/2022.]
3:58:16 PM
SENATOR KIEHL moved to adopt Amendment 1, work order 32-
GS2503\A.1.
32-GS2503\A.1
Radford
4/5/22
AMENDMENT 1
OFFERED IN THE SENATE BY SENATOR KIEHL
TO: SB 177
Page 1, line 1, following "Act":
Insert "relating to nuclear facility siting
permits; and"
Page 1, following line 2:
Insert a new bill section to read:
"* Section 1. AS 18.45.025(c) is amended to read:
(c) The Department of Environmental
Conservation shall adopt regulations governing
the issuance of permits required by (a) of this
section. However, a permit may not be issued
until the municipality with jurisdiction over the
proposed facility site has approved the permit
or, if the proposed facility site is located in
an unorganized borough, until the legislature has
approved the permit."
Page 1, line 3:
Delete "Section 1"
Insert "Sec. 2"
Renumber the following bill sections accordingly.
3:58:21 PM
CHAIR REVAK objected for purposes of discussion.
3:58:24 PM
SENATOR KIEHL explained that Amendment 1 addresses a concern
discussed at the last hearing on SB 177. If a microreactor is
proposed outside of a municipality, Amendment 1 will clarify
that the legislature must approve site decisions in an
unorganized borough. It would maintain that the legislature does
not decide on microreactor sites that fall within a
municipality.
3:59:01 PM
CHAIR REVAK withdrew his objection.
3:59:13 PM
SENATOR MICCICHE asked if the department had an opinion on
Amendment 1. He related his understanding that no other energy
facility has a "trump card" from a municipality regarding
permitting capacity. He wondered what impact this might have.
3:59:47 PM
At ease
4:00:34 PM
CHAIR REVAK reconvened the meeting and asked Senator Micciche to
restate the question for the Department of Environmental
Conservation (DEC).
4:00:38 PM
SENATOR MICCICHE stated that he knows of no other cases where a
community has a "trump card" on a facility or facility siting.
He asked what effect Amendment 1 would have on any future
facility located at a mine that may be near a municipality or
for a private entity that is attempting to provide power but is
located near a municipality. He noted it would become very
dependent on who was currently serving on the city council.
4:01:36 PM
CHRISTINA CARPENTER, Director, Division of Environmental Health,
Department of Environmental Conservation, Anchorage, Alaska,
asked for clarification that his question relates to the
requirement for municipal approval for the siting of a
microreactor.
SENATOR MICCICHE answered that is correct.
MS. CARPENTER related that the statutes were developed in the
1980s and require local approval and legislative approval for
any siting of a microreactor. She indicated that she could not
speak to the legislative intent when the legislature adopted the
statutes.
SENATOR MICCICHE asked whether the department supports Amendment
1 since it would continue to use that approval process.
MS. CARPENTER responded that SB 177 would remove the requirement
for legislative approval for siting a microreactor unless the
site is in an unorganized borough. The Alaska Constitution
already refers back to the legislature in an unorganized
borough, so the administration doesn't believe that Amendment 1
is necessary but does not oppose it.
4:04:10 PM
At ease
4:04:42 PM
CHAIR REVAK reconvened the meeting.
CHAIR REVAK withdrew his objection to Amendment 1; he heard no
further objection, and Amendment 1 was adopted.
4:05:12 PM
SENATOR KIEHL moved to adopt Amendment 2, work order
32GS2503\A.7.
32-GS2503\A.7
Radford
4/14/22
AMENDMENT 2
OFFERED IN THE SENATE BY SENATOR KIEHL
Page 1, line 7:
Delete "a new subsection"
Insert "new subsections"
Page 1, following line 9:
Insert a new subsection to read:
"(c) If the Department of Environmental
Conservation receives notice that a person has
submitted a Nuclear Regulatory Commission license
application for a microreactor located in the
state, the Department of Environmental
Conservation shall coordinate and submit comments
from departments or agencies under (a) of this
section on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
licensing process specific to the microreactor."
4:05:16 PM
CHAIR REVAK objected for discussion purposes.
4:05:20 PM
SENATOR KIEHL stated that he had worked with the department on
several iterations to ensure that the language was functional.
He stated that the existing statutes provide a long list of
departments that must study aspects relevant to their department
for any nuclear proposal. SB 177 exempts microreactors.
Amendment 2 provides that when the state becomes aware of a
nuclear microreactor application submitted to the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission (NRC), DEC would be the lead department
and coordinate with other departments to comment on the
application. This would ensure that the State of Alaska is
involved in the federal process and that Alaskans' interests are
represented.
4:06:28 PM
CHAIR REVAK removed his objection; he heard no further
objection, and Amendment 2 was adopted.
CHAIR REVAK discerned there were no further amendments and
solicited a motion.
4:06:54 PM
SENATOR MICCICHE moved to report SB 177, work order 32-GS2503\A,
as amended, from committee with individual recommendations and
attached fiscal note(s).
CHAIR REVAK heard no objection, and CSSB 177(RES) was reported
from the Senate Resources Standing Committee.