05/07/2002 03:04 PM House FIN

CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 326(FIN)                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act relating to evaluating state assumption of the                                                                     
     wastewater discharge program under the federal Clean                                                                       
     Water Act; and providing for an effective date."                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
ZACH  WARWICK,   STAFF,  SENATOR  THERRIAULT,   testified  in                                                                   
support  of the legislation.  He  observed that  SB 326  is a                                                                   
companion bill to  HB 503. The effective date  was changed to                                                                   
January 1, 2003 and the fiscal  note was reduced accordingly.                                                                   
The Department  of Environmental Conservation  indicated that                                                                   
the fiscal note  would not be sufficient to  run the program.                                                                   
They have applied for additional  federal funding. If federal                                                                   
funding is not received the new  administration would have to                                                                   
decided if  the project can be  done within the  general fund                                                                   
appropriation.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
TOM CHAPPLE,  DIRECTOR,  DIVISION OF AIR  AND WATER  QUALITY,                                                                   
DEPARTMENT  OF  ENVIRONMENTAL   CONSERVATION,  testified  via                                                                   
teleconference.  The Department does  not object  to changing                                                                   
the duration of the project from  18 to 12 months. He did not                                                                   
think that  that the project  could be successfully  executed                                                                   
with the funding contained in  the current fiscal note, which                                                                   
was reduced by two-thirds. The  question is whether the state                                                                   
should  assume  primacy  and  operate  the  federal  National                                                                   
Pollutant   Discharge   Elimination    System   program.   He                                                                   
recommended  a fiscal  note of $315  thousand dollars,  which                                                                   
would be achieved  by adding $63 thousand dollars  in federal                                                                   
funds for  FY03 and $46 thousand  dollars in FY04.  The state                                                                   
would know by September if the  federal funds were available.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Representative Foster MOVED to  report CSSB 326 (FIN)) out of                                                                   
Committee with  the accompanying fiscal note.  There being NO                                                                   
OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CSSB 326(FIN) was REPORTED out  of Committee with a "do pass"                                                                   
recommendation  and with  a  new fiscal  impact  note by  the                                                                   
Department of Environmental Conservation.