03/27/1997 01:21 PM House RES

 SSHB 128 - WATER QUALITY; WATER SCIENCE OVERSIGHT BD                        
                                                                               
 Number 0075                                                                   
                                                                               
 CO-CHAIRMAN OGAN announced the next order of business was Sponsor             
 Substitute for House Bill No. 128, "An Act relating to water                  
 quality; directing the Department of Environmental Conservation to            
 conduct water quality research; establishing the Water Science                
 Oversight Board; and providing for an effective date."                        
                                                                               
 Number 0087                                                                   
                                                                               
 CO-CHAIRMAN HUDSON advised that final action was deferred at the              
 March 25 hearing to allow Representative Green to address                     
 questions.  He further advised that the letter recently received              
 from the Alaska Clean Water Alliance refers to standards in the               
 original bill, not SSHB 128.                                                  
                                                                               
 Number 0165                                                                   
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE GREEN explained that his concern had been whether              
 small companies or individuals abiding by existing standards might            
 experience hardship because of changing standards.  For example, he           
 knew of cases where samples for toxicity tests were sent to three             
 different labs because of conflicting results; that is unaffordable           
 to mom-and-pop operations.  However, after talking with the mining            
 community and people in the science field, he is satisfied.                   
                                                                               
 Number 0289                                                                   
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE GREEN made a motion to move SSHB 128 from committee            
 with individual recommendations and attached fiscal notes.  There             
 being no objection, SSHB 128 moved from the House Resources                   
 Standing Committee.