04/29/2002 01:51 PM House RES

SB 356-GENERAL PERMIT FOR WATER/WASTE DISPOSAL                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR MASEK  announced that the  only order of  business would                                                               
be SENATE BILL  NO. 356 am, "An Act relating  to the authority of                                                               
the  Department of  Environmental Conservation  to issue  general                                                               
and individual permits  for waste disposal; and  providing for an                                                               
effective date."                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Number 0098                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR MASEK  noted that no changes  had been made to  the bill                                                               
since  the 04/26/02  meeting  and she  indicated  there had  been                                                               
discussion during  that meeting about  adding an amendment.   Co-                                                               
Chair Masek  mentioned a  memorandum from  the Division  of Legal                                                               
and Research Services that was  included in members' bill packets                                                               
and she offered  her belief that the amendment  was not necessary                                                               
at  this time.   She  offered her  understanding that  the Senate                                                               
would be  working on a  separate stand-alone bill  regarding this                                                               
same issue.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Number 0206                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  FATE turned  attention  to page  2,  line 9,  and                                                               
offered his belief that changes  recently made in other pieces of                                                               
legislation  may  require  that  an amendment  be  made  in  this                                                               
legislation to  allow drilling at  a depth exceeding  the current                                                               
allowable depth of 3,000 feet.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Number 0324                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
JOE  BALASH,  Staff  to Senator  Gene  Therriault,  Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature,  testified on  behalf  of the  Senate State  Affairs                                                               
Standing Committee,  sponsor of SB 356,  which Senator Therriault                                                               
chairs.  Mr.  Balash told Representative Fate  that this language                                                               
was in  the existing statute and  he was uncertain as  to whether                                                               
this  statute  was  affected  by  clarifications  made  in  other                                                               
legislation.   He  offered  his belief  that  if this  particular                                                               
section of statute  was addressed in a separate bill,  were it to                                                               
pass,  the  revisor  has  authority   within  other  statutes  to                                                               
reconcile the [differences].   However, he said he  was not clear                                                               
on the details of the other piece of legislation.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE FATE  noted that the original  allowable depth for                                                               
drilling for coal  bed methane was 3,000 feet and  he offered his                                                               
understanding   that  under   certain   circumstances,  if   that                                                               
structure does  "dip deeper,"  it is now  allowable to  "go after                                                               
that structure."   He said he  didn't think it would  affect [the                                                               
3,000-foot drilling  limitation] in most  cases, but he  did want                                                               
to point out that the possibility did exist.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Number 0443                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE FATE  moved to report  SB 356 am out  of committee                                                               
with individual recommendations and  the accompanying zero fiscal                                                               
note.  There being no objection,  SB 356 am was reported from the                                                               
House Resources Standing Committee.