02/28/2018 06:00 PM House RESOURCES

        HB 367-NATIVE CORP. LIABILITY FOR CONTAMINATION                                                                     
                                                                                                                              
6:06:57 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR JOSEPHSON  announced the  first order of  business would                                                               
be HOUSE  BILL NO. 367,  "An Act relating  to the liability  of a                                                               
Native  corporation  for the  release  or  threatened release  of                                                               
hazardous substances present on certain lands."                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
6:07:15 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR JOSEPHSON opened public testimony on HB 367.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
6:08:31 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JEFFREY   MAKIN,  Attorney/Partner,   Arent  Fox,   informed  the                                                               
committee  he serves  as  outside counsel  to  the Alaska  Native                                                               
Village  Corporation Association  (ANVCA), and  was available  to                                                               
answer questions.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
6:08:54 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
NATHAN   MCCOWAN,  Chair,   Board   of   Directors,  ANVCA,   and                                                               
President/CEO,  St.   George  Tanaq  Corporation,   stated  ANVCA                                                               
strongly supports  HB 367.   The  bill is  part of  a multi-party                                                               
longitudinal effort  to bring  resolution to  a problem  that has                                                               
affected village corporate entities  since lands were conveyed to                                                               
the corporations that  were formed pursuant to  provisions of the                                                               
Alaska  Native  Claims Settlement  Act,  beginning  in the  '70s.                                                               
Further, HB 367 is needed  to correct the injustice that occurred                                                               
when  the federal  government -  without notification  - conveyed                                                               
contaminated lands to Native corporations.   Mr. McCowan stressed                                                               
ANVCA  supports  the  bill  in  its  current  form,  without  the                                                               
inclusion of protections for post-conveyance contamination.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
6:10:28 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR JOSEPHSON,  after ascertaining no one  further wished to                                                               
testify, closed public testimony.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE PARISH expressed his support for the bill.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
6:11:21 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  TARR moved  to  report  HB 367  out  of committee  with                                                               
individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  zero  fiscal                                                               
notes.   There being no objection,  HB 367 was reported  from the                                                               
House Resources Standing Committee.