Legislature(2013 - 2014)BUTROVICH 205
02/13/2013 03:30 PM Senate RESOURCES
Audio | Topic |
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Start | |
SJR8 | |
SB21 | |
Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+= | SB 21 | TELECONFERENCED | |
*+ | SJR 8 | TELECONFERENCED | |
SJR 8-MINING/PROCESSING OF RARE EARTH ELEMENTS 3:30:59 PM CHAIR GIESSEL announced SJR 8 to be up for consideration. SENATOR MCGUIRE, sponsor of SJR 8, said that this measure supports rare earth elements (REE) which possess unique chemical, electrical and physical properties that are indispensable for national defense in producing military equipment, clean energy technologies including hybrid electric vehicles, wind turbines and consumer goods like I-phones and laptops. Currently, China controls 95 percent of the world's rare earths and they decided two years ago to reduce their export quotas down to 50 percent. She said that Alaska is very fortunate to have at least one - Bokan Mountain near Prince of Wales Island - and probably several world class deposits of rare earth elements positioning it to become the U.S.'s leading supplier of rare earths. This resolution supports the continued and increased exploration, extraction, processing and production of rare earths and urges state and federal agencies and Congress to expedite consideration of the permits. 3:35:02 PM KEN COLLISON, COO, UCOR Rare Metals, Inc., Bedford, Nova Scotia, testified that he is a mining engineer. He had worked in the industry for 40 years and this was his fourth mine to build. He noted that light rare earth elements are not rare or worth a lot of money, but that the heavy earths are and those are needed for green technology defense. What separates Bokan Mountain from some of the other areas is that it has 40 percent rare earth oxide (as opposed to 1 percent that Mountain Pass in California has, for instance). He said the Bokan project uses ore sorting technology, so when it closes there will be no tailings. The technology that allows production of a rare earth oxide was developed by three Stanford PhD chemists; no one else has it. This process creating value-added products could become a new industry for the state. SENATOR DYSON moved to report SJR 8, as amended, from committee to the next committee of referral with individual recommendations. CHAIR GIESSEL noted that Senator Fairclough objected. SENATOR MCGUIRE moved conceptual Amendment 1 to strike the provision on page 2, lines 20-22. This is to reflect Senator Murkowski and Senator Begich's introduction of S. 181, which would authorize construction of a road to Niblack and the Bokan Mountain Mine. SENATOR FAIRCLOUGH removed her objection and there were no further objections, therefore the motion to adopt conceptual Amendment 1 passed. CHAIR GIESSEL found no further objection and announced that CSSJR 8(RES) was reported from the Senate Resources Standing Committee.
Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
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SJR 8 Version A.pdf |
SRES 2/13/2013 3:30:00 PM |
SJR 8 |
SJR 8 Recent Press N60MN Press Release 2013.01.31.pdf |
SRES 2/13/2013 3:30:00 PM |
SJR 8 |
SJR 8 Sponsor Statement.pdf |
SRES 2/13/2013 3:30:00 PM |
SJR 8 |
SJR 8 Support Doc-Rare Earth Elemnts- AK ADGGS- 2011.pdf |
SRES 2/13/2013 3:30:00 PM |
SJR 8 |
SJR 8 Amendment 1 Supp Doc S. 181.pdf |
SRES 2/13/2013 3:30:00 PM |
SJR 8 |
SJR 8 Bokan-Niblack Road Map 2013.02.13.pdf |
SRES 2/13/2013 3:30:00 PM |
SJR 8 |
SJR 8 Presentation UCore 2013.02.13.pdf |
SRES 2/13/2013 3:30:00 PM |
SJR 8 |
SJR 8 Supp Letter- Ucore 2013.1.30.pdf |
SRES 2/13/2013 3:30:00 PM |
SJR 8 |
SJR 8 Supp Resolution POWCAC 2011.11.22.pdf |
SRES 2/13/2013 3:30:00 PM |
SJR 8 |
SB 21 Econ One Presentation SRES 2013 02 13 pdf.pdf |
SRES 2/13/2013 3:30:00 PM |
SB 21 |