HJR 23-GOOD FRIDAY EARTHQUAKE REMEMBRANCE DAY  8:05:07 AM CHAIR LYNN announced that the first order of business was HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 23, Proclaiming March 27, 2014, as Good Friday Earthquake Remembrance Day. 8:05:38 AM JEFF TURNER, Staff, Representative Charisse Millett, Alaska State Legislature, presented HJR 23 on behalf of Representative Millett, sponsor. He stated that March 27, 2014, will be the fiftieth anniversary of the "Good Friday Earthquake," a 9.2 magnitude quake, which tore apart 50,000 square miles of Southcentral Alaska, leveling entire communities and triggering massive tsunamis that brought more devastation to coastal areas. He explained that the purpose of the proposed joint resolution is not to highlight the earthquake itself, but to honor the thousands of Alaskans who put the needs of others before their own, including first responders, medical personnel, the Alaska Army and Air National Guards, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, government employees, and everyday Alaskans. Those people conducted search and rescue operations, provided medical care, food, shelter, and the restoration of vital services and infrastructure, and saved many lives. He said the proposed legislation would recognize how a great disaster brought out the best of all Alaskans. MR. TURNER said the bill sponsor asks that the committee support HJR 23, so that it can be included in the events that will be marking the fiftieth anniversary of the earthquake in Anchorage and other Southcentral communities. Mr. Turner noted that Chuck Volanti, one of the upcoming testifiers, is not only an Alaska Air National Guard who brought the idea for the proposed joint resolution to Representative Millett, but also served at Kulis Air National Guard Base during the earthquake and would be one of the people honored under HJR 23. 8:07:47 AM CHAIR LYNN related that at the time of the earthquake, he was in the U.S. Air Force, on his way to be stationed in Kotzebue, Alaska, and landed on route at Elmendorf Air Force Base for Arctic Training. He recalled that "the place was still shaking with all the aftershock," and said, "You'd be talking to somebody and all of a sudden everybody would be under the desk." He said he saw the buildings on Fourth Avenue, where there was almost total devastation. He said it was a blessing [the effects] were not worse, and he suggested that the proposed joint legislation may be an appropriate one to consider. 8:08:45 AM REPRESENTATIVE GATTIS said she remembers "a lot of great Alaskans helping other Alaskans that were in need." She said she was age seven at the time of the earthquake and remembers her mother telling her that she would give some of her clothes and toys to children who lost everything in Valdez. She said as the oldest child in her family, she was allowed to go with her father to the power plant to help return the power to Anchorage, and she saw [the destruction of] Fourth Avenue. She remarked that Alaskans put politics aside to help each other during an emergency situation. 8:10:17 AM CHAIR LYNN, in response, offered his understanding that at the time of [the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001], members of U.S. Congress stood together and sang "God Bless America." 8:11:02 AM CHUCK VOLANTI indicated that the inspiration to bring the idea for HJR 23 to the legislature was his love of Alaska, its unparalleled beauty and people, and his experience serving in the Alaska Air National Guard. He continued as follows: I believe the time has come to commemorate the tragic events of fifty years ago. I believe history unwritten is history forgotten. This legislation, when passed, will ensure its rightful place in Alaska state history. On Good Friday, March 27, 1964, at 5:36 p.m., Alaska was ravaged with by a 9.2 magnitude earthquake - the largest recorded earthquake in U.S. history. It cast a pall of death and destruction covering thousands of square miles of pristine landscapes and lasting over four minutes, where seconds seemed like hours. Within an hour, I arrived at Kulis Air National Guard Base ..., then proceeded with flight dispatch responsibilities, organizing flight crews, coordinating the airlifts of supplies, equipment, and personnel, all of which was intended to alleviate the suffering of many citizens. Nothing of this magnitude has had more impact on Alaska or its people; all were forever changed. The towns of Valdez, Seward, Portage, Girdwood, and Chenega Village were destroyed. Anchorage and the Anchorage Borough suffered deadly and severe devastation. The Good Friday Earthquake destroyed hundreds of dwellings and businesses and created numerous landslides, one of which cascaded several residential blocks of Turnagain by the Sea onto the mudflats of Turnagain Arm and Cook Inlet. The quake and tsunamis, with no respect for borders or boundaries, ... continued a path of death and destruction down the Pacific Coast all the way to Crescent City, California. The people who were displaced and suffered great loss number in the thousands. It is time to recognize the quake's horrific impact on the state and the selfless rendering of humanitarian aid by first responders represented by thousands of Alaskan people coming from all walks of life, including countless military personnel. In the face of danger and uncertain circumstances, their display of selflessness, courage, and compassion proved the difference for many lives, even their own, as one life often affects another. The outcome of their efforts impacted not only their generation, but the generations that would follow - even those yet to be born. Their legacy remains intact. As a former member of the Alaska Air National Guard, I dedicate the efforts I have expended to those mentioned in this resolution; for those who made the ultimate sacrifice - true patriots and heroes and the families they left behind. [It is] time to pay tribute and give memorials of all the lost souls of this tragic event, to acknowledge the thousands who served, to honor their memory, and to give them their rightful place in Alaska state history. 8:14:20 AM REPRESENTATIVE ISAACSON thanked Mr. Volanti for his role in bringing forward HJR 23 and for his service in the Air National Guard and role in showing what that entity provides to the country. He also expressed thanks to the bill sponsor's staff. He said he grew up in the Seattle, Washington, area, and he remembers the tremors caused by earthquakes, in general. He opined that honoring those who lost their lives and those who sacrificed their time in the service of others is "fitting for all Alaskans." He pointed out that he was wearing a hat that was made by Mrs. Volanti in commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Good Friday Earthquake. He stated his support of HJR 23. 8:16:05 AM MR. VOLANTI indicated that [his role in bringing this proposed legislation to light] has been a privilege. He emphasized, "I have felt very strongly about this for many years." 8:16:18 AM REPRESENTATIVE HUGHES said she is glad HJR 23 is being proposed for the fiftieth anniversary of the earthquake instead of waiting for the one hundredth, because those who would be honored may still be alive now. She said she thinks the proposed joint resolution is a reminder of how important it is for communities to pull together. Further, she said HJR 23 underlines the issue of emergency preparedness, which she said is a passion of hers. She said the Department of Military & Veterans Affairs (DMVA) has contacted her office, and she offered her understanding that the state is going to be conducting exercises in March, whereas exercises will occur nationally in October. She acknowledged that there are people who helped during the earthquake at a young age who, therefore, are not yet seniors. 8:18:23 AM REPRESENTATIVE KELLER thanked the bill sponsor for bringing the joint resolution forward. He recounted that at the time of the earthquake, he was a high school student who lived in the Turnagain area. He said the event pained him, and he uses it as a marker of when he became an Alaskan. 8:19:20 AM ROBERT "BUZZ" SCHER, Chair, Alaska Seismic Hazards Safety Commission (ASHSC), testified in support of HJR 23. He emphasized the importance of public education, awareness, and preparedness as an appropriate and direct means to mitigate the earthquake hazard [Alaska] faces. He said Alaska is one of the most seismically active locales, not only in the nation, but worldwide. He reported that just last year, over 28,000 earthquakes were instrumented in the state, including over 40 that were over magnitude 5 or larger - the size at which an earthquake can do damage, subject to how close the earthquake occurred. 8:22:31 AM MR. SCHER said the commission fully supports HJR 23, but has suggestions regarding its language. First, he said although the earthquake goes by many names, including the Good Friday Earthquake, its formal name given by the U.S. Department of Geological Surveys is "The 1964 Great Alaska Earthquake." Next, he directed attention to "a comment about the area that was affected," on [page 1], line 4, and he said it is difficult to capture how large and significant the event was. He explained that ground shaking was felt as far off as Barrow; it was felt 700-800 miles away from the epicenter in Prince William Sound. He then pointed out language in [lines 5 and 6], which mention "the largest earthquake in the history of North America." He said it would be more accurate to say "the largest instrumented earthquake in North America." He noted that it was also the second largest instrumented earthquake in the world - ever. Mr. Scher stated that the earthquake of 1964 was probably one of two or three defining moments of Alaska, Alaska becoming a state being another. He said the earthquake went a long way in proving geologic, engineering, and plate tectonic theories. It also brought to light the need for better building codes and land use planning. 8:25:09 AM MR. SCHER recommended that the committee consider changing the proposed legislation to make March 17 an official day of remembrance in perpetuity, rather than acknowledging the day just on its fiftieth anniversary. 8:25:46 AM REPRESENTATIVE ISAACSON reviewed Mr. Scher's aforementioned amendment suggestions. MR. SCHER confirmed those were his recommendations. 8:27:23 AM The committee took an at-ease from 8:27 a.m. to 8:29 a.m. 8:29:22 AM CHAIR LYNN said the committee had a short conversation with Mr. Turner during the at-ease. 8:29:30 AM REPRESENTATIVE KELLER moved to adopt Conceptual Amendment 1, to proclaim March 27 Good Friday Earthquake Remembrance Day in perpetuity. There being no objection, Conceptual Amendment 1 was adopted. 8:30:08 AM CHAIR LYNN, after ascertaining that no one else wished to testify, closed public testimony. 8:30:23 AM REPRESENTATIVE KELLER moved to report HJR 23, as amended, out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, CSHJR 23(STA) was reported out of the House State Affairs Standing Committee. [The committee revisited HJR 23 on 2/4/14.]