HOUSE RESOURCES STANDING COMMITTEE                                                                                     
                   March 10, 1999                                                                                               
                     1:28 p.m.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
OVERVIEW ON MINING INDUSTRY                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
TAPE(S)                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
99-13, SIDE(S) A & B                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CALL TO ORDER                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Representative Jerry Sanders, Co-Chair, convened the House                                                                      
Resources Standing Committee meeting at 1:28 p.m.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
PRESENT                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Committee members present at the call to order were Representatives                                                             
Sanders, Ogan, Morgan, Whitaker and Joule.  Representatives Masek,                                                              
Harris and Barnes arrived as the meeting was in progress.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Members of the mining community gave their perspectives on the                                                                  
mining industry.  Provided were the following handouts:  "Economic                                                              
Impact of the Fort Knox Mine on the Fairbanks North Star Borough";                                                              
"Pogo Project Update" (one page); and a four-page handout                                                                       
containing various charts and maps.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
STEVE BORELL, Executive Director, Alaska Miners Association                                                                     
(Anchorage), gave a broad-based picture of the mining industry,                                                                 
talking about several mines in detail.  He also discussed how the                                                               
price of metals affects the industry; permitting issues; and the                                                                
positive economic impact of the industry on local communities.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
BOB LOEFFLER, Director, Division of Mining and Water Management,                                                                
Department of Natural Resources, gave his perspective from a                                                                    
regulatory viewpoint.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
JUNE McATEE, Vice President, Resources, Calista Corporation                                                                     
(Anchorage), and STAN FOO, General Manager, Placer Dome                                                                         
Exploration, Incorporated (Anchorage), provided an update on the                                                                
Placer Dome and Donlin Creek mines, discussing the status and                                                                   
economic impact.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
KARL HANNEMAN, Alaska Regional Manager, Teck Resources,                                                                         
Incorporated (Fairbanks), briefed the committee on the Pogo                                                                     
Project, presenting a slide show that depicted the mine and its                                                                 
workings.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
BRIAN ROGERS, on behalf of Mayor Hank Hove, Fairbanks North Star                                                                
Borough, spoke about the positive economic impact that the Fort                                                                 
Knox Mine has had on the surrounding area.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
The committee took no action.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
The meeting adjourned at 2:55 p.m.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
NOTE:                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
The meeting was recorded and handwritten log notes were taken.  A                                                               
copy of the tape(s) and log notes may be obtained by contacting the                                                             
House Records Office at 130 Seward Street, Suite 211, Juneau,                                                                   
Alaska  99801-1182, (907) 465-2214, and after adjournment of the                                                                
second session of the Twenty-first Alaska State Legislature, in the                                                             
Legislative Reference Library.