ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE  HOUSE RESOURCES STANDING COMMITTEE  April 29, 2002 1:51 p.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Representative Beverly Masek, Co-Chair Representative Drew Scalzi, Co-Chair Representative Hugh Fate, Vice Chair Representative Mike Chenault Representative Lesil McGuire Representative Gary Stevens Representative Beth Kerttula MEMBERS ABSENT  Representative Joe Green Representative Mary Kapsner COMMITTEE CALENDAR 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." - MOVED SB 356 am OUT OF COMMITTEE PREVIOUS ACTION BILL: SB 356 SHORT TITLE:GENERAL PERMIT FOR WATER/WASTE DISPOSAL SPONSOR(S): STATE AFFAIRS Jrn-Date Jrn-Page Action 03/27/02 2542 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 03/27/02 2542 (S) RES 04/03/02 (S) RES AT 3:30 PM BUTROVICH 205 04/03/02 (S) Moved Out of Committee 04/03/02 (S) MINUTE(RES) 04/03/02 (S) MINUTE(RES) 04/04/02 2631 (S) RES RPT 4DP 04/04/02 2631 (S) DP: TORGERSON, HALFORD, STEVENS, WILKEN 04/04/02 2631 (S) FN1: ZERO(DEC) 04/08/02 (S) RLS AT 10:30 AM FAHRENKAMP 203 04/08/02 (S) MINUTE(RLS) 04/09/02 2683 (S) RULES TO CALENDAR 4/9/02 04/09/02 2686 (S) READ THE SECOND TIME 04/09/02 2686 (S) ADVANCED TO THIRD READING UNAN CONSENT 04/09/02 2686 (S) READ THE THIRD TIME SB 356 04/09/02 2687 (S) PASSED Y17 N2 E1 04/09/02 2687 (S) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) SAME AS PASSAGE 04/09/02 2687 (S) ELTON NOTICE OF RECONSIDERATION 04/10/02 2715 (S) RECON TAKEN UP - IN THIRD READING 04/10/02 2715 (S) RETURN TO SECOND FOR AM 1 UNAN CONSENT 04/10/02 2715 (S) AM NO 1 ADOPTED UNAN CONSENT 04/10/02 2716 (S) AUTOMATICALLY IN THIRD READING ON RECON 04/10/02 2716 (S) PASSED ON RECONSIDERATION Y14 N3 E1 A2 04/10/02 2716 (S) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) SAME AS PASSAGE 04/10/02 2718 (S) TRANSMITTED TO (H) 04/10/02 2718 (S) VERSION: SB 356 AM 04/11/02 2878 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 04/11/02 2878 (H) RES 04/26/02 (H) RES AT 1:30 PM CAPITOL 124 04/26/02 (H) Heard & Held -- Time Change - 04/26/02 (H) MINUTE(RES) 04/29/02 (H) RES AT 1:30 PM CAPITOL 124 WITNESS REGISTER JOE BALASH, Staff to Senator Gene Therriault Alaska State Legislature Capitol Building, Room 121 Juneau, Alaska 99801 POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions relating to SB 356. ACTION NARRATIVE TAPE 02-40, SIDE A Number 0001 CO-CHAIR BEVERLY MASEK called the House Resources Standing Committee meeting to order at 1:51 p.m. Representatives Masek, Scalzi, Fate, McGuire, Chenault, Stevens, and Kerttula were present at the call to order. 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. ADJOURNMENT  There being no further business before the committee, the House Resources Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 1:57 p.m.