Sponsor Statement for SB 39

"An Act relating to hazardous chemicals, hazardous materials, and hazardous waste."

As we downsize government, and make it more user friendly, we must assess the efficacy of current statutes and regulations. SB 39 consolidates reporting requirements and includes a section that protects the state from strict liability for oil spills or other environmental releases at the REAA schools. It is part of the state's response to the Toksook Bay lawsuit.

Many times state and federal governments ask businesses to report information without a lot of thought about how that information will be used when it is received. That is the case with the "Placarding Statute" under AS 18.70.310.

We need to stop asking business to provide unnecessary information and concentrate on what it is the state needs to know. If communities, businesses and the state are not benefiting from the reporting, the information may not be necessary.

Currently, businesses in Alaska must report virtually the same information about hazardous chemicals, materials and wastes, in four different formats to four different entities. This bill eliminates three formats and one entity.

The bill was crafted with input from industry, fire departments, and the departments of Environmental Conservation, Law and Public Safety, Division of Fire Prevention.

The information to be reported is streamlined to one form which satisfies federal, state and local reporting requirements.