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MINUTES OF THE
SENATE NATURAL RESOURCES, AGRICULTURE, AND ENVIRONMENT
STANDING COMMITTEE
Friday, February 20, 2009
415 State Capitol, Utah State Capitol Complex


Members Present:        Sen. Dennis Stowell, Chair    
                Sen. Allen Christensen
                Sen. Gene Davis                
                Sen. Margaret Dayton
                Sen. Karen Morgan
                Sen. Ralph Okerlund                

Staff Present:            J Brian Allred, Policy Analyst
                Emily Brown, Assoc. General Counsel        
                Saundra Maeser, Secretary
    
Public Speakers Present:    Todd Bingham, Vice President, Utah Farm Bureau Federation
                Bill Rigby, water rights owner, Utah Assoc. of Conservation Districts
                Kent Jones, State Engineer, Division of Water Rights
                Richard Heap, City Engineer, City of Spanish Fork
                David Hartvigson, Attorney, numerous water districts and suppliers
                Jodi Hoffman, Attorney, Utah League of Cities and Towns
                Martin Anderson, rancher
                Jim Karpowitz, Director, Division of Wildlife Resources
                Sid Groll, Law Enforcement Director, Dept. of Natural Resources
                James Holtkamp Attorney, Holland and Hurt
                Tom Bingham, Utah Manufacturers Association
                Bill Sinclair, Acting Exec. Director, Dept. of Environmental Quality
                Dick Buehler, Director, Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands
                Mike Johnson, Asst. Attorney General, Dept. of Natural Resources
                Doug Foxley, Attorney, Union Pacific Railroad
                Jeff Devashrayee, General Director of Ethics and Compliance,                 Union Pacific Railroad    
                                    
A list of visitors and a copy of handouts are filed with the committee minutes.


Committee Chair Stowell called the meeting to order at 8:17 a.m.

1.     H.B. 241 Priority of Water Rights (Rep. K. Gibson) (Sen. R. Okerlund)

    Rep. Gibson introduced the bill. Bill Rigby, water rights owner; Todd Bingham, Vice President, Utah Farm Bureau Federation; and Kent Jones, State Engineer, Division of Water Rights, assisted in the presentation. A handout was distributed.


     MOTION: Sen. Christensen moved to adopt the following amendment:

1.    Page 1, Lines 15 through 16 :    

             15      Other Special Clauses:
             16          
[[   None   ]]        This bill takes effect on May 11, 2010.      


2.    Page 1, Line 24 :    

             24          Section 73-3-21, Priorities between appropriators.
    
  Section 2. Effective Date.

    This bill takes effect on May 11, 2010.  


    The motion passed with Sen. Christensen and Sen. Okerlund voting in opposition and Sen. Dayton absent for the vote.

    Richard Heap, City Engineer, City of Spanish Fork, and David Hartvigson, Attorney, numerous water districts and suppliers, spoke in opposition to the bill.

    Jodi Hoffman, Attorney, Utah League of Cities and Towns, spoke to the bill.

     MOTION: Sen. Christensen moved to pass H.B. 241, Priority of Water Rights, out of     committee with a favorable recommendation.

    SUBSTITUTE MOTION: Sen. Davis moved to refer H.B. 241 to Interim Study as a      committee priority.

     AMENDED SUBSTITUTE MOTION: Sen. Davis moved to refer H.B. 241 back to Rules

    The amended substitute motion failed with Sen. Stowell, Sen. Christensen and Sen. Okerlund voting in opposition and Sen. Dayton absent for the vote.    
    
    The original motion passed with Sen. Davis and Sen. Morgan voting in opposition and Sen. Dayton absent for the vote.

3.    1st Sub. H.B. 240 Wanton Destruction of Livestock (Rep. R. Menlove) (Sen. R. Okerlund)     
    Rep. Menlove introduced the bill. Martin Anderson, rancher from Grantsville, assisted in the presentation.

    Jim Karpowitz, Director, Division of Wildlife Resources, and Sid Groll, Law Enforcement Director, Department of Natural Resources spoke in support of the bill.

     MOTION: Sen. Dayton moved to pass 1st Sub. H.B. 240, Wanton Destruction of Livestock, out of committee with a favorable recommendation.

    The motion passed unanimously.

     MOTION: Sen. Dayton moved to have 1st Sub. H.B. 240 placed on the Consent Calendar.

    The motion passed unanimously.    

4.    Approval of Minutes        

     MOTION: Sen. Davis moved to approve the minutes of February 17, 2009.

    The motion passed unanimously.

5.    S.B. 70 Department of Environmental Quality Amendments (Sen. M. Dayton)

    Sen. Dayton introduced the bill. James Holtkamp, Attorney, and Tom Bingham, Utah     Manufacturers Association, assisted in the presentation.

    Bill Sinclair, Acting Executive Director, Department of Environmental Quality, spoke in     support of the bill.

     MOTION: Sen. Morgan moved to pass S.B. 70, Department of Environmental Quality     Amendments, out of committee with a favorable recommendation.

    The motion passed unanimously with Sen. Christensen absent for the vote.

6.    S.B. 80 Fire Liability Modifications (Sen. M. Dayton)

    Sen. Dayton introduced the bill. Dick Buehler, Director, Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, and Mike Johnson, Assistant Attorney General, Department of Natural Resources, assisted in the presentation.

     MOTION: Sen. Dayton moved to adopt the following amendment:

1.    Page 1, Lines 13 through 14 :    

             13          .    makes a railroad owner, operator, and
[[   lessor   ]]      [[   jointly and severally liable and   ]]        lessee       strictly

             14      liable for certain fires; and

2.    Page 2, Lines 36 through 37 :    

             36          (2)
[[   The   ]]        Except as provided by Subsection (4), the       owner and      [[   lessor   ]]        lessee       of a railroad right-of-way are      [[   jointly and severally liable and   ]]

             37      strictly liable for the fire costs from a fire caused by the construction, operation, maintenance,


3.    Page 2, Lines 44 through 45 :    

             44          (3)
[[   The   ]]        Except as provided by Subsection (4), the       owner, operator, and      [[   lessor   ]]        lessee       of a locomotive, rail car, or other rolling stock are

             45     
[[   jointly and severally liable and   ]] strictly liable for the fire costs from a fire caused by material:


4.    Page 2, Line 47 :    

             47          (b) used or ejected by a railroad personnel.
    
  (4) This section does not apply to a public transit district incorporated in accordance with Title 17B, Chapter 2a, Part 8, Public Transit District Act.      


5.    Page 3, Lines 66 through 67 :    

             66          (6) "Fire" means a flame, heat source capable of combustion, or material capable of
             67      combustion
  that is       caused, set, or maintained by a person for any purpose.


    The motion passed unanimously with Sen. Christensen absent for the vote.

    Doug Foxley, Attorney, Union Pacific Railroad, and Jeff Devashrayee, General Director of Ethics and Compliance, Union Pacific Railroad, spoke in opposition to the bill.

     MOTION: Sen. Morgan, moved to adjourn and have S.B. 80, Fire Liability Modifications,     placed on the next agenda.

    The motion passed unanimously.

    Chair Stowell adjourned the meeting at 10:00 a.m.

    Minutes reported by Saundra Maeser, Secretary




                 ______________________________
                 Dennis E. Stowell, Committee Chair