MINUTES OF THE HOUSE

NATURAL RESOURCES, AGRICULTURE, AND ENVIRONMENT

STANDING COMMITTEE

Room 445, State Capitol

March 3, 2015


Members Present:                Rep. Lee B. Perry, Chair

                                                Rep. Douglas V. Sagers, Vice Chair

                                                Rep. Joel K. Briscoe

                                                Rep. Melvin R. Brown

                                                Rep. Scott H. Chew

                                                Rep. Jack R. Draxler

                                                Rep. Susan Duckworth

                                                Rep. Steve G. Handy

                                                Rep. Timothy D. Hawkes

                                                Rep. Mike K. McKell

                                                Rep. Michael E. Noel

                                                Rep. Kraig Powell

                                                Rep. Scott D. Sandall

                                                Rep. Mike Schultz      

 

Staff Present:                        J Brian Allred, Policy Analyst

An Bradshaw, Committee Secretary

 

NOTE:     A list of visitors and handouts are filed with committee minutes


Vice Chair Sagers called the meeting to order at 7:03 a.m.

 

MOTION:     Rep. Perry moved to approve of the minutes of the February 27, 2015 meeting. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Briscoe, Rep. Brown, Rep. Draxler, Rep. Handy, Rep. Hawkes, Rep. McKell, and Rep. Schultz absent for the vote.

 

H.B. 384         Grazing Zones Amendments (Rep. M. Noel)


Rep. Noel explained the bill to the committee with the assistance of Mark Ward, Utah Association of Counties.

 

MOTION:     Rep. Sandall moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Briscoe, Rep. Draxler, and Rep. Handy absent for the vote.

 

MOTION:     Rep. Sandall moved to place H.B. 384 on the Consent Calendar. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Briscoe, Rep. Draxler, and Rep. Handy absent for the vote.

 

H.B. 401         Statute of Limitations Modifications (Rep. M. Noel)


Rep. Noel explained the bill to the committee with the assistance of Kathy Davis, Office of the Attorney General, Natural Resources Division.


Spoke for the bill:       Mark Ward, Utah Association of Counties

 

MOTION:     Rep. McKell moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed unanimously.

 

MOTION:     Rep. McKell moved to place H.B. 401 on the Consent Calendar. The motion passed unanimously.

 

H.B. 323         Resource Management Planning by Local Governments (Rep. K. Stratton)


Rep. Stratton explained the bill to the committee.


Spoke for the bill:       Mark Ward, Utah Association of Counties

                                    Andrew Jackson, Mountainland Association of Governments

                                    Wilf Sommerkorn, Utah American Planning Association


Spoke to the bill:        Tim Wagner, Utah Physicians for Healthy Environment

 

MOTION:     Rep. Draxler moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Noel absent for the vote.

 

MOTION:     Rep. Draxler moved to place H.B. 323 on the Consent Calendar. The motion failed with Rep. Chew and Rep. Duckworth voting in opposition and Rep. McKell and Rep. Noel absent for the vote.

 

H.B. 396         Solid Fuel Burning Amendments (Rep. B. Dee)


Rep. Dee explained the bill to the committee with the assistance of John Mortensen, Utahns for Responsible Burning.


Spoke for the bill:       Karianne Lisonbee, citizen

                                    Kim Marshall, citizen

                                    Esther Olschewski, citizen


Spoke to the bill:        Bryce Bird, Director, Division of Air Quality


Spoke against the bill:            Shelly Teuscher, Utah Industry Environmental Coalition

                                                Ashley Soltysiak, HEAL Utah

                                                Erin Mendenhall, Air Quality Board and Breathe Utah

                                                Tina Escobar-Taft, Utah Moms for Clean Air

                                                Kathy Van Damm, Wasatch Clean Air Coalition

                                                Tim Wagner, Utah Physicians for Healthy Environment

 

MOTION:     Rep. Schultz moved to pass the bill out favorably.

 

SUBSTITUTE MOTION:   Rep. Briscoe moved to amend the bill as follows:

 

1.    Page 2, Lines 28 through 30:   

 

28   (a) public awareness campaign {  , in consultation with representatives of the solid fuel

29burning industry,  } on best wood burning practices and the effects of wood burning on air

30quality, specifically targeting nonattainment areas; [and]

 

2.    Page 2, Lines 43 through 56:   

 

43   (c) shall prohibit burning in a nonattainment area during periods when monitored

44levels of air pollutants are forecast within the next 48 hours to be greater than 15 micrograms

45but less than 35 micrograms per cubic meter of fine particulate matter PM2.5, unless using a

46solid fuel burning device that is:

47    {  (i) (A) certified by the United States Environmental Protection Agency;  }

48    {  (B)  }  (i)(A)  a wood heater that can only burn wood pellets; or

49    {  (C)  }  (B)  a masonry heater built to specifications of the American Society for Testing

50Materials ASTM - 1602, "Standard Guide For Construction of Solid Fuel Burning Masonry

51Heaters"; and

52   (ii) operated in a manner that produces no visible smoke, except during a 15 minute

53period when:

54   (A) a fire is started in the device;  and 

55    {  (B) fuel is added to the device; and  }

56    {  (C)  }  (B)  a fire is being extinguished in the device;

The motion failed with Rep. Briscoe and Rep. Duckworth voting in favor and Rep. Noel absent for the vote.

 

Rep. Shultz's original motion passed with Rep. Briscoe, Rep. Handy, Rep. Hawkes, and Rep. Powell voting in opposition and Rep. Noel absent for the vote.

 

S.J.R. 7          Joint Resolution on Wild Horses and Burros (Sen. E. Vickers)

 

Sen. Vickers explained the resolution to the committee.

 

Spoke for the resolution:        Sterling Brown, Utah Farm Bureau

                                               Robin Cahoon, Division of Wildlife Resources

 

MOTION:     Rep. Sandall moved to pass the resolution out favorably. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Noel and Rep. Powell absent for the vote.

 

MOTION:     Rep. McKell moved to place S.J.R. 7 on the Consent Calendar. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Noel and Rep. Powell absent for the vote.

 

S.B. 154          Coal Ash Regulation Amendments (Sen. R. Okerlund)

 

Sen. Okerlund explained the bill to the committee with the assistance of James Holtkamp, General Counsel, Intermountain Power Agency.

 

MOTION:     Rep. Handy moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Noel and Rep. Perry absent for the vote.

 

1st Sub. H.B. 104      Cow-share Program Amendments (Rep. M. Roberts)

 

Vice Chair Sagers invited LuAnn Adams, Commissioner, Department of Agriculture and Food, to make a statement to the committee. Ms. Adams stated that her department is not opposing this bill.

 

Chair Perry assumed the chair.

 

Rep. Roberts explained the bill to the committee.

 

Spoke for the bill:       Leah Shingleton, citizen

                                   Matt Kimmal, citizen

                                   Karianne Lisonbee, citizen

 

Spoke against the bill:            Mike Kohler, Dairy Producers of Utah

                                               Sterling Brown, Utah Farm Bureau

                                               Dave Davis, Utah Food Industry and Retail Merchants Association 

MOTION:     Rep. Brown moved to amend the bill as follows:

 

1.    Page 3, Lines 75 through 77:   

 

75   (c) an arrangement under which the person receives raw milk for personal

76[consumption.] use not to be sold or distributed {  in a retail environment  }  for profit  ; and

77   (d) no more than two cows, 10 goats, and 10 sheep per farm in the program.

 

The motion passed with Rep. Noel absent for the vote.

 

MOTION:     Rep. Sandall moved to hold the bill.

 

SUBSTITUTE MOTION:   Rep. McKell moved to adopt 2nd Sub. H.B. 104. The motion passed with Rep. Briscoe, Rep. Perry, and Rep. Sandall voting in opposition and Rep. Noel absent for the vote.

 

MOTION:     Rep. Schultz moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed with Rep. Briscoe, Rep. Chew, Rep. Powell, Rep. Perry, Rep. Sagers, and Rep. Sandall voting in opposition and Rep. Noel absent for the vote.

 

H.J.R. 24       Joint Resolution Urging Settlement of R.S. 2477 Rights-of-Way (Rep. J. Miller)

 

This resolution was not considered.

 

MOTION:     Rep. Sagers moved to adjourn the meeting. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Noel absent for the vote.

 

Chair Perry adjourned the meeting at 9:50 a.m.

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

Lee B. Perry, Chair