Representative Robin Lundstrum

Meeting — March 17, 2025 (17:43)

you. As much as it pains me, the Senate actually made a good bill better. It added childcare institution, forestry, camp, and training school. With that, I'd appreciate a good vote.

Public Health Welfare & Labor Committee (Senate & House) — March 17, 2025 (19:59)

have it, congratulations. Thank you, colleagues. And I'll get you a map, Senator Payton.

Public Health Welfare & Labor Committee (Senate & House) — March 17, 2025 (19:33)

but it's also one of the most important. They sit over our water, our air, our soil, our landfills. And so if there's a conflict of interest on that board, That individual doesn't need to be serving on the board. This doesn't affect anybody currently. It affects only in the future. So with that, I would

Public Health Welfare & Labor Committee (Senate & House) — March 17, 2025 (19:27)

and I'll say it again. ADEQ may not be the sexiest agency to ever walk the planet of the earth,

Public Health Welfare & Labor Committee (Senate & House) — March 17, 2025 (18:44)

to a point. If you are a law firm or an engineer that works for a landfill, oh, I apologize. If you're a law firm or an engineer that works for the landfill, you're going to have a conflict of interest. Now, if you're retired, obviously not, but the conflict of interest is real, and it's an issue that needs to be addressed.

Public Health Welfare & Labor Committee (Senate & House) — March 17, 2025 (17:24)

to address is if you have a conflict of interest and you're constantly recusing yourself from the vote, you're not doing your job. So if you have a conflict of interest, maybe you shouldn't be on the board in the first place. This is an important board, so not having a conflict of interest is critically important. Okay. All right. Thank you. Senator Payton, you recognize your question? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Public Health Welfare & Labor Committee (Senate & House) — March 17, 2025 (16:48)

concern. Okay. Senator, if I might, ADEQ, this is what the board that supervises, so having somebody from them on the board would be a conflict of interest. This is who breaks up the fights if there's a disagreement.

Public Health Welfare & Labor Committee (Senate & House) — March 17, 2025 (14:16)

that that's affiliated with or associated with. This is the board that supervises all of the decisions. If there's a conflict of interest between the citizens and ADEQ, this is the board that sits over all of it. So they should not represent a landfill if they're the law firm that represents a landfill. that's a direct conflict of interest, because those are the two parties that are having the argument. So it needs to be a fair board.

Public Health Welfare & Labor Committee (Senate & House) — March 17, 2025 (14:08)

You know, I didn't look at it from that because we don't normally

Public Health Welfare & Labor Committee (Senate & House) — March 17, 2025 (13:39)

there that's putting their finger on the scale, that's not right. And this just pulls that

Public Health Welfare & Labor Committee (Senate & House) — March 17, 2025 (13:35)

They're just there to protect the people. So if you have somebody

Public Health Welfare & Labor Committee (Senate & House) — March 17, 2025 (13:05)

You've got to give us some detail. Let's fill it up in here. We've had a little bit of an issue on one of the boards. Someone works for a law firm that represents a landfill. That's a direct conflict of interest. On the area regional landfill boards, some mayors have actually appointed the landfill supervisor to be on the board in their place. Again, a direct conflict of interest. So those boards are set up to be the referees. And they're not to have any dog in the fight.

Public Health Welfare & Labor Committee (Senate & House) — March 17, 2025 (13:02)

What's bringing this on? Well, we've had some problems where...

Public Health Welfare & Labor Committee (Senate & House) — March 17, 2025 (12:33)

Currently, those are all represented by an elected official, and if the elected official appoints someone, it needs to be somebody that works for the city, not for a landfill. Are there questions from

Public Health Welfare & Labor Committee (Senate & House) — March 17, 2025 (12:01)

This bill has two points in it. First of all, it's House Bill 1575, Robin Lindstrom, State Representative, District 18. The first part is that the Pollution and Control and Ecology Board would not have anybody on the board who represents a firm landfill. They're there to be a referee. You should not work for an entity that represents a landfill. And the same goes for your local, your county or your district landfills.

Public Health Welfare & Labor Committee (Senate & House) — March 17, 2025 (11:29)

two areas? I'm sorry, I do not. I have looked

Public Health Welfare & Labor Committee (Senate & House) — March 17, 2025 (11:44)

come back in just a minute with a map. I'd

Public Health Welfare & Labor Committee (Senate & House) — March 17, 2025 (10:58)

this? It's mostly Northwest Arkansas. Because I mean, Cave City is

Public Health Welfare & Labor Committee (Senate & House) — March 17, 2025 (11:08)

yes. And if you ever have a landfill, you better look out and be very wary of that. I think they've had landfills for decades. And they may be fine. And they may be fine. But in these two areas, it's not fine. And this just says in the future, we're not going to do this in these two areas.

Public Health Welfare & Labor Committee (Senate & House) — March 17, 2025 (10:24)

topography is, St. Joe and Boone. Are you saying that's the only place that it is? That's why we put, no, there's other karst. It's more dense. This is the one that would impact the most when