House Agriculture, Forestry and Economic Development Committee Part 3
Video
Transcript
Bills discussed (6)
| Bill | Title | Sponsor | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
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HB1399
· 3 mentions in transcript, chapter
Matched: “Yes, and true. I sympathize. You're here to run House Bill 1399. Okay, just a minute. Let”
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Pre-2017 bill | ||
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HB1400
· 3 mentions in chapter, transcript
Matched: “HB1400”
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Pre-2017 bill | ||
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HB1392
· 2 mentions in transcript, chapter
Matched: “that we send that to interim study we have a motion that house bill 1392 be sent to interim”
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Pre-2017 bill | ||
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HB1395
· 2 mentions in chapter, transcript
Matched: “HB1395”
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Pre-2017 bill | ||
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HB1396
· 2 mentions in chapter, transcript
Matched: “HB1396”
|
Pre-2017 bill | ||
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HB1393
· 1 mention in transcript
Matched: “It's the assurances bill. Yeah, you're talking about House Bill 1393. That's”
|
Pre-2017 bill |
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Representative Jerry R. Brown
Unverified
0:00
Skip down and go to House Bill 1396. Is that correct, Ms. Webb? Yes, Mr. Chair. Representative Webb, if you will introduce yourself for the
Representative Kathy Webb
Unverified
0:14
record, you may proceed. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Members of the committee, Kathy Webb, State Representative, District 37. With me, I have Martha Treese and Beverly Langford. And, Mr. Chair, the bill that I am presenting today has to do with disclosure of fluid that's used in the hydraulic fracturing.
There were rules that were recently passed, but I don't believe that those rules go far enough, and so what this bill would do would be to take those rules a little further. I'm sure it would make all the members of the committee feel good to know that their House Chair of Joint Budget can add, and I'm certainly aware of where we are on the votes, but I appreciate the opportunity to present very briefly and to allow the two folks who have come with me to also present very briefly, and then I will ask for the
bill to be sent to interim study with the permission of the committee. As somebody mentioned this morning talking about a perfect bill, the only perfect bill I've ever seen is in a drawer. And I did not make that up. Somebody else said that, but I think it's true, and that's what we do is we work to find consensus and build consensus on issues for the common good in Arkansas. There are a couple of things about the rhetoric over the last couple of the weeks that have dismayed me, and I want to address those very quickly.
when somebody in some of the emails I got and it said that the folks who are supporting these bills didn't live in this area. Well, I think that that's really irrelevant because we all breathe the same air and we all drink the same water and we use the water from this area for pursuit of various hobbies as well. And as I was thinking about it, I actually remembered then that I did own lots in both Cleburne and Van Buren County. So I actually do live there.
And the second thing that was said, and Representative Linderman also addressed this this morning, if you support these bills, then you are anti-economic development. You're against jobs. You're against economic development. I sit here as a small business owner. I've been a small business owner for many years. I also am in an industry that is very highly regulated. I have health inspectors come to my business. I have the fire department come to my business. I have ABC folks come, I have all sorts of people, USDA, I have all sorts of people come
to my business to inspect. And I don't necessarily like to have as many of the regulations that I do. But I also know if the regulations were solely left to my business, we probably wouldn't have some of the needed regulations to ensure the safety of the folks of Arkansas. I appreciate your letting me make just those brief remarks, and as I said, I've got Martha here, and she would just like to make a couple of comments, and then with the pleasure of
the committee, we'd like to pull the
Representative Jerry R. Brown
Unverified
3:17
bill for interim study. Yes, ma'am. If you'd recognize yourself for the record,
Martha Treese
Unverified
3:22
you may begin your testimony. Thank you. My name is Martha Treese. I'm a landowner, mineral royalty owner in Van Buren County and a small business owner. My small business works in the solid waste industry, and I guess what I want to make sure that all of you gentlemen know, regulations do not scare away business. I work in solid waste, waste management, Allied Services, Waste Corp.
They're all here to stay. They all came in knowing that there's regulation. Allied Waste just bought a landfill in Saline County. It's highly regulated. They knew the costs involved. They don't mind. They're making money. And I think those same things can be said for the gas company. And also you need to remember, because no one likes to pass new fees or attach any new monies to these to the people of the state, when the landfills were consolidated, there had to be a fee put on trash that was called a post-closure trust fund.
And I really would hate to see us have to have a post-closure trust fund set up for what the gas companies leave behind. And those are the things you need to think about. Regulations do not hurt business. They make people do better business and protect
Representative Jerry R. Brown
Unverified
4:31
us all. you thank you do we have
any questions by committee if not we do have some people that signed up to speak against and for this bill miss web it's your
call do you want those people to to give their testimony or would you recommend that we ask you to pull that bill
Representative Kathy Webb
Unverified
4:55
down mr. chairman I certainly don't want to to be like the teeth-floating situation that went on and on and on, so I would respectfully ask that we send this to Interim Study and that you allow me to pull this bill down. Thank you, Representative
Representative Jerry R. Brown
Unverified
5:13
Webb. You've heard the request by Representative Webb that she pull her bill down and recommend
that we send it to Interim Study through the interim. What's the pleasure of the committee? I need a motion. Mr. Meeks makes the motion that we recommend this go to interim study. All in favor of that motion say aye. Aye. Opposed like sign. Thank you, Representative Webb. MS. Thank you,
Representative Kathy Webb
Unverified
5:36
Mr. Chair. Members of the committee, I have another bill, and I can either withdraw that bill and send it to interim, or I can ask you all whatever. MR. You are
Representative Jerry R. Brown
Unverified
5:46
at the end of the table. It's your pleasure.
Whatever you choose to do at this time is very good. We
Representative Kathy Webb
Unverified
5:52
still have 15 minutes, ma'am. MS. I would hope that that bill could also go to interim study. I don't have the agenda and the number with me.
Representative Jerry R. Brown
Unverified
5:59
It's the assurances bill. Yeah, you're talking about House Bill 1393. That's
an act to protect Arkansas by requiring bonds for gas drilling operations. Yes, sir. Okay, you would like to recommend that be sent to interim study also? Yes, Mr. Chair. We have a motion by Rep. Stewart that we honor that request.
All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed, like sign. Thank you, Ms. Webb. We recommend that that bill be sent to random study during the interim. Thank you,
Representative Kathy Webb
Unverified
6:27
Mr. Chair. Thank you, members of the committee. Thank
Representative Jerry R. Brown
Unverified
6:41
you, ma'am, for coming today. Has Representative Pierce, he's still in rules? Okay. Representative Letty, do you feel like you have a time to present?
All right, sir. bill would you like to run now 1395 thank you
Representative Greg Leding
Unverified
7:04
mr. chair mr. vice chair members of the committee I'll allow the people with me to introduce themselves really quickly
Speaker 20
7:12
before I begin I'm Shannon Hensley I live in Van Buren County in in Damascus. I'm a landowner, and I'm a royalty. I receive royalties.
Speaker 24
7:20
MR. I'm Bob Cross. I'm a emeritus professor of chemical engineering at the University of Arkansas and president of the Ozark Society. MR. Welcome. Each and every one of y'all. Representative Letting, you
Representative Jerry R. Brown
Unverified
7:30
may begin. MR. Thank you. I want to first apologize to everybody in
Speaker 26
7:33
the audience. We got lunch. You didn't. Anybody want to go grab a beer later today, let me know. MR. To remove any of the suspense here,
Representative Greg Leding
Unverified
7:40
we're also going to ask that we send this bill But we did feel that it needed to be talked about for just a couple of minutes. It's been said several times today, but I want to say it again.
Nobody came here today as an enemy or opponent of the natural gas industry. We're here for the people who live here in Arkansas. I think the industry has just about every lobbyist in town working for them. The people of Arkansas have us, and we're here to address their concerns so that when this finite resource is gone, when those jobs are gone, when the money is gone and the industry leaves town, our air water and people are left in good shape that's all this is about um with that if i
Speaker 20
8:22
may yes ma'am as i stated i'm shannon hensley and i own land in bamburin county and damascus and
i receive royalties i have approximately 23 gas wells within a one mile radius of my house there are about 10 wells in our 600 acre section i'd like to stress that i'm not against the gas industry either. Seco, or Southwest Energy, is a gas company in my area, and they have been good neighbors and they comply with the current regulations. I'm not saying that they have a perfect record. I am saying that when there is an infraction or problem identified, they react with quick action to resolve the problem.
This being said, I come to the committee to ask you to help the gas industry become even better stewards of Arkansas's land, air, and water. The natural gas industry generates significant air emissions, which is HV 1395 addresses, from venting, flaring, or releases of compressors. So what I'm asking is that you all help us put through this bill that will ensure that the gas industry will become more financially stable because there are different techniques
out there that will ensure that when they input them that they become more profitable, which in turn will protect Arkansas and make Arkansas more profitable. So this is a good bill if you would just take
Speaker 24
9:54
it and look at it. Thank you. Thank you, ma'am. Any other testimony? I'd like to cover basically just one point about the air quality area. As you probably know, somewhat more than 3,000 wells have already been drilled in the Fayetteville
Shale area, and there's one aspect of those that is not regulated, and we feel strongly that there should be some concern and some consideration of regulation. If you don't know, the well is drilled, it's hydraulically fractured, and then the well is opened up with gas flowing into the atmosphere until the gas reaches pipeline quality.
In other words, there are contaminants in it, there's water, there's chemicals, there's things from the shale area, and it goes off into the atmosphere legally. And fortunately, those emissions are not regulated, but they are very substantial. On the average, for one well, approximately 8 million cubic feet of natural gas containing contaminants is just vented or flared into the atmosphere with no regulation.
That is, from one well, from the 3,000 wells, there would be 24 billion cubic feet of methane with contaminants that is polluting the atmosphere. There are some states regulate this to some extent, and there is a process called the green completion process that can cut that in half, but we believe more should be done. We believe this bill at least would set up a framework that that could be addressed.
Representative Greg Leding
Unverified
11:53
Thank you. MR. And with that, Mr. Chair, at the pleasure of the committee, we would
Representative Jerry R. Brown
Unverified
12:00
like to send this bill to interim study as well. MR. Yes, Representative Leading. What is your pleasure on I also have people that are signed up to speak for and against this bill. Would you like to go
Representative Greg Leding
Unverified
12:10
ahead and? MR. In the interest of time and keeping us moving forward, we would just like to
Representative Jerry R. Brown
Unverified
12:15
go ahead and move the bill to study very well we the sponsor of the bill of house bill 1395 request that we send this recommend that this be sent to interim study
resident Patterson you have a motion we have a motion that we send there recommend to send this to interim study all in favor say aye opposed like sign representing we have we have so done that thank you represent your letting are you prepared for 1392 or do you want to come back in the middle of the session
Representative Greg Leding
Unverified
12:49
we're going to be doing the same thing with 1392 we request
Representative Jerry R. Brown
Unverified
12:54
that we send that to interim study we have a motion that house bill 1392 be sent to interim
study on a recommendation motion we have a motion all in favor say aye opposed like sign so be it thank you yes sir I'm sorry well yeah we can to some people that does everyone understand what we're doing when we send it to interim study we have a approximately two-year period we have session next next January, but that is for physical amendments only for money
matters. So we really have two years for all the people connected that's concerned about these issues to come together and hopefully by next session that we'll come out with something that's good for all concerned. I've seen a lot of in my, this is my third term here and I've seen some awfully good things come out of interim study. And we hope that But when we make a recommendation, the recommendation is that we come back to Agri and the Senate
and the House come together with joint meetings through the interim and with some expert testimony we'll try to come out with something
good. Okay? Representative Pierce has entered the room. Representative Pierce, the lost has been found. Representative Pierce Do you choose
to run it now Or do you want to wait And catch your breath I just
Representative Bobby J. Pierce
Unverified
14:33
If you let me run first I would have had this all over
Representative Jerry R. Brown
Unverified
14:36
with Five minutes Well you're lucky that you're
Representative Bobby J. Pierce
Unverified
14:40
six Okay Well I was going to say You know everybody's using this Song theme before they start their bills And I was looking around here this morning And I was thinking about Chris Gustafson's old song Why me Lord
Representative Jerry R. Brown
Unverified
14:51
Yes, and true. I sympathize. You're here to run House Bill 1399. Okay, just a minute. Let
Representative Bobby J. Pierce
Unverified
14:56
me find it. Which one are we got here?
Okay. Excuse me, Mr. Chair. I apologize. That's all right. But I had to be over there and right across the street, right across the road. So first of all, I'd like to say that as a utility contractor and stuff, that we know that natural gas is important to the state of Arkansas and to the country because everybody, when they turn on their switch, they want the lights to come on. I mean, that's just part of the life we've got into, and we love it.
Do I think there are some regulations that need to be looked at? Yes. Do I think that this is a new industry that just started? It's not new, but, I mean, the Shell area up there is four years old, and to me it's like a new kid, you've got growing pains. So that's what we've got here. We've got some things that we need to look at. First of all, I'd like to say that they told me that I would never get the oil and gas companies to come to the table and talk. Well, I disagree with that because they did come and talk to me, and they are willing to work with us.
There are some things in there that they are concerned about and that we are concerned about as the caretakers of Arkansas's wildlife, mineral rights, and that's the thing. But they are willing. They said there should not be smoking mirrors, that they are willing to sit down at the table and go over these concerns that we have and get with the people that want to talk with this. They want to do it. They're looking at this. and they promised me Monday afternoon that they are really serious about this
because they've learned one thing, education is not cheap. And that's the thing they have really looked at, education and PR. There is some great things. They do great things, but they do not get the word out enough. And that's the thing I think we've talked to them about is education. We need to educate people, but we've also got some problems with the others. The noise, I had one problem with a lady. And as far as I know, as of today, I think they've just about got that problem solved. They've worked on it. They're working with the lady to do that.
That proves to me that they are willing. That proves to me that we have a problem there that we're working on, and they are willing to come to the table. But we shouldn't have to have that problem to get there. But that was like they said, that was education. But with that, Mr. Chair, I would like this committee, if it's their will to pull the bills down, and we'll put them in the study and let them go to the study of energy. And if we could get energy
Speaker 40
17:42
and this committee together, I would like to do that, Mr. Chair, for the way you can work that.
Representative Jerry R. Brown
Unverified
17:49
We'll see what we can do. So what your wishes are that we take House Bill 1399 and you recommend that we put it in interim study? Yes, Mr. Chair. Do I see a motion? I have a motion by Representative Smith. All in favor of that motion, say aye. Opposed, like, sign. Representative Pierce, we'll take that under consideration. Thank you. And through the interim, we'll see what we can work out. Thank you, Mr. Chair. As a way of announcements, I want to tell the committee that didn't hear that lunch today was provided by Cammie Bogus and Bruce Hawkins.
And the excellent desserts that we had was by Ms. Debbie Moreland with Natural Resources.
Speaker 43
18:40
So when you see them, thank them very much. House Bill 1400.
Representative Bobby J. Pierce
Unverified
18:56
this is the landowner's bill of rights uh everybody gets a person beside them sometimes they don't want to live with or whatever but well you know it's just part of life sometimes but uh you usually work it out when you move into a small neighborhood you have a neighbor that you know gets on your nerve i know i had to move a couple times because for some reason a lot of people didn't like me right there but that's part of life too um as a landowner you should know who's on your land, and I think I worked with them the other day on this, and they were well
aware of the problems they have in this and what's going on, so we could, you know, that's another one that they're looking at in the education part of them. I think we need to take people out and show them what they're going, that's going on in these oil rigs, and show them, gas rigs, excuse me, and what they are doing, and show that they are trying to work, like we did in Texas, like they did in Texas, down in Plainview down in there where the lignite and stuff is they have came a long way on that because
Montana has some of the strictest regulations Wyoming does but we all live with it and we still got cheap coal available and we need natural gas for our school buses and for our homes and that's what we're trying to and somebody said a while ago about the price of natural gas I bet not one of these companies would argue that they'd like to see the price go up if they could I don't think that would over $3 or something cubic but Mr. Chair, I've taken enough of your time, and I would like to say to both sides of this,
I appreciate the work that's done on this. There will be more completed because I will see that my part is carried out, and I challenge the oil companies and gas companies because they want everybody on board with this, from the National Forest Service to everybody we can, and these will be complete studies and brought back under the care of both sides. So I would like you to put this one in the same place you put the
Representative Jerry R. Brown
Unverified
20:52
other one. Representative Parrish recommends that we put
House Bill 1400 in interim study. We'll see a motion. Motion by Representative Smith. All in favor of that motion say aye.
Opposed, like, signed. Committee, I want you to know we went through 12 bills this morning. I am so pleased with y'all. We will reconvene. You will know, of course, Speaker Moore will tell you, but I'm guessing at 2.30. We have a few more bills to run. Thank you very much.
Agenda
Call to Order
HB1396
HB1395
HB1392
HB1399
HB1400
Adjournment
Documents
No documents posted.
Speakers
Representative Jerry R. Brown
Unverified
Representative Kathy Webb
Unverified
Martha Treese
Unverified
Representative Greg Leding
Unverified
Speaker 20
Speaker 24
Speaker 26
Representative Bobby J. Pierce
Unverified
Speaker 40
Speaker 43