Committee Meeting Information

December 3 and 4, 2007

University of Wyoming Outreach Center

951 North Poplar

Casper, Wyoming

 

Committee Members Present

Representative Thomas A. Lockhart, Co-Chairman

Senator Eli Bebout

Senator Stan Cooper

Senator Bob Fecht

Senator Bill Vasey

Representative Bob Brechtel

Representative Floyd Esquibel

Representative Debbie Hammons

Representative Elaine Harvey

Representative Saundra Meyer

Representative Lorraine Quarberg

Representative William "Jeb" Steward

 

Committee Members Absent

Senator Grant C. Larson, Co-Chairman

Representative Amy Edmonds

 

Legislative Service Office Staff

Maxine Weaver, Staff Attorney

 

Others Present at Meeting

Please refer to Appendix 1 to review the Committee Sign-in Sheet
for a list of other individuals who attended the meeting.

 

Executive Summary

The Committee heard from the Office of State Lands and Investments, the Wyoming Business Council, the Wyoming Pipeline Authority, the Department of Environmental Quality, and the Department of Workforce Services.  The Committee had discussions on coalbed methane, received background information regarding Wyoming's energy assets and had a presentation on Global Warming by the Shoshoni FFA Chapter.

 

The Committee accepted reports on the state water pollution revolving account, the workforce housing infrastructure program, the effectiveness of the investment program, the effects of tax exemptions for manufacturing equipment, the effects of tax exemptions on railroad rolling stock, the effects of tax exemptions for coal gasification and coal liquefaction facilities, air quality permit fees, water quality NPDES fees and hazardous waste fees.

 

The Committee will sponsor legislation on the state water pollution revolving account, an amendment to the economic development account, coalbed methane water management, natural gas export incentives and additional funding for landfill planning.

 

Call To Order (December 3, 2007)

Co-Chairman Lockhart called the meeting to order at 1:00 p.m.  The following sections summarize the Committee proceedings by topic.  Please refer to Appendix 2 to review the Committee Meeting Agenda.

 

Approval of Minutes

Representative Brechtel moved that the minutes from the September 26 and 27, 2007 meeting be approved.  The motion was seconded and passed.

 

Office of State Lands and Investments

Lynne Boomgaarden, Director, Robert Tompkins, Grant and Loan Program Administrator and Debbie Dickson, Loan Coordinator with the Office of State Lands and Investments and Kevin Frank, Senior Analyst with the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) provided background information and Report #592 on the state water pollution revolving account [Appendices 3 and 4].  The Committee accepted the report. 

 

Ms. Boomgaarden presented the proposed legislation, 08LSO-0065.W4, – Revolving loan fund accounts [Appendix 5].  Senator Cooper moved for the Committee to sponsor the bill, seconded by Representative Brechtel.  After discussion and several failed amendments, Senator Bebout moved on page 4, line 12 to delete "may" and insert "shall".  The motion was seconded and passed.  The Committee voted 10-2-2 to sponsor the bill.  Senator Bebout and Representative Quarberg voted no and Senator Larson and Representative Edmonds were absent.

 

Wyoming Business Council

Mike Martin and Steve Achter with the Wyoming Business Council updated the Committee on the status of the Wyoming workforce housing rules.  Mr. Achter presented Report #566 on the workforce housing infrastructure program [Appendix 6] and explained some corrections since submittal of the report.  The Committee accepted the report as corrected.

 

Ben Avery, Director of Business and Industry discussed Report #205 & 228 on the effectiveness of investment program from [Appendix 7].  The Committee accepted the report.

 

Mr. Avery and Dan Noble, Excise Tax Administrator, Department of Revenue submitted Report # 354 on the effects of tax exemptions for manufacturing equipment [Appendices 8 and 9].  The Committee accepted the report. 

 

Mr. Noble provided a report on railroad rolling stock [Appendix 10] which was accepted by the Committee. 

 

Regarding Report #482 on the effects of sales and use tax exemption for coal gasification and coal liquefaction facilities, Mr. Noble reported that no facilities have been built.  Co-Chairman Lockhart asked Mr. Noble to submit a letter to the Committee for a record of the report. 

 

Mr. Avery presented background information on the challenge loan program [Appendix 11] and the proposed Legislation – 08LSO-0134.W2 – Economic development account [Appendix 12].  Senator Vasey moved to sponsor the bill with an amount of twenty million dollars ($20,000,000.00).  Senator Bebout seconded the motion.  The motion passed 12-2 with Co-Chairman Larson and Representative Edmonds being absent.

 

CBM Water Management

Pat Tyrrell, State Engineer and John Corra, Director of the Department of Environmental Quality provided background information [Appendices 13 and 14] and walked the Committee through the proposed Legislation – 08LSO-0108.W6 – Coalbed methane water management [Appendix 15].  Senator Vasey moved for the Committee to sponsor the bill, seconded by Senator Bebout.  The bill was then held back until Tuesday afternoon, but will be recorded here for ease of tracking documents. 

 

As the committee took the bill back up, Mr. Tyrrell and Mr. Corra submitted a strike and underline version of the bill that captured discussions from the day before [Appendix 16].  Bruce Hinchey, with the Petroleum Association of Wyoming, explained additional amendments from other members of the public [Appendix 17].  After working approximately 30 amendments, the Committee voted 12-2 to sponsor the bill as amended [Appendix 18].  Co-Chairman Larson and Representative Edmonds were absent.

 

Meeting Recess

The Committee recessed until 8:00 a.m. Tuesday morning.

 

Call To Order (December 4, 2007)

Co-Chairman Lockhart called the meeting back to order at 8:00 a.m. 

 

Wyoming Pipeline Authority

Mark Doelger, Chairman and Brian Jefferies, Executive Director with the Wyoming Pipeline Authority, discussed price compression and provided an update on pipeline capacity and potential pipeline projects [Appendices 19 through 22].  The Equality State Policy Center had previously provided a letter for the Committee [Appendix 23].  Rather than ask the Committee to consider the proposed Legislation – 08LSO-0175.W5 – Natural gas export incentive [Appendix 24], Mr. Doelger asked the Committee to consider an alternative concept.  The Committee agreed to table the draft bill and asked LSO to draft a bill reflecting the alternative position.  The new bill draft will be routed to the Committee for postcard ballot.

 

Wyoming Energy Assets – Pipeline and Energy Updates

John Dushinske, Vice-President of Marketing and Regulatory Affairs with Kern River Gas Transmission Company briefed the Committee on upcoming expansions to the Kern River pipeline system  [Appendices 25 and 26]. 

 

Robert Tarantola representing Spectra Energy explained the proposed Bronco line [Appendix 27]. 

 

J. Paul Matheny and Shane Shultz with Questar summarized the Pinedale Anticline Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and discussed other issues in the Pinedale area [Appendix 28]. 

 

Department of Environmental Quality

Mr. Corra, LeRoy Feusner, Solid and Hazardous Waste Administrator and Bob Doctor, Program Principal with Solid and Hazardous Waste Division updated the Committee on the regional landfills and the status of the landfill planning program [Appendices 29 through 31]. 

 

Representative Hammons moved to draft a letter of support of additional funding of $1.3 million to the Joint Appropriations Committee to be signed by the chairmen.  Representative Esquibel seconded the motion and the motion passed unanimously.  Representative Hammons moved to draft a bill for the additional $1.3 million for landfill planning.  The motion was seconded by Senator Fecht and passed unanimously.  Representative Harvey volunteered to help work on the draft.  The bill will be routed to the Committee for postcard ballot.

 

Mr. Corra and Rick Chancellor, AML Administrator explained the current status of AML funding and the current proposals from the Office of Surface Mining [Appendices 32 and 33].  The City of Rock Springs had submitted a letter requesting some of the AML funds [Appendix 34]. 

 

Mr. Corra and Dave Finley, Air Quality Administrator presented Report #266 on the air quality permit fees [Appendix 35].  Following discussion, the Committee accepted the report.

 

Mr. Corra submitted Report #358 on water quality NPDES fees [Appendix 36] and Report #593 on hazardous waste fees [Appendix 37].  The Committee accepted both reports following discussion.

 

Shoshoni FFA Chapter – National FFA Agricultural Issues Winners

Topic – Global Warming:  Is it the cause of weather and climate changes worldwide?

One of the highlights of the meeting was a presentation by the Shoshoni FFA Chapter on their FFA Agricultural Issues topic on global warming.  The team won the competition at national competition this fall in Indianapolis, Indiana.  The Shoshoni FFA team was represented by Oaklee Anderson, Chapter President; Ty McNamee, Chapter Vice President; Johnee Jo Campbell, Chapter Secretary; Nick Pince, Chapter Sentinel; Russell Goff, Chapter Reporter, Chase McNamee, Chapter Member and Crystal Woehlecke, Chapter Advisor. 

 

Carbon Sequestration

Co-Chairman Lockhart, Senator Bebout and Representative Hammons briefed the Committee on the carbon sequestration discussions from the Joint Judiciary Committee meetings.

 

NCSL Update

Co-Chairman Lockhart summarized the NCSL meeting regarding coal fired generation plants that he and Co-Chairman Larson attended.

 

Workforce Services - Update

Joan Evans, Director of Workforce Services updated the Committee on and initiatives of the agency, including workforce awareness, career readiness partnership, workforce development training fund, Wyoming workforce development council, sector strategies, corrections partnership, job assist and job corps [Appendix 38].

 

Reports and updates

The Committee had information on all reports due to the Committee and some of the reports due to the Legislature [Appendices 39 through 42].  The Committee did not take any action on the reports.

 

Public Comment

Additional information from the Clean Coal Task Force and the School of Energy Resources were provided after requests at the September meeting.  [Appendices 43 and 44]. 

 

Meeting Adjournment

There being no further business, Co-Chairman Larson adjourned the meeting at 5:00 p.m.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

 

 

Representative Thomas A. Lockhart, Co-Chairman

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Appendix		Appendix Topic		Appendix Description		Appendix Provider
1		Committee Sign-In Sheet		Lists meeting attendees		Legislative Service Office (LSO)
2		Committee Meeting Agenda		Provides an outline of the topics the Committee addressed at the meeting		LSO
3		Office of State Lands and Investments (OSLI)		Report #592 – Clean water revolving account		OSLI/Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)
4		OSLI		10-31-07 CWSRF Administration		OSLI
5		OLSI		Proposed Legislation – 08LSO-0065.W4 - Revolving loan fund accounts.		LSO
6		Wyoming Business Council (WBC)		Report #566 – Workforce housing infrastructure program		WBC
7		WBC		Report #205 & 228 – Effectiveness of Investment Program		WBC/Treasurer
8		WBC		Report #354 – Exemptions for manufacturing equipment		WBC/Revenue
9		WBC		2006 Mean Earnings by Age, Gender, and Industry		WBC
10		WBC		Report – Exemptions for Railroad Rolling Stock		Revenue
11		WBC		10-3-07 Challenge Loan Funding Request		WBC
12		WBC		Proposed Legislation – 08LSO-0134.W2 – Economic development account.		LSO
13		Coalbed Methane Water Management (CBM)		10-30-07 Letter on CBM watershed based permits		DEQ
14		CBM		11-8-2007 Letter on CBM water		DEQ
15		CBM		Proposed Legislation – 08LSO-0108.W6 – Coalbed methane water management.		LSO
16		CBM		Strike and Underline amendments from floor discussions		SEQ/DEQ
17		CBM		Proposed Amendments		Petroleum Association of Wyoming
18		CBM		Legislation – 08LSO-0108 – Coalbed methane water management.		LSO
19		Wyoming Pipeline Authority (WPA)		Proposed natural gas pipeline export capacity incentive		WPA
20		WPA		Proposed natural gas pipeline export capacity incentive - alternative		WPA
21		WPA		September 20, 2007 Letter from the Governor		WPA
22		WPA		Chart – Who owns the natural gas export capacity out of the Rockies?		WPA
23		WPA		9-23-2007 E-Mail		Equality State Policy Center
24		WPA		Proposed Legislation – 08LSO-0175.W5 – Natural gas export incentive.		LSO
25		Wyoming Energy Assets		Energizing the West – Positioned to Expand Brochure		Kern River Gas Transmission Company
26		Wyoming Energy Assets		Energizing the West		Kern River Gas Transmission Company
27		Wyoming Energy Assets		Packet		Spectra Energy
28		Wyoming Energy Assets		Pinedale SEIS		Questar
29		DEQ		11-1-07 Letter on landfill planning		DEQ
30		DEQ		Map – Solid waste management planning areas		DEQ
31		DEQ		Spreadsheet – on planning areas		DEQ
32		DEQ		10-30-07 Letter on status of AML funding		DEQ
33		DEQ		10-30-07 Letter on excess AML funds		DEQ
34		DEQ		11-9-07 Letter from Rock Springs		City of Rock Springs
35		DEQ		Report #266 – Air Quality fees		DEQ
36		DEQ		Report #358 – WYPDES program fees		DEQ
37		DEQ		Report #593 – Hazardous Waste facility fees		DEQ
38		Workforce Services		Packet		Department of Workforce Services
39		Reports and Updates		November 30, 2007 Report Due List		LSO
40		Reports and Updates		11-21-07 Reports due to Committee		LSO
41		Reports and Updates		Reports to Legislature		LSO
42		Reports and Updates		11-21-07 Reports due to Legislature		LSO
43		Reports and Updates		9-26-2007 Report of the Clean Coal Task Force		University of Wyoming
44		Reports and Updates		9-28-2007 Appendix A – School of Energy Resources		University of Wyoming