MINUTES OF THE

      SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES

 

      Sixty-seventh Session

      February 22, 1993

 

 

 

 

The Senate Committee on Natural Resources was called to order by Chairman R. Hal Smith, at 8:44 a.m., on Monday, February 22, 1993, in Room 224 of the Legislative Building, Carson City, Nevada.  Exhibit A is the Meeting Agenda.  Exhibit B is the Attendance Roster.

 

 

COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT:

 

Senator R. Hal Smith, Chairman

Senator Ernest E. Adler

Senator Thomas J. Hickey

Senator Mark A. James

Senator Joseph M. Neal, Jr.

 

 

COMMITTEE MEMBERS ABSENT:

 

Senator Dean A. Rhoads, Vice Chairman (Excused)

Senator Dina Titus

 

 

STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT:

 

Caren Jenkins, Senior Research Analyst

Rayanne Francis, Senate Committee Secretary

Caroline Allen, Senate Committee Secretary

 

 

OTHERS PRESENT:

 

Russ Fields, Executive Director, Nevada Department of Minerals

 

      * * * * *

 

Russ Fields, Executive Director, Nevada Department of Minerals, introduced himself to members of the committee.  Mr. Fields complimented members of the committee on their efforts in obtaining background information on the various natural resource issues they will encounter this session.  Further testimony by Mr. Fields is contained in Exhibit C. 

 

Chairman Smith thanked Mr. Fields for his informational presentation.  He drew committee members' attention to a handout from Peter G. Morros, Director, Division of Environmental Protection, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (Exhibit D).  Chairman Smith explained Mr. Morros had provided this handout in response to questions during Lew H. Dodgion's presentation at the Senate Committee on Natural Resources hearing on January 26, 1993.

 

Senator Adler drew attention to a statement contained on page 1, item 3 of Exhibit D.  He quoted the second paragraph, which reads "The [Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)] regulations favor centralized testing,..."  Senator Adler disagreed with this statement and stressed decentralized testing would still be acceptable by EPA standards.

 

Senator Hickey agreed with Senator Adler's observation, but emphasized the determining factor between the utilizaton of centralized or decentralized testing would be the cost of the equipment and the cost to the consumer.

 

Chairman Smith commented that Caren Jenkins, Senior Research Analyst, had provided committee members with a copy of the June, 1991 National Geographic article on the Colorado River (Exhibit E).

 

BILL DRAFT REQUEST (BDR) 1779:      Add Inter-Tribal Council on Nevada to entities represented on Board on Geographic Names.

 

Chairman Smith explained Senator Jacobsen had approached him requesting committee introduction of BDR 1779.

 

      SENATOR NEAL MOVED TO INTRODUCE BDR 1779.

 

      SENATOR JAMES SECONDED THE MOTION.

 

      THE MOTION CARRIED.  (SENATORS RHOADS AND TITUS WERE ABSENT FOR THE VOTE.)

 

      * * * * *

 

SENATE BILL (S.B.) 121:Makes various changes relating to petroleum products.

 

Considerable discussion ensued regarding the changes to the original language contained in S.B. 121.  Senator Adler stated the only major difference he could see concerned changing the word "distillate" with "diesel fuel."  Senator James noted the definition of "additives" had been moved from subsection 3 to subsection 1, in section 1 of the bill.  Chairman Smith remarked S.B. 121 appeared to be a "cleanup" bill.

 

Chairman Smith called for action on S.B. 121.

 

      SENATOR ADLER MOVED TO DO PASS S.B. 121.

 

      SENATOR JAMES SECONDED THE MOTION.

 

      THE MOTION CARRIED.  (SENATORS RHOADS AND TITUS WERE ABSENT FOR THE VOTE.)

 

      * * * * *

 

There being no further business before the Senate Committee on Natural Resources, Chairman Smith adjourned the hearing at 9:15 a.m.

 

 

 

            RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED:

 

 

                                    

            Rayanne J. Francis,

            Committee Secretary

 

 

 

APPROVED BY:

 

 

                                

Senator R. Hal Smith, Chairman

 

 

DATE:                           

??

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Senate Committee on Natural Resources

February 22, 1993

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