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Minutes for SB285 - Committee on Agriculture
Short Title
Extending the existence of the UST redevelopment fund and compensation advisory board to 2032.
Minutes Content for Thu, Mar 12, 2020
Chair Highland opened the hearing on SB285 at 3:32pm.
Kyle Hamilton, Assistant Revisor, Office of The Revisor of Statutes, provided an overview of SB285 and the statutes that it affects. (Attachment 1) There is a Fiscal Note for SB285.
PROPONENTS:
Bob Jurgens, Director, Bureau of Environmental Remediation, Kansas Department of Health & Environment, appeared before the Committee in support of SB285. (Attachment 2) This amendment will have a positive impact by extending the availability of the funds to reimburse future abandoned Underground storage Tanks (UST) removal activities and assess potential contamination sources. Removal of abandoned USTs at blighted properties will increase the community’s economic growth and bring jobs to the community.
Mr Jurgens stood for questions from the Committee.
Thomas Palace, Executive Director, Petroleum Marketers & Convenience Store Association, appeared before the Committee in support of SB285. (Attachment 3) Removal of abandoned tanks under this program leads to quicker identification of potential contamination. The current program was established for eligible property owners who want to remove abandoned USTs from their property.
The program has been successful, and extension of the sunset state is needed to encourage more abandoned UST removal.
Mr Palace stood for questions from the Committee.
Shahira Stafford, Kansas Cooperative Council, appeared before the Committee in support of SB285. (Attachment 4) Agricultural cooperatives often have grain, agronomy, precision ag, seed, feed, and fuel operations. Some of our members have had underground petroleum tanks on their sites that were no longer in use. The redevelopment fund addressed in SB285 has successfully helped over 95 facilities in the removal of 293 abandoned USTs since the program’s inception in 2012.
Ms Stafford stood for questions from the Committee.
Written only testimony in support of SB285 was received from:
- Randy Stookey, Vice President of Government Affairs, Kansas Grain and Feed Association, Kansas Agribusiness Retailers Association, and Renew Kansas Biofuels Association (Attachment 5)
- Sheila Lowrie, Corporate Affairs Manager, Dillons Stores (Attachment 6)
There were no opponents/neutrals of SB285.
The hearing on SB285 was closed at 3:40pm.
