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stated that the Council may create an adhoc committee to study <br /> and make recommendations regarding the use of GMOs in the <br /> County prior to the final reading of Bill 79. He further reported that <br /> the County has submitted six proposals for consideration by the <br /> Committee to be included in the 2014 HSAC legislative package. <br /> He informed the Committee that the Council will first read a bill <br /> sponsored by Councilmember Dru Kanuha that raises the age limit <br /> to purchase tobacco from 18 to 21. He concluded by stating that <br /> the Council will also first read a bill sponsored by Councilmember <br /> Brenda Ford that bans hydraulic fracturing or fracking. In response <br /> to a query by Treasurer Victorino, he informed the Committee that <br /> the bill prohibits a process known as "enhanced geothermal," <br /> though it would apply to all forms of fracking, in which fluids are <br /> injected deep into the earth to widen cracks in order to increase <br /> permeability and allow more underground heat sources to be <br /> reached. <br /> 3. City and County of Honolulu Report. Secretary Chang reported on <br /> the measures that the Council has been deliberating upon as <br /> follows: 1) Bill 59 (2013) which prohibits individuals from lying <br /> down on the ground under certain conditions; 2) Bill 48 (2013) <br /> which rezones lands situated at Waipio in the Central Oahu Region, <br /> commonly known as Castle & Cooke's "Koa Ridge" development; <br /> and 3) Resolution 13-177 which seeks to amend the Charter to <br /> require that the Board of Water Supply (BWS) decisions to <br /> condemn land be subject to review and approval by the Council, to <br /> require that the proposed BWS annual operating and capital <br /> budgets be subject to appropriation and amendment by the <br /> Council, and to clarify that City ethical standards of conduct apply <br /> to BWS and its policy-making Board. In response to a query, he <br /> informed the Committee that the City has hired a new Transit- <br /> Oriented Development (commonly known as TOD) Director who <br /> has plans to integrate new developments with rail stations. <br /> 4. Kauai County Report. President Rapozo reported that the Council <br /> had requested an opinion from the state Attorney General (AG)to <br /> determine whether the County has the jurisdiction to regulate the <br /> use of pesticides or the cultivation of GMOs, however, the state AG <br /> declined to issue an opinion. He further reported that the Council <br /> will next deliberate on Bill 2491, Relating to GMOs, on September <br /> 27, 2013. He opined that Bill 2491 will have statewide ramifications <br /> and encouraged the other counties to closely monitor its status. In <br /> response to a query, he clarified that approximately 1,800 people <br /> marched to the Kauai County Building to protest the use of GMOs <br /> and pesticides. He opined that a portion of the demonstrators had <br /> traveled from the other counties and the mainland to participate in <br /> the march. <br /> 3 <br />