LIHUE – The Office of Economic Development will hold a public hearing on draft rules that could be utilized to implement Ordinance 960. The ordinance was passed by the County Council in November 2013 to govern genetically modified organisms and
LIHUE – The Office of Economic Development will hold a public hearing on draft rules that could be utilized to implement Ordinance 960.
The ordinance was passed by the County Council in November 2013 to govern genetically modified organisms and pesticide use by large ag companies on Kauai.
The hearing is set for 6 p.m. Aug. 26 at Kauai War Memorial Convention Hall.
The draft rules were presented to the public during a series of informational meetings in May, and were reviewed by the State of Hawaii Small Business Regulatory Review Board in June. The SBRRB review is required by state law.
Members of the public are encouraged to review the draft rules prior to the public hearing date.
They are posted on the county’s webpage, www.kauai.gov, in the “What’s New” section. A hard copy of the draft rules may be obtained at the Office of Economic Development, 4444 Rice St., Ste. 200.
OED Director George Costa stated that comments at the public hearing should focus strictly on the content of the draft rules.
“This is not the venue to debate the larger issues of GMOs and pesticides, or what should or should not be included in Ordinance 960. The discussion will be focused on the public’s feedback on whether the draft rules are sufficient to implement the ordinance as written.”
The public may also comment on the rules in writing up to the date of the hearing. Comments may be submitted via email at tmhaumea@kauai.gov, or to: Office of Economic Development, 4444 Rice St., Ste. 235, Lihue, Hawaii 96766.
