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Spring 1979

Legislature 1979
Environment
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Environment

There are several issues of environmental concern which will be subjects for bills this session. Implementation of the water resources amendment has attracted a lot of press attention so far. The State administration is expected to base its water resources legislation on the recommendations of the State Water Commission, which calls for the creation of an independent agency which, among other things, will develop growth policy on Oahu, issue permits for water use and development, and develop a comprehensive water code. Currently different aspects of water use are handled by different agencies and it is thought that a single agency would be more efficient. There will be resistance, particularly from the outer island, to giving a state-level agency so much of the planning powers which the counties want to retain.

It is possible that there will be legislation pertaining to the "right to sue" amendment. The intent of the amendment was to provide individuals with an interest other than financial the possibility of suing a public agency for not enforcing laws already on the books. The amendment is written in such a way as to not require any further legislation; it states that the Legislature may set reasonable limits. Right now it is not known if there will be any bills setting limits.

Other legislation includes a bottle bill aimed at both recycling and litter control; see page 3, a request for more positions in the Health Dept, air pollution section; some decision, or at least further discussion, about rapid transit on Oahu, and a few bills concerned with protection from noise pollution.

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