1.       Staff recommends motion to adopt: a Resolution by the Board of County Commissioners of Palm Beach County, Florida, supporting a statewide prohibition on hydraulic fracturing, acid fracturing, and similar high-pressure well stimulation practices performed for the purpose of exploration or production of oil or natural gas in the State of Florida and supporting legislation providing for the prohibition. SUMMARY: The Board has requested that a resolution supporting a prohibition in the State of Florida of oil and gas drilling practices commonly referred to as “fracking” be brought before it for consideration. Resolutions for this purpose have been passed by several counties, including Miami-Dade, Broward, Alachua, Leon, St. Lucie, Madison, Martin, Hamilton, Union, Escambia, Flagler, Gadsden, and Monroe. In the 2015 legislative session, two bills prohibiting these drilling practices (SB 166 by Soto and HB 169 by Jenne) were considered, along with various bills providing for additional regulation and permitting of fracking activities (CS/HB 1205 by Rodrigues and SB 1468 by Richter), none of which passed. Thus far, in advance of the 2016 legislative agenda, two bills have been filed to prohibit fracking in Florida: SB 166 (Soto) and HB 19 (Jenne). Two additional bills, SB 318 (Richter) and HB 191 (Rodrigues), have been filed to create a regulatory framework for fracking. These latter two bills would pre-empt local regulation of oil and gas resources. A resolution supporting a prohibition states the potential risk of contamination of groundwater resources and drinking water aquifers and the importance of protecting Florida’s natural resources. Countywide (DW)