Author name: bruce

Estimates of federal costs of water rules vary widely, Florida DEP says

FDEP, Federal Agencies, Government, Pollution, Water /

Uncertainty over how the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans to enforce new water quality standards continues to create wide-ranging cost estimates for meeting the new requirements, a state environmental official said Wednesday. The EPA in December adopted new numeric nutrient standards for phosphorus and nitrogen in Florida waterways. The standards are needed to reduce the […]

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Florida utilities cutting back on power plants, including biomass, PSC says

1 Comment / Biomass, Energy, Utilities /

Florida’s electric utilities are continuing to lose customers and are delaying construction of new electric plants as less electricity is being used, according to a report approved Wednesday by the Florida Public Service Commission. The report could play a role in the debate over new nuclear plants in the state and the economic viability of

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New DCA secretary says he doesn’t have marching orders on agency’s future

Gov. Rick Scott, Government, Growth Management, Growth Management Law, Land-use Planning /

Department of Community Affairs Secretary Billy Buzzett told reporters on Tuesday during his first day on the job that he had been given no specific orders by his boss, Gov. Rick Scott, as to the future of the agency. Buzzett attended a meeting of the Senate Community Affairs Committee but he did not address the

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Growth management legislation clears first committee

2011 Legislature, Government, Growth, Growth Management, Growth Management Law /

Three growth management bills that are intended to address a judge’s ruling last summer passed their first Senate committee stop on Tuesday. In August, Circuit Judge Charles Francis in Tallahassee ruled that the 2009 growth management overhaul in SB 360 was unconstitutional because they represented an unfunded mandate for cities and counties and because the

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Florida Power & Light told to revise its energy conservation plan

Conservation, Energy, Misc, Utilities /

The Florida Public Service Commission on Tuesday told Florida Power & Light Co. to resubmit its energy conservation plan to meet yearly goals established by the agency under state law. FPL, the state’s largest utility with 2.1 million customers, was the last among seven utilities to have its plans reviewed by the PSC as provided

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SACE says it’s hopeful with Duke-Progress Energy merger

Advocacy, Energy, Renewable, Utilities /

The leader of a Southern regional environmental group that has been battling Progress Energy over energy conservation and a planned new nuclear plant in Levy County says it’s hopeful that the utility’s merger with Duke Energy will lead Progress to take more environmentally friendly positions. Duke Energy and Progress Energy on Monday announced the merger

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Groups back off merger criticism in growth recommendations

Advocacy, Conservation, Gov. Rick Scott, Government, Growth, Growth Management, Growth Management Law /

Environmentalists on Monday issued growth management recommendations to state leaders but stopped short of criticizing a proposal by Gov. Rick Scott’s transition team to merge state growth management and environmental protection agencies into a new “Department of Growth Leadership.” Scott’s transition team last month recommended creating the new agency by merging the Department of Community

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Florida ag commissioner sees “common cause” in Everglades as new federal refuge announced

Conservation, Federal Agencies, Forests & Agriculture, Government /

WESTON — Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam at the Everglades Coalition Conference on Friday called for “smart” environmental restoration while the U.S. Interior Secretary announced a federal initiative with landowners to conserve portions of the Kissimmee River and Lake Okeechobee. Putnam is the first agriculture commissioner to speak at the conference, according to organizers. More than

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Scott names former St. Joe exec to lead Florida planning agency

1 Comment / Energy, Gov. Rick Scott, Government, Growth, Growth Management, Growth Management Law /

Gov. Rick Scott on Wednesday evening announced that he was hiring Billy Buzzett, a former top executive at the St. Joe Company to take over the Department of Community Affairs. Buzzett will take the place of Tom Pelham, who criticized Scott’s statement that DCA is killing jobs. Pelham maintained that land-planning agency had approved plenty

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Septic tank delay bill goes to Gov. Rick Scott

1 Comment / 2011 Legislature, Gov. Rick Scott, Government, Pollution, Water /

A bill that would delay implementation of a statewide septic tank inspection requirement was presented Tuesday to Gov. Rick Scott — after agency rule-making already had been halted. A Senate spokesman declined to say whether the Legislature had delayed sending the bill to avoid a veto by then-Gov. Charlie Crist. He signed SB 550 in

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