Misc

Republican House members today expressed support for the idea of requiring oil rigs to be located out of sight even while they are pumping oil from beneath state waters near the coast. A representative of the National Ocean Industries Association told a House panel that oil and gas production platforms could be connected by pipelines […]

The House Energy & Utilities Policy Committee Wednesday heard from speakers on what a new state energy policy should include. The Legislature last year wrangled over energy issues as the House adopted a bill to allow offshore oil drilling in state coastal waters and the Senate adopted a bill to require utilities to use more

Ten endangered whooping cranes being led by ultralight aircraft on Wednesday arrived at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge south of Tallahassee while another 10 continued towards Central Florida. The birds were being led by Operation Migration pilots under an effort to re-establish a migrating population of the whooping cranes east of the Mississippi River. Whooping

The talks among Alabama, Florida and Georgia over water-sharing are confidential now under an order entered last week by a federal judge — despite an objection from an environmental group involved in the litigation. The three states have been battling in federal court since 1990 over water from the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint river system. Alabama and Georgia

State planners increasingly are requiring cities and counties to show that proposed new developments include features to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles, a Department of Community Affairs official said today. HB 697, adopted by the Legislature, in 2008 required cities and counties to have energy-efficient land use patterns and greenhouse gas reduction strategies

Alabama, Florida and Georgia have agreed to at least one issue in their dispute over water — that their talks on a water agreement should remain confidential. The three states have been in federal court since 1990 fighting over water from the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint river system. Alabama and Georgia want water for cities, agriculture and industry

Here’s a look at the Top 10 environmental stories from around Florida’s Capitol in 2009 and a look at how those issues may play out in 2010: 1. Oil drilling — Drilling off Florida’s coastline faced bipartisan opposition until 2008, when Gov. Charlie Crist said he was open to the idea at the time he

Environmental groups are applauding Seminole Electric Cooperative Inc.’s decision not to build a new coal-fired power unit at its generating in Putnam County. Seminole Electric, which doesn’t have retail customers but sells electricity wholesale to other utilities across Florida, proposed building a third coal-fired unit at its Seminole Generating Station six miles north of Palatka.

Two environmental groups served notice today that they plan to sue federal officials for failing to take steps to protect the Florida panther. The only population of Florida panthers is located in Southwest Florida where they face loss of habitat from development and threats from traffic while crossing roads. Perhaps fewer than 120 exist there