Misc

By The News Service of FloridaMONTGOMERY, Ala. — Gov. Charlie Crist met with his two neighboring governors today in Alabama to renew efforts to resolve a dispute over water usage and the three emerged confident they’ll resolve the dispute rather than let a federal judge’s solution stand. Gov. Bob Riley of Alabama and Gov. Sonny […]

The governors of Alabama, Florida and Georgia likely won’t have a proposed water-sharing agreement in hand next week when they meet to discuss the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint river system, a Florida official said today. The three states have been battling in federal court since 1990 over the river system, which is a source of drinking water for

Twenty-five members of Florida’s congressional delegation have signed a letter urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to work closely with state officials and industry in setting limits for nutrients in Florida waterways. Scientists say nitrogen and phosphorus feed algae that have choked springs, rivers and lakes and have contributed to red tide in coastal waters.

A group of 25 business and government officials is going to the United Nations climate change conference in Denmark next week to push for green jobs for Florida. Meanwhile, a former U.S. climate negotiator told a Tallahassee audience on Tuesday that climate changes threatens the global economy and security. Florida State University scientists presented evidence

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection today delayed action on proposed stricter rules over the land disposal of sewage sludge after one disposal company said the changes could cost it more than $1,000 per day. DEP has been working since 2002 on proposed rule revisions in response to public complaints and environmental concerns about sewage

The Environmental Regulation Commission on Tuesday will consider changes to regulations dealing with “biosolids.” That’s the term used to describe the waste from sewage treatment plants, also called sewage sludge. Spreading biosolids or sewage sludge on land has raised health and safety concerns in some counties. The National Academy of Sciences says the use of

State planners say it would take 268 years of population growth to use up the new home lots that already are allowed in Tallahassee and Leon County. In DeSoto and Jackson counties, it would take even longer: DeSoto would require 328 years of growth and Jackson County would require 996 years. Despite — or perhaps

Florida CFO Alex Sink says her department’s efforts to reduce the use of paper and printing have saved state taxpayers $1 million since 2007. Sink, whose elected position places her in charge of the state Department of Financial Services, today announced a legislative proposal to require electronic payments from some vendors instead of processing paper

Representatives of stores and packaging industries slammed the Department of Environmental Protection today for a draft report’s recommendation to tax and then ban plastic and paper bags in Florida. DEP posted the draft report Oct. 15, then withdrew it two days later after criticism. Still, industry representatives said today they disagreed with the recommended tax