Misc

Shell Point Beach in Wakulla County was purchased with Florida Forever money through Florida Communities Trust. Environmental groups this afternoon issued statements expressing regret that the state’s land-buying program next year will receive no state money or bonding authority. Florida Forever and its predecessor land-buying program received $300 million a year in bonding authority or […]

Everglades restoration will receive $50 million under a proposed fiscal year 2009-10 budget agreed upon by House and Senate leaders, but Florida Forever will receive no new money. The proposed budget also includes borrowing about $100 million to pay for cleaning up petroleum contamination sites. But a group representing gasoline station owners said the money

Gov. Charlie Crist said he’s still hopeful that there can be action in the legislative session on energy. But he also said he is considering again taking unilateral action on the issue. The House refused to consider a bill he supported that would require utilities to produce at least 15 percent of their electricity from

No renewable energy bill.No money for Florida Forever land-buying or Everglades restoration.No California auto emissions bill.No springs bill. That’s how the 2009 legislative session effectively ended tonight as far as environmental legislation goes. The Legislature will reconvene next week to vote on a 2009-10 state budget, but no environmental bills will be taken up. The

Two cases of H1N1 (swine) flu have been confirmed in Florida, Gov. Charlie Crist said. The cases, confirmed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, were a student in Lee County and another in Broward County. One student recently traveled to Mexico, where the flu is thought to have originated. State Surgeon General

Senators and representatives from rural counties pleaded to a legislative conference committee for more money for a DEP solid waste program that provides money for waste programs in rural counties. The program provides for rural counties to collect garbage and to operate landfills, waste collection sites and recycling programs. The Senate and House have tentatively

Florida’s cleanup program for protecting groundwater from leaking underground tanks at gas stations will effectively end under a budget agreement between House and Senate leaders, Sen. Carey Baker said today. Florida collects an 80 cents-per-barrel tax on petroleum imported into the state to help pay for cleaning up soil and groundwater that poses a threat

The Senate voted 37-1 today to approve SB 1154, which requires investor-owned utilities produce at least 20 percent of their electricity from “clean” energy sources including nuclear. The bill, supported by Gov. Charlie Crist to address climate change, was a top priority of environmental groups but faces an uncertain future in the House where a

Sen. Lee Constantine’s effort to get his springs bill attached to a Florida Department of Environmental Protection bill (SB 2104) failed today by a 19-13 vote. SB 274 by Constantine, R-Altamonte Springs, would regulate nitrogen releases to groundwater from farms, sewage treatment plants and septic tanks. Scientists say increasing nitrogen in groundwater fuels the growth

Supporters of the Florida Forever land-buying program say reports that the program is dead in fiscal year 2009-10 are premature. The state has purchased 2.4 million acres since 1990 under Florida Forever and a predecessor program, making it the largest conservation land-buying program in the nation and a top priority for environmental groups each year.