Rep. Marti Coley has filed another bill to repeal a section of the SB 550 the water quality bill that passed the Legislature in 2010. SB 550 included a requirement that septic tanks statewide to be inspected every five years and it banned the spreading of septic tank waste on land in 2016. The Legislature […]
Coley targets another section of last year’s water quality bill Read More »
Environmental groups, which have become accustomed to playing defense in the Legislature for many years, are digging in for what could be an even tougher fight this year. The legislative session starts on Tuesday, March 8. There are bills filed to streamline environmental permitting, repeal a statewide septic tank inspection requirement and prohibit local governments
Environmental groups digging in for tough legislative session Read More »
Three of the most controversial environmental and agricultural bills to emerge prior to the 2011 legislative session were approved on Tuesday by a House committee. The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Subcommittee approved bills dealing with septic tanks, local fertilizer regulations and agricultural exemptions from water management district permits. HB 13 by Rep. Marti Coley,
House panel passes three controversial bills Read More »
A senator whose summer beach trip was spoiled by high bacteria levels has filed a bill directing the state to investigate possible sources of beach water contamination. Sen. Eleanor Sobel, D-Hollywood, rented a hotel room at Hollywood Beach last summer to stay with visiting relatives. But when they went down to the water, they discovered
Senator’s spoiled beach trip leads to bill directing DOH to investigate Read More »
This reservoir in DeSoto County was built with some state water supply funding. Conservation and development of new water supplies must be part of Florida’s future to attract industry and create jobs, panelists on Thursday told the House Select Committee on Water Policy. But there were differing views on how much the environment should be
House water panel hears differing views on environmental protection Read More »
Representatives of 39 utility, development and agricultural groups on Tuesday sent a letter to Florida’s senators and congressional representatives asking them to deny federal agency funding to implement new water quality standards. The industry groups seem to be taking a harder line against the federal standards than some state agency officials. One state agriculture official
Thirty-nine Florida groups seek to block federal water standards Read More »
Gov. Rick Scott on Wednesday allowed a bill to become law that delays a statewide inspection requirement for septic tanks. The inspection requirement was in SB 550, which then-Gov. Charlie Crist signed in June with support that included the Sierra Club Florida and the Florida Home Builders Association. Supporters said the requirement would protect public
Septic tanks inspection delay becomes law without signature Read More »
A bill introduced by the chairman of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee would ban the state from implementing new federal water quality criteria that were adopted in November. Utilities, industries and agricultural groups say the numeric standards will cost billions of dollars to comply with. But an attorney representing environmental groups says
Bill would prevent Florida from implementing federal water standards Read More »
The chairman of the new House Select Committee on Water Policy said Thursday that the state’s “local sources first” policy that discourages water pipelines will be reviewed along with the role of water-management districts. But she also said doing away with districts in favor of a statewide water agency would be “crazy.” One of the
House panel may reconsider firey water issue Read More »
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
Estimates of federal costs of water rules vary widely, Florida DEP says Read More »
