The Florida Senate

The bill:

·     Prohibits a county or a municipality from conditioning the processing for a development permit on an applicant obtaining a permit or approval from any other state or federal agency;

·     Authorizes the DEP to issue a coastal construction permit before an applicant receives an incidental take authorization;

·     Expands eligibility for those entities entitled to reduced or waived permit processing fees;

·     Expands the use of Internet-based self-certification services and general permits;

·     Exempts previously authorized underground injection wells from ch. 373, part III, F.S., except for Class V, Group 1 wells;

·     Reduces the time for agency action or proposed action on a permit from 90 to 60 days;

·     Provides for an expanded state programmatic general permit;

·     Raises the qualifying low-scored site initiative priority ranking score from 10 to 29, and exempts certain expenditures from counting against the program;

·     Revises qualifications for fiscal assistance for innocent victim petroleum storage system restoration;

·     Provides expedited permitting for intermodal logistic centers (inland ports);

·     Authorizes zones of discharges existing installations, with certain limitations;

·     Revises requirements for permit revocation;

·     Revises the definition for “financially disadvantaged small community”;

·     Revises the definition of industrial sludge;

·     Specifies recycling credits available for counties that operate waste-to-energy facilities;

·     Revises provisions related to solid waste disposal and management;

·     Provides for a general permit for small surface water management systems;

·     Expands the definition for “transient noncommunity water systems” to include religious institutions;

·     Clarifies creation of regional permit action teams for certain businesses;

·     Allows for sale of unblended fuels for specified applications, and specifies that alternative fuels other than ethanol may be used as blending fuels for blending gasoline; and

·     Prohibits the collection of permit renewal fees for those permits that were automatically extended by Chapter 2011-139, ss. 73 and 79, L.O.F.

If approved by the Governor, these provisions take effect July 1, 2012.