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The Florida Senate

CS/CS/CS/CS/HB 503 — Environmental Regulation

by State Affairs Committee; Agriculture and Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee; Rulemaking and Regulation Subcommittee; Agriculture and Natural Resources Subcommittee; and Rep. Patronis and others (CS/CS/CS/SB 716 by Budget Subcommittee on General Government Appropriations; Environmental Preservation and Conservation Committee; Community Affairs Committee; and Senators Bennett and Evers)

This summary is provided for information only and does not represent the opinion of any Senator, Senate Officer, or Senate Office.

Prepared by: Community Affairs Committee (CA)

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.

Vote: Senate 40-0; House 112-0