Senate Bill sb1662

    Florida Senate - 2001                                  SB 1662

    By Senator Laurent





    17-893-01

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to wastewater sludge; creating

  3         the "Florida Wastewater Residual Reduction

  4         Act"; providing for appropriate disposal and

  5         treatment of wastewater sludge; providing fee

  6         incentives for utilities using appropriate

  7         treatment; providing an effective date.

  8

  9  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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11         Section 1.  This act may be cited as the "Florida

12  Wastewater Residual Reduction Act."

13         Section 2.  (1)  Wastewater residual sludge from

14  utility operations and septic removal must be treated to

15  minimum level as set forth by the Department of Environmental

16  Protection before disposal as land spreading, to protect the

17  Lake Okeechobee Watershed, the waters of the state, and the

18  ecosystem south of the Lake Okeechobee area.

19         (2)(a)  Private and government-owned utilities may use

20  a line item on local sewer rates for wastewater residual

21  disposals and treatment whereby this additional line item is

22  an environmental protection disposal fee above the present

23  sewer rate and not considered a part of the present sewer rate

24  to customers.

25         (b)  For those utilities using wastewater residual

26  treatment facilities within the areas designated by the

27  Governor as rural areas of critical economic concern or

28  designated under the provisions set forth in section 18 of

29  chapter 92-132, Laws of Florida, the wastewater residual

30  disposals and treatment fee line item may be a fee over and

31  above present operation and disposal fees, and the

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2001                                  SB 1662
    17-893-01




  1  environmental protection disposal fee will not be reduced from

  2  the present disposal fee already in the utility operational

  3  budget.

  4         (3)  For private utilities that use the provisions of

  5  this act, the environmental protection disposal fee is not

  6  considered a rate increase under the rules of the Public

  7  Service Commission. Utilities using this act may immediately

  8  include in their sewer invoicing the new environmental

  9  protection disposal fee.

10         (4)  For utilities and utility authorities owned by or

11  under the exclusive control of local or regional government

12  which use the provisions of this act, the environmental

13  protection disposal fee is not considered a rate increase

14  under the rules of the Public Service Commission. Utilities

15  using this act may immediately include in their sewer

16  invoicing the new environmental protection disposal fee.

17         Section 3.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

18  law.

19

20            *****************************************

21                          SENATE SUMMARY

22    Creates the "Florida Wastewater Residual Reduction Act"
      providing for the appropriate disposal and treatment of
23    wastewater sludge within areas affecting the Lake
      Okeechobee Watershed. Provides incentives for those
24    utilities using the appropriate treatment.

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.