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



                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                         Bill No. CS for SB's 1906 & 550, 1st Eng.

    Amendment No. ___ (for drafter's use only)

                            CHAMBER ACTION
              Senate                               House
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  4  ______________________________________________________________

  5                                           ORIGINAL STAMP BELOW

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10  ______________________________________________________________

11  Representative(s) Attkisson offered the following:

12

13         Amendment to Amendment (354873) (with title amendment) 

14         On page 99, between lines 17 and 18,

15

16  insert:

17         Section 36.  Paragraph (c) of subsection (3) of section

18  373.4595, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

19         373.4595  Lake Okeechobee Protection Program.--

20         (3)  LAKE OKEECHOBEE PROTECTION PROGRAM.--A protection

21  program for Lake Okeechobee that achieves phosphorus load

22  reductions for Lake Okeechobee shall be immediately

23  implemented as specified in this subsection. The program shall

24  address the reduction of phosphorus loading to the lake from

25  both internal and external sources. Phosphorus load reductions

26  shall be achieved through a phased program of implementation.

27  Initial implementation actions shall be technology-based,

28  based upon a consideration of both the availability of

29  appropriate technology and the cost of such technology, and

30  shall include phosphorus reduction measures at both the source

31  and the regional level. The initial phase of phosphorus load

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                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                         Bill No. CS for SB's 1906 & 550, 1st Eng.

    Amendment No. ___ (for drafter's use only)





  1  reductions shall be based upon the district's Technical

  2  Publication 81-2 and the district's WOD program, with

  3  subsequent phases of phosphorus load reductions based upon the

  4  total maximum daily loads established in accordance with s.

  5  403.067. In the development and administration of the Lake

  6  Okeechobee Protection Program, the coordinating agencies shall

  7  maximize opportunities provided by federal cost-sharing

  8  programs and opportunities for partnerships with the private

  9  sector.

10         (c)  Lake Okeechobee Watershed Phosphorus Control

11  Program.--The Lake Okeechobee Watershed Phosphorus Control

12  Program is designed to be a multifaceted approach to reducing

13  phosphorus loads by improving the management of phosphorus

14  sources within the Lake Okeechobee watershed through continued

15  implementation of existing regulations and best management

16  practices, development and implementation of improved best

17  management practices, improvement and restoration of the

18  hydrologic function of natural and managed systems, and

19  utilization of alternative technologies for nutrient

20  reduction. The coordinating agencies shall facilitate the

21  application of federal programs that offer opportunities for

22  water quality treatment, including preservation, restoration,

23  or creation of wetlands on agricultural lands.

24         1.  Agricultural nonpoint source best management

25  practices, developed in accordance with s. 403.067 and

26  designed to achieve the objectives of the Lake Okeechobee

27  Protection Program, shall be implemented on an expedited

28  basis. By March 1, 2001, the coordinating agencies shall

29  develop an interagency agreement pursuant to ss. 373.046 and

30  373.406(5) that assures the development of best management

31  practices that complement existing regulatory programs and

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                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                         Bill No. CS for SB's 1906 & 550, 1st Eng.

    Amendment No. ___ (for drafter's use only)





  1  specifies how those best management practices are implemented

  2  and verified. The interagency agreement shall address measures

  3  to be taken by the coordinating agencies during any best

  4  management practice reevaluation performed pursuant to

  5  sub-subparagraph d. The department shall use best professional

  6  judgment in making the initial determination of best

  7  management practice effectiveness.

  8         a.  As provided in s. 403.067(7)(d), by October 1,

  9  2000, the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, in

10  consultation with the department, the district, and affected

11  parties, shall initiate rule development for interim measures,

12  best management practices, conservation plans, nutrient

13  management plans, or other measures necessary for Lake

14  Okeechobee phosphorus load reduction. The rule shall include

15  thresholds for requiring conservation and nutrient management

16  plans and criteria for the contents of such plans. Development

17  of agricultural nonpoint source best management practices

18  shall initially focus on those priority basins listed in

19  subparagraph (b)1. The Department of Agriculture and Consumer

20  Services, in consultation with the department, the district,

21  and affected parties, shall conduct an ongoing program for

22  improvement of existing and development of new interim

23  measures or best management practices for the purpose of

24  adoption of such practices by rule.

25         b.  Where agricultural nonpoint source best management

26  practices or interim measures have been adopted by rule of the

27  Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the owner or

28  operator of an agricultural nonpoint source addressed by such

29  rule shall either implement interim measures or best

30  management practices or demonstrate compliance with the

31  district's WOD program by conducting monitoring prescribed by

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                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                         Bill No. CS for SB's 1906 & 550, 1st Eng.

    Amendment No. ___ (for drafter's use only)





  1  the department or the district. Owners or operators of

  2  agricultural nonpoint sources who implement interim measures

  3  or best management practices adopted by rule of the Department

  4  of Agriculture and Consumer Services shall be subject to the

  5  provisions of s. 403.067(7). The Department of Agriculture and

  6  Consumer Services, in cooperation with the department and the

  7  district, shall provide technical and financial assistance for

  8  implementation of agricultural best management practices,

  9  subject to the availability of funds.

10         c.  The district or department shall conduct monitoring

11  at representative sites to verify the effectiveness of

12  agricultural nonpoint source best management practices.

13         d.  Where water quality problems are detected for

14  agricultural nonpoint sources despite the appropriate

15  implementation of adopted best management practices, the

16  Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, in

17  consultation with the other coordinating agencies and affected

18  parties, shall institute a reevaluation of the best management

19  practices and make appropriate changes to the rule adopting

20  best management practices.

21         2.  Nonagricultural nonpoint source best management

22  practices, developed in accordance with s. 403.067 and

23  designed to achieve the objectives of the Lake Okeechobee

24  Protection Program, shall be implemented on an expedited

25  basis. By March 1, 2001, the department and the district shall

26  develop an interagency agreement pursuant to ss. 373.046 and

27  373.406(5) that assures the development of best management

28  practices that complement existing regulatory programs and

29  specifies how those best management practices are implemented

30  and verified. The interagency agreement shall address measures

31  to be taken by the department and the district during any best

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                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                         Bill No. CS for SB's 1906 & 550, 1st Eng.

    Amendment No. ___ (for drafter's use only)





  1  management practice reevaluation performed pursuant to

  2  sub-subparagraph d.

  3         a.  The department and the district are directed to

  4  work with the University of Florida's Institute of Food and

  5  Agricultural Sciences to develop appropriate nutrient

  6  application rates for all nonagricultural soil amendments in

  7  the watershed. As provided in s. 403.067(7)(c), by January 1,

  8  2001, the department, in consultation with the district and

  9  affected parties, shall develop interim measures, best

10  management practices, or other measures necessary for Lake

11  Okeechobee phosphorus load reduction. Development of

12  nonagricultural nonpoint source best management practices

13  shall initially focus on those priority basins listed in

14  subparagraph (b)1. The department, the district, and affected

15  parties shall conduct an ongoing program for improvement of

16  existing and development of new interim measures or best

17  management practices. The district shall adopt

18  technology-based standards under the district's WOD program

19  for nonagricultural nonpoint sources of phosphorus.

20         b.  Where nonagricultural nonpoint source best

21  management practices or interim measures have been developed

22  by the department and adopted by the district, the owner or

23  operator of a nonagricultural nonpoint source shall implement

24  interim measures or best management practices and be subject

25  to the provisions of s. 403.067(7). The department and

26  district shall provide technical and financial assistance for

27  implementation of nonagricultural nonpoint source best

28  management practices, subject to the availability of funds.

29         c.  The district or the department shall conduct

30  monitoring at representative sites to verify the effectiveness

31  of nonagricultural nonpoint source best management practices.

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                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                         Bill No. CS for SB's 1906 & 550, 1st Eng.

    Amendment No. ___ (for drafter's use only)





  1         d.  Where water quality problems are detected for

  2  nonagricultural nonpoint sources despite the appropriate

  3  implementation of adopted best management practices, the

  4  department and the district shall institute a reevaluation of

  5  the best management practices.

  6         3.  The provisions of subparagraphs 1. and 2. shall not

  7  preclude the department or the district from requiring

  8  compliance with water quality standards or with current best

  9  management practices requirements set forth in any applicable

10  regulatory program authorized by law for the purpose of

11  protecting water quality. Additionally, subparagraphs 1. and

12  2. are applicable only to the extent that they do not conflict

13  with any rules promulgated by the department that are

14  necessary to maintain a federally delegated or approved

15  program.

16         4.  Projects which reduce the phosphorus load

17  originating from domestic wastewater systems within the Lake

18  Okeechobee watershed shall be given funding priority in the

19  department's revolving loan program under s. 403.1835. The

20  department shall coordinate and provide assistance to those

21  local governments seeking financial assistance for such

22  priority projects.

23         5.  Projects that make use of private lands to reduce

24  nutrient loadings or concentrations within a basin by one or

25  more of the following methods:  restoring the natural

26  hydrology of the basin, restoring wildlife habitat or impacted

27  wetlands, reducing peak flows after storm events, increasing

28  aquifer recharge, or protecting range and timberland from

29  conversion to development, are eligible for grants available

30  under this section from the coordinating agencies.  For

31  projects of otherwise equal priority, special funding priority

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                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                         Bill No. CS for SB's 1906 & 550, 1st Eng.

    Amendment No. ___ (for drafter's use only)





  1  will be given to those projects that make best use of the

  2  methods outlined above that involve public-private

  3  partnerships or that obtain federal match money. Preference

  4  ranking above the special funding priority will be given to

  5  projects located in a rural area of critical economic concern

  6  designated by the Governor. Grant applications may be

  7  submitted by any person, and eligible projects may include,

  8  but are not limited to, the purchase of conservation and

  9  flowage easements, hydrologic restoration of wetlands,

10  creating treatment wetlands, development of a management plan

11  for natural resources, and financial support to implement a

12  management plan.

13         6.5.a.  The department shall require all entities

14  disposing of domestic wastewater residuals within the Lake

15  Okeechobee watershed and the remaining areas of Okeechobee,

16  Glades, and Hendry Counties to develop and submit to the

17  department by July 1, 2001, an agricultural use plan that

18  limits applications based upon phosphorus loading. By July 1,

19  2005, phosphorus concentrations loading originating from these

20  application sites shall not exceed the limits established in

21  the district's WOD program.

22         b.  Private and government-owned utilities within

23  Monroe, Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Indian

24  River, Okeechobee, Highlands, Hendry, and Glades counties that

25  dispose of wastewater residual sludge from utility operations

26  and septic removal by land spreading in the Lake Okeechobee

27  watershed may use a line item on local sewer rates to cover

28  wastewater residual treatment and disposal if such disposal

29  and treatment is done by approved alternative treatment

30  methodology at a facility located within the areas designated

31  by the Governor as rural areas of critical economic concern

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                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                         Bill No. CS for SB's 1906 & 550, 1st Eng.

    Amendment No. ___ (for drafter's use only)





  1  pursuant to s. 288.0656. This additional line item is an

  2  environmental protection disposal fee above the present sewer

  3  rate and shall not be considered a part of the present sewer

  4  rate to customers, notwithstanding provisions to the contrary

  5  in chapter 367. The fee shall be established by the county

  6  commission or its designated assignee in the county in which

  7  the alternative method treatment facility is located. The fee

  8  shall be calculated to be no higher than that necessary to

  9  recover the facility's prudent cost of providing the service.

10  Upon request by an affected county commission, the Florida

11  Public Service Commission will provide assistance in

12  establishing the fee. Further, for utilities and utility

13  authorities that use the additional line item environmental

14  protection disposal fee, such fee shall not be considered a

15  rate increase under the rules of the Public Service Commission

16  and shall be exempt from such rules. Utilities using the

17  provisions of this section may immediately include in their

18  sewer invoicing the new environmental protection disposal fee.

19  Proceeds from this environmental protection disposal fee shall

20  be used for treatment and disposal of wastewater residuals,

21  including any treatment technology that helps reduce the

22  volume of residuals that require final disposal, but such

23  proceeds shall not be used for transportation or shipment

24  costs for disposal or any costs relating to the land

25  application of residuals in the Lake Okeechobee watershed.

26         c.  No less frequently than once every 3 years, the

27  Florida Public Service Commission or the county commission

28  through the services of an independent auditor shall perform a

29  financial audit of all facilities receiving compensation from

30  an environmental protection disposal fee. The Florida Public

31  Service Commission or the county commission through the

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                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                         Bill No. CS for SB's 1906 & 550, 1st Eng.

    Amendment No. ___ (for drafter's use only)





  1  services of an independent auditor shall also perform an audit

  2  of the methodology used in establishing the environmental

  3  protection disposal fee. The Florida Public Service Commission

  4  or the county commission shall, within 120 days after

  5  completion of an audit, file the audit report with the

  6  President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of

  7  Representatives and shall provide copies to the county

  8  commissions of the counties set forth in sub-subparagraph b.

  9  The books and records of any facilities receiving compensation

10  from an environmental protection disposal fee shall be open to

11  the Florida Public Service Commission and the Auditor General

12  for review upon request.

13         7.  The Department of Health shall require all entities

14  disposing of septage within the Lake Okeechobee watershed and

15  the remaining areas of Okeechobee, Glades, and Hendry Counties

16  to develop and submit to that agency, by July 1, 2003, an

17  agricultural use plan that limits applications based upon

18  phosphorus loading.  By July 1, 2005, phosphorus

19  concentrations originating from these application sites shall

20  not exceed the limits established in the district's WOD

21  program.

22         8.6.  By July 1, 2001, The Department of Agriculture

23  and Consumer Services shall initiate rulemaking requiring

24  entities within the Lake Okeechobee watershed and the

25  remaining areas of Okeechobee, Glades, and Hendry Counties

26  which land-apply animal manure to develop conservation or

27  nutrient management plans that limit application, based upon

28  phosphorus loading. Such rules may include criteria and

29  thresholds for the requirement to develop a conservation or

30  nutrient management plan, requirements for plan approval, and

31  recordkeeping requirements.

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                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                         Bill No. CS for SB's 1906 & 550, 1st Eng.

    Amendment No. ___ (for drafter's use only)





  1         9.7.  Prior to authorizing a discharge into works of

  2  the district, the district shall require responsible parties

  3  to demonstrate that proposed changes in land use will not

  4  result in increased phosphorus loading over that of existing

  5  land uses.

  6         10.8.  The district, the department, or the Department

  7  of Agriculture and Consumer Services, as appropriate, shall

  8  implement those alternative nutrient reduction technologies

  9  determined to be feasible pursuant to subparagraph (d)6.

10

11

12  ================ T I T L E   A M E N D M E N T ===============

13  And the title is amended as follows:

14         On page 105, line 16, after the semicolon,

15

16  insert:

17         amending s. 373.4595, F.S.; providing

18         eligibility requirements for projects that

19         reduce nutrient outputs on private lands for

20         grants available from coordinating agencies;

21         providing additional entities required to

22         develop agricultural use plans limiting

23         residual applications based on phosphorus

24         loading; providing a deadline for meeting

25         phosphorus concentration limitations

26         established in the water management district's

27         WOD program; requiring certain entities to

28         develop and submit agricultural use plans

29         limiting septage applications based on

30         phosphorus loading to the Department of Health

31         by a specified date; providing a deadline for

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                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                         Bill No. CS for SB's 1906 & 550, 1st Eng.

    Amendment No. ___ (for drafter's use only)





  1         meeting phosphorus concentrations limitations

  2         established in the water management district's

  3         WOD program; providing additional entities

  4         required to develop conservation or nutrient

  5         management plans limiting the land application

  6         of manure based on phosphorus loading;

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