| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to the Petroleum Restoration Program; |
| 3 | creating s. 376.30717, F.S.; creating the Petroleum |
| 4 | Restoration Program Advisory Board in the Department of |
| 5 | Environmental Protection; providing for board membership, |
| 6 | organization, duties, and meetings; requiring the board to |
| 7 | submit an annual report to the Secretary of Environmental |
| 8 | Protection and the Legislature; providing report |
| 9 | requirements; providing an effective date. |
| 10 |
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| 11 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 12 |
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| 13 | Section 1. Section 376.30717, Florida Statutes, is created |
| 14 | to read: |
| 15 | 376.30717 Petroleum Restoration Program Advisory Board.-- |
| 16 | (1)(a) The Petroleum Restoration Program Advisory Board is |
| 17 | created in the Department of Environmental Protection. |
| 18 | (b) The board shall consist of seven members. The |
| 19 | President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of |
| 20 | Representatives shall each appoint one member possessing |
| 21 | knowledge, skill, and experience in the areas of geology or |
| 22 | insurance. The Secretary of Environmental Protection shall |
| 23 | appoint five members, four of whom are from a list of nominees |
| 24 | by the Florida Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store |
| 25 | Association and one whom is from a list of nominees by the |
| 26 | Florida Petroleum Council. |
| 27 | (c) Each member of the board shall be appointed for a 3- |
| 28 | year term. Two members shall serve an initial term of 1 year, |
| 29 | two shall serve an initial term of 2 years, and three shall |
| 30 | serve an initial term of 3 years, as determined by lottery at |
| 31 | the first board meeting. A member may not be appointed for more |
| 32 | than two consecutive terms. When a vacancy on the board occurs |
| 33 | prior to the expiration of a term, a successor shall be |
| 34 | appointed to fill that vacancy for the remainder of the |
| 35 | unexpired term. |
| 36 | (d) The board shall annually elect from its members a |
| 37 | chair and vice chair. A majority of the members of the board |
| 38 | constitutes a quorum, and action by a majority of a quorum is |
| 39 | necessary for the board to take any official action. |
| 40 | (e) The board shall convene at least four meetings each |
| 41 | year at the discretion of the chair. Board meetings may be |
| 42 | conducted via teleconference. All meetings of the board shall be |
| 43 | open and available to the public in accordance with s. 24(b), |
| 44 | Art. I of the State Constitution, chapter 119, and s. 286.011. |
| 45 | (f) Board members may not be compensated for their |
| 46 | services, but may be reimbursed for their travel expenses as |
| 47 | provided by law. |
| 48 | (3) The secretary, or his or her designee, shall meet with |
| 49 | the board semiannually to review the Petroleum Restoration |
| 50 | Program, including strategies for statutory or rule changes, |
| 51 | funding, staffing, site ranking, and any other strategies |
| 52 | intended to improve the efficiency of the program. |
| 53 | (4) The board shall prepare an annual report, including, |
| 54 | but not limited to: |
| 55 | (a) A review of the department's "Preapproval Standard |
| 56 | Operating Procedures Manual" and rules related to petroleum site |
| 57 | owners, operators, and environmental contractors. |
| 58 | (b) A review of the productivity and efficiency of the |
| 59 | program and the issues affecting the quality and cost- |
| 60 | effectiveness of site assessment and restoration. |
| 61 | (c) Recommendations for improving program policies to |
| 62 | increase the number of site cleanup completion orders issued by |
| 63 | 10 percent annually and achieve restoration of all sites in the |
| 64 | program by 2025. |
| 65 | (5) The board shall submit the report to the Secretary of |
| 66 | Environmental Protection, the President of the Senate, and the |
| 67 | Speaker of the House of Representatives by January 31 of each |
| 68 | year. |
| 69 | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2009. |