| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to environmental protection; creating s. |
| 3 | 377.43, F.S.; establishing the Gulf of Mexico Protection |
| 4 | Task Force within the Department of Environmental |
| 5 | Protection; providing for membership and duties of the |
| 6 | task force; providing administrative duties of the task |
| 7 | force; providing an effective date. |
| 8 |
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| 9 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 10 |
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| 11 | Section 1. Section 377.43, Florida Statutes, is created to |
| 12 | read: |
| 13 | 377.43 Gulf of Mexico Protection Task Force.- |
| 14 | (1) The Gulf of Mexico Protection Task Force is |
| 15 | established within the Department of Environmental Protection. |
| 16 | The duty of the task force is to establish best practices in the |
| 17 | Gulf of Mexico for: |
| 18 | (a) Protecting Florida's shores from any harmful effects |
| 19 | of offshore drilling. |
| 20 | (b) Monitoring and assessing environmental cleanup and |
| 21 | protection efforts. |
| 22 | (c) Monitoring the effects of the use of chemical |
| 23 | dispersants on the environment. |
| 24 | (d) Protecting and improving the economy of the state. |
| 25 | (2) The members of the Gulf of Mexico Protection Task |
| 26 | Force shall be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the |
| 27 | Secretary of Environmental Protection. The task force shall meet |
| 28 | at the call of the chair to evaluate any pending application for |
| 29 | a permit to drill in the Gulf of Mexico and may make other |
| 30 | evaluations requested by the department. The membership of the |
| 31 | task force shall be composed as follows: |
| 32 | (a) The State Geologist, who shall serve as chair. |
| 33 | (b) A representative of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation |
| 34 | Commission. |
| 35 | (c) A representative from the oil industry. |
| 36 | (d) A representative from an organized conservation group. |
| 37 | (e) A botanist. |
| 38 | (f) A hydrologist. |
| 39 | (g) A master gardener. |
| 40 | (3) The task force shall administer this section pursuant |
| 41 | to the laws of the state and the rules and orders of the |
| 42 | department which apply generally to regulation of the production |
| 43 | of oil and gas. If site-specific conditions require, the task |
| 44 | force may recommend that additional procedures, safeguards, or |
| 45 | conditions that are necessary to protect the integrity of the |
| 46 | Florida coast of the Gulf of Mexico be required as a condition |
| 47 | to the issuance of a permit to drill and produce in waters of |
| 48 | the gulf under state jurisdiction. |
| 49 | Section 2. This act shall take effect October 1, 2010. |