The Florida Senate

376.317  Superseded laws; state preemption.--

(1)  If any provision of ss. 376.30-376.319 or of the rules developed pursuant to such sections, which provision pertains to a facility maintained for the purpose of the underground storage of petroleum products for use as fuel in vehicles, including, but not limited to, those vehicles used on and off roads, aircraft, watercraft, and rail, is in conflict with any other provision, limitation, or restriction which is now in effect under any law of this state or any ordinance of a local government, political subdivision, or municipality, or any rule or regulation adopted thereunder, the provision of ss. 376.30-376.319 shall control, except as provided in subsection (3).

(2)  Except as provided in subsection (3), the state preempts the regulation of the prevention and removal of pollutant discharges from a facility described in subsection (1) which has no single tank having a capacity exceeding 40,000 gallons at any time.

(3)  A county government is authorized to adopt countywide ordinances that regulate underground storage tanks, as described herein, which ordinances are the same as or more stringent or extensive than any state law or rule regulating such tanks, provided:

(a)  The original ordinance was legally adopted and in force before September 1, 1984; or

(b)  The ordinance establishing a more stringent or extensive local program is approved by the department pursuant to subsection (5) after the county demonstrates to the department that it has effectively administered the state law or rules for a period of 2 years prior to filing a petition for approval. However, any county which has sought approval of a local tank program from the department prior to January 1, 1988, shall not be required to demonstrate that it has effectively administered the state program for any minimum period.

(4)  The department shall either approve or disapprove a request to contract for a compliance verification program authorized pursuant to s. 376.3073 within 90 days after receipt of the complete application. If approved, the department shall provide full funding to the local government to carry out the contracted compliance and enforcement responsibilities pursuant to s. 376.3073 The department may not disapprove an application due to the population size of a county and may delegate compliance verification and enforcement to those local governments who agree to enforce the state's program jointly.

(5)  The department is authorized to adopt rules that permit any county government to establish, in accordance with s. 403.182, a program regulating underground storage tanks, which program is more stringent or extensive than that established by any state law or rule regulating underground storage tanks. The department shall approve or deny a request by a county for approval of an ordinance establishing such a program according to the procedures and time limits of s. 120.60 When adopting the rules, the department shall consider local conditions that warrant such more stringent or extensive regulation of underground storage tanks, including, but not limited to, the proximity of the county to a sole or single-source aquifer, the potential threat to the public water supply because of the proximity of underground storage tanks to public wells or groundwater, or the detection of petroleum products in public or private water supplies.

(6)  A county government may adopt an ordinance regulating underground storage tanks that is the same as any state law or rule regulating such tanks upon approval by the department of a completed application.

History.--s. 13, ch. 84-338; s. 23, ch. 86-159; s. 5, ch. 87-374; s. 18, ch. 88-156; s. 6, ch. 88-331; s. 7, ch. 89-188; s. 13, ch. 92-30.