Senate Bill 1180c1

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    Florida Senate - 1999                           CS for SB 1180

    By the Committee on Natural Resources and Senators Bronson and
    Forman




    312-1719-99

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to water pollution operation

  3         permits; amending s. 403.088, F.S.; providing

  4         that a permit may require compliance with an

  5         accompanying order; providing that an

  6         administrative law judge may issue interim

  7         permits for the construction, operation, and

  8         maintenance of certain facilities in stormwater

  9         treatment areas under certain conditions;

10         requiring the administrative law judge to

11         conduct hearings prior to granting a contested

12         motion for an interim permit; providing an

13         effective date.

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

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17         Section 1.  Paragraph (f) of subsection (2) of section

18  403.088, Florida Statutes, is amended, and paragraph (g) is

19  added to that subsection, to read:

20         403.088  Water pollution operation permits;

21  conditions.--

22         (2)

23         (f)  A permit issued, renewed, or reissued pursuant to

24  paragraph (e) shall be accompanied by an order establishing a

25  schedule for achieving compliance with all permit conditions.

26  Such permit may shall require compliance with the accompanying

27  order.

28         (g)  The Legislature finds that the restoration of the

29  Everglades Protection Area, including the construction,

30  operation, and maintenance of stormwater treatment areas, is

31  in the public interest. Accordingly, whenever a facility to be

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    Florida Senate - 1999                           CS for SB 1180
    312-1719-99




  1  constructed, operated, or maintained in accordance with s.

  2  373.4592 is subject to permitting requirements pursuant to

  3  chapter 373 or chapter 403 and the issuance of the initial

  4  permit for a new source, a new discharger, or a recommencing

  5  discharger is subject to an administrative challenge, the

  6  administrative law judge may, upon motion by the permittee,

  7  issue an order authorizing the interim construction,

  8  operation, and maintenance of the facility if it complies with

  9  all uncontested conditions of the proposed permit and all

10  other conditions imposed by the administrative law judge

11  during the period until final agency action on the permit.

12         1.  An order authorizing such interim construction,

13  operation, and maintenance shall be granted if requested by

14  motion and no party opposes it.

15         2.  If a party to the administrative challenge opposes

16  the motion, the administrative law judge shall grant the

17  motion if the administrative law judge finds that:

18         a.  The facility is likely to receive the permit; and

19         b.  The environment will not be irreparably harmed by

20  the construction, operation, or maintenance of the facility

21  pending final agency action on the permit.

22         3.  Prior to granting a contested motion for interim

23  construction, operation, or maintenance of a facility

24  authorized by s. 373.4592, the administrative law judge shall

25  conduct a hearing using the summary hearing process defined in

26  s. 120.574, which shall be mandatory for motions made pursuant

27  to this paragraph. Notwithstanding the provisions in s.

28  120.574(1), summary hearing proceedings for these facilities

29  shall begin within 30 days after the motion made by the

30  permittee. Within 15 days after the conclusion of the summary

31  proceedings, the administrative law judge shall issue an order

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    Florida Senate - 1999                           CS for SB 1180
    312-1719-99




  1  either denying or approving interim construction, operation,

  2  or maintenance of the facility, and the order shall remain in

  3  effect until final agency action is taken on the permit.

  4         Section 2.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

  5  law.

  6

  7          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
  8                             SB 1180

  9

10  This bill amends s. 403.088, F.S., to provide that a permit
    may require compliance with an accompanying administrative
11  order. The bill also creates an administrative process that is
    applicable only to facilities that are part of the Everglades
12  Program. If the issuance of an initial permit for any such
    facility is administratively challenged, an administrative law
13  judge may, upon motion by the permittee, issue an order
    allowing construction, operation, and maintenance of the
14  facility until the administrative challenge is resolved.

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