HB 0623, Engrossed 1 2003
   
1         
2 A bill to be entitled
3          An act relating to the Northwest Florida Water Management
4    District; amending s. 373.4145, F.S.; continuing the
5    interim part IV permitting program for the Northwest
6    Florida Water Management District; providing a future
7    repeal of such interim program; removing obsolete
8    provisions; providing an effective date.
9         
10          Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
11         
12          Section 1. Notwithstanding the repeal of subsections (1),
13    (2), (3), and (4) of section 373.4145, Florida Statutes,
14    scheduled for July 1, 2003, said subsections are reenacted, and
15    subsections (6) and (7) of said section are amended, to read:
16          373.4145 Interim part IV permitting program for the
17    Northwest Florida Water Management District.--
18          (1) Within the geographical jurisdiction of the Northwest
19    Florida Water Management District, the permitting authority of
20    the department under this part shall consist solely of the
21    following, notwithstanding the rule adoption deadline in s.
22    373.414(9):
23          (a) Chapter 17-25, Florida Administrative Code, shall
24    remain in full force and effect, and shall be implemented by the
25    department. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section,
26    chapter 17-25, Florida Administrative Code, may be amended by
27    the department as necessary to comply with any requirements of
28    state or federal laws or regulations, or any condition imposed
29    by a federal program, or as a requirement for receipt of federal
30    grant funds.
31          (b) Rules adopted pursuant to the authority of ss. 403.91-
32    403.929, 1984 Supplement to the Florida Statutes 1983, as
33    amended, in effect prior to July 1, 1994, shall remain in full
34    force and effect, and shall be implemented by the department.
35    However, the department is authorized to establish additional
36    exemptions and general permits for dredging and filling, if such
37    exemptions or general permits do not allow significant adverse
38    impacts to occur individually or cumulatively. However, for the
39    purpose of chapter 17-312, Florida Administrative Code, the
40    landward extent of surface waters of the state identified in
41    rule 17-312.030(2), Florida Administrative Code, shall be
42    determined in accordance with the methodology in rules 17-
43    340.100 through 17-340.600, Florida Administrative Code, as
44    ratified in s. 373.4211, upon the effective date of such
45    ratified methodology. In implementing s. 373.421(2), the
46    department shall determine the extent of those surface waters
47    and wetlands within the regulatory authority of the department
48    as described in this paragraph. At the request of the
49    petitioner, the department shall also determine the extent of
50    surface waters and wetlands which can be delineated by the
51    methodology ratified in s. 373.4211, but which are not subject
52    to the regulatory authority of the department as described in
53    this paragraph.
54          (c) The department may implement chapter 40A-4, Florida
55    Administrative Code, in effect prior to July 1, 1994, pursuant
56    to an interagency agreement with the Northwest Florida Water
57    Management District adopted under s. 373.046(4).
58          (2) The authority of the Northwest Florida Water
59    Management District to implement this part or to implement any
60    authority pursuant to delegation by the department shall not be
61    affected by this section. The rule adoption deadline in s.
62    373.414(9) shall not apply to said district.
63          (3) The division of permitting responsibilities in s.
64    373.046(4) shall not apply within the geographical jurisdiction
65    of the Northwest Florida Water Management District.
66          (4) If the United States Environmental Protection Agency
67    approves an assumption of the federal program to regulate the
68    discharge of dredged or fill material by the department or the
69    water management districts, or both, pursuant to s. 404 of the
70    Clean Water Act, Pub. L. No. 92-500, as amended, 33 U.S.C. ss.
71    1251 et seq.; the United States Army Corps of Engineers issues
72    one or more state programmatic general permits under the
73    referenced statutes; or the United States Environmental
74    Protection Agency or the United States Corps of Engineers
75    approves any other delegation of regulatory authority under the
76    referenced statutes, then the department may implement any
77    permitting authority granted in this part within the Northwest
78    Florida Water Management District which is prescribed as a
79    condition of granting such assumption, general permit, or
80    delegation.
81          (6) Subsections (1), (2), (3), and (4) shall be repealed
82    effective July 1, 20052003.
83          (7)(a) The department and the Northwest Florida Water
84    Management District are directed to begin developing a plan by
85    which the permitting for activities proposed in surface waters
86    and wetlands shall fully comply with the provisions of this
87    part, beginning July 1, 2003. The plan also shall address the
88    division of environmental resource permitting responsibilities
89    between the department and the Northwest Florida Water
90    Management District; the methodology of delineating wetlands in
91    the Northwest Florida Water Management District; authority of
92    the Northwest Florida Water Management District to implement
93    federal permitting programs related to activities in surface
94    waters and wetlands; and the chapter 70 implications of
95    implementing the provisions of this part within the jurisdiction
96    of the Northwest Florida Water Management District.
97          (b) The department and Northwest Florida Water Management
98    District shall jointly prepare an interim report on their
99    progress in developing the aforementioned plan, to be presented
100    March 1, 2001 to the Governor, the President of the Senate, the
101    Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the chairs of the
102    relevant substantive and fiscal committees. The department and
103    district shall present a final report on March 1, 2003.
104          (c) Any jurisdictional declaratory statement issued for a
105    project within the geographic jurisdiction of the Northwest
106    Florida Water Management District that is valid on July 1, 1999,
107    and for which there has been issued a permit pursuant to this
108    chapter and chapter 403 for a phase of that project and which
109    identified proposed future development, including mitigation,
110    that would require an additional permit pursuant to this chapter
111    and chapter 403 shall not expire until January 1, 2002.
112          Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.