| 1 | Representative Littlefield offered the following: |
| 2 |
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| 3 | Amendment (with title amendment) |
| 4 | On page 1, between lines 17 and 18, insert: |
| 5 | Section 1. Subsection (13) is added to section 253.034, |
| 6 | Florida Statutes, to read: |
| 7 | 253.034 State-owned lands; uses.-- |
| 8 | (13) Notwithstanding any statute, regulation, or real |
| 9 | property conveyance to the contrary, public easements over |
| 10 | conservation lands or other interests in real property managed |
| 11 | for natural resource purposes and vested in the Board of |
| 12 | Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund may be granted |
| 13 | to any electric utility for electric transmission and |
| 14 | distribution lines where no practical and prudent alternative to |
| 15 | siting such facilities on such lands exists and all steps |
| 16 | necessary to minimize impacts as set forth below are |
| 17 | implemented. The test for practicality and prudence shall |
| 18 | compare the social, economic, and environmental effects of the |
| 19 | site alternatives. Adverse impacts to lands vested in the Board |
| 20 | of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund resulting |
| 21 | from electric transmission and distribution lines authorized |
| 22 | pursuant to this section shall be minimized by reasonable |
| 23 | measures, where applicable, including: |
| 24 | (a) Locating electric transmission and distribution lines |
| 25 | in areas where fewer adverse impacts are expected, such as areas |
| 26 | that have already been impacted or areas that are less sensitive |
| 27 | than other areas. |
| 28 | (b) Avoiding significant wildlife habitats, natural |
| 29 | aquatic areas, wetlands, or other valuable natural resources. |
| 30 | (c) Selecting routes to minimize damage to existing |
| 31 | aesthetically pleasing features of the lands. |
| 32 | (d) Employing best management practices in construction |
| 33 | and operations. |
| 34 | (e) Designing access roads and site preparation to avoid |
| 35 | interference with hydrologic conditions that benefit natural |
| 36 | resources and reduce impacts on other natural resources and |
| 37 | public use and enjoyment. |
| 38 | (f) Selecting areas that will not increase undesirable |
| 39 | human activities on lands vested in the Board of Trustees of the |
| 40 | Internal Improvement Trust Fund, provided that human activities |
| 41 | may be encouraged where electric transmission or distribution |
| 42 | lines are designated as part of a greenway or trail. |
| 43 | (g) Minimizing the adverse effects on the management of |
| 44 | lands vested in the Board of Trustees of the Internal |
| 45 | Improvement Trust Fund. |
| 46 |
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| 47 | For transmission lines approved pursuant to the procedures of |
| 48 | part II of chapter 403, the easement contemplated by this |
| 49 | section shall be considered concurrently with and, if approved, |
| 50 | issued by the agency head authorized to take action on the |
| 51 | application under part II of chapter 403. For transmission or |
| 52 | distribution lines not subject to the procedures of part II of |
| 53 | chapter 403, the easement contemplated by this section shall be |
| 54 | considered concurrently with and, if approved, issued by the |
| 55 | agency head authorized to take action on an application under |
| 56 | part IV of chapter 373. |
| 57 | Section 2. Subsection (6) of section 366.04, Florida |
| 58 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 59 | 366.04 Jurisdiction of commission.-- |
| 60 | (6) The commission shall further have exclusive |
| 61 | jurisdiction to prescribe and enforce safety standards for |
| 62 | transmission and distribution facilities of all public electric |
| 63 | utilities, cooperatives organized under the Rural Electric |
| 64 | Cooperative Law, and electric utilities owned and operated by |
| 65 | municipalities. In adopting safety standards, the commission |
| 66 | shall: |
| 67 | (a) Adopt the 1984 edition of the National Electrical |
| 68 | Safety Code (ANSI C2) as initial standards; and |
| 69 | (b) Adopt, after review, any new edition of the National |
| 70 | Electrical Safety Code (ANSI C2). |
| 71 |
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| 72 | The standards prescribed by the current 1984 edition of the |
| 73 | National Electrical Safety Code (ANSI C2) shall constitute |
| 74 | acceptable and adequate requirements for the protection of the |
| 75 | safety of the public, and compliance with the minimum |
| 76 | requirements of that code shall constitute good engineering |
| 77 | practice by the utilities. Utilities shall have a right to trim |
| 78 | or remove vegetation pursuant to ANSI A300 and ANSI Z133. The |
| 79 | administrative authority referred to in the 1984 edition of the |
| 80 | National Electrical Safety Code is the commission. However, |
| 81 | nothing herein shall be construed as superseding, repealing, or |
| 82 | amending the provisions of s. 403.523(1) and (10). |
| 83 |
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| 84 | ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================= |
| 85 | On page 1, remove line 2 and insert: |
| 86 | An act relating to energy; amending s. 253.034, F.S.; |
| 87 | authorizing the granting of easements for electric transmission |
| 88 | and distribution lines under certain circumstances; providing |
| 89 | measures for minimizing adverse impacts resulting from such |
| 90 | lines; amending s. 366.04, F.S.; providing that utilities have |
| 91 | the right to trim or remove certain vegetation; creating |