Senate Bill sb1182c1

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    Florida Senate - 2005                           CS for SB 1182

    By the Committee on Environmental Preservation; and Senator
    Campbell




    592-1997-05

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to incentive-based permitting;

  3         creating s. 403.0874, F.S.; providing a short

  4         title; providing legislative findings;

  5         providing purposes; providing definitions;

  6         providing for an Incentive-based Permitting

  7         Program; providing compliance incentives for

  8         certain environmental permitting activities;

  9         providing requirements and limitations;

10         providing for administration by the Department

11         of Environmental Protection; requiring the

12         department to adopt certain rules; requiring

13         agency notification of formal enforcement

14         actions; providing notice requirements;

15         amending ss. 161.041 and 373.413, F.S.;

16         specifying application of the provisions of the

17         Incentive-based Permitting Program; amending s.

18         403.087, F.S.; revising criteria for permits

19         issued by the department, to conform; providing

20         an effective date.

21  

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

23  

24         Section 1.  Section 403.0874, Florida Statutes, is

25  created to read:

26         403.0874  Incentive-based Permitting Program.--

27         (1)  SHORT TITLE.--This section may be cited as the

28  "Florida Incentive-based Permitting Act."

29         (2)  LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS; PUBLIC PURPOSE.--

30         (a)  The Legislature finds and declares that a permit

31  applicant's history of compliance with applicable conditions

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    Florida Senate - 2005                           CS for SB 1182
    592-1997-05




 1  and requirements of a permit and the environmental laws of

 2  this state is a factor that should be considered by the

 3  department when the department is considering whether to issue

 4  or reissue a permit to an applicant, based upon compliance

 5  incentives under this section.

 6         (b)  Permit applicants having a history of compliance

 7  with applicable conditions and requirements of a permit and

 8  the environmental laws of this state should be eligible for

 9  longer permits, expedited permit reviews, short-form permit

10  renewals, and other incentives to reward and encourage such

11  applicants.

12         (c)  The agency is encouraged to work with permittees

13  and permit applicants to encourage compliance and avoid

14  burdensome and expensive consequences of noncompliance.

15         (d)  It is therefore declared to be the purpose of this

16  section to provide the department with clear and specific

17  authority to consider the compliance history of a permit

18  applicant who has applied for an incentive-based permit.

19         (3)  DEFINITIONS.--As used in this section, the term:

20         (a)  "Agency" means the Department of Environmental

21  Protection.

22         (b)  "Applicant" means the proposed permittee or

23  transferee, owner, or operator of a regulated activity seeking

24  an agency permit.

25         (c)  "Environmental laws" means any state or federal

26  law that regulates activities for the purpose of protecting

27  the environment, or for the purpose of protecting the public

28  health from pollution or contaminants, but does not include

29  any law that regulates activities for the purpose of zoning,

30  growth management, or land use. The term includes, but is not

31  

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    Florida Senate - 2005                           CS for SB 1182
    592-1997-05




 1  limited to, chapter 161, part IV of chapter 373, and this

 2  chapter.

 3         (d)  "Regulated activity" means any activity,

 4  including, but not limited to, the construction or operation

 5  of a facility, installation, system, or project, for which a

 6  permit or certification is required under an agency law.

 7         (e)  "Site" means a single parcel, or multiple

 8  contiguous or adjacent parcels, of land on which the applicant

 9  proposes to conduct, or has conducted, a regulated activity.

10         (4)  COMPLIANCE INCENTIVES.--In order to obtain

11  compliance incentives, the applicant may affirmatively request

12  such incentives as part of the permit application. Unless

13  otherwise prohibited by state or federal law, agency rule, or

14  federal regulation, and if the applicant meets all other

15  applicable criteria for the issuance of a permit, any

16  applicant who meets the criteria set forth in this subsection

17  is entitled to the following incentives:

18         (a)  Level I.--

19         1.  An applicant may be entitled to incentives pursuant

20  to this paragraph at a site if the applicant conducted the

21  regulated activity for at least 4 of the 5 years preceding

22  submittal of the permit application or, if the activity is a

23  new regulated activity, the applicant conducted a similar

24  regulated activity under an agency permit for at least 4 of

25  the 5 years at a different site in this state preceding

26  submittal of the permit application. However, an applicant is

27  not entitled to incentives under this paragraph if the

28  applicant has a relevant compliance history at the subject

29  site which includes any violation that resulted in enforcement

30  action and the violation resulted in the potential for harm to

31  human health or the environment. Alleged violations may not be

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    Florida Senate - 2005                           CS for SB 1182
    592-1997-05




 1  considered unless a consent order or other settlement has been

 2  entered into or the violation has been adjudicated.

 3         2.  Level 1 incentives include the renewal of a permit

 4  for 5 years and, after notice and an opportunity for public

 5  comment, the automatic renewal for one additional 5-year term

 6  without agency action unless the agency determines, based on

 7  information submitted by the applicant or resulting from

 8  public comments or its own records, that the applicant has

 9  committed violations during the relevant review period which

10  disqualify the applicant from receiving the automatic or

11  expedited renewal.

12         a.  The processing time following receipt of a

13  completed application may be 45 days for the issuance of

14  agency action.

15         b.  Renewal of a permit not involving substantial

16  construction or expansion may be made upon a shortened

17  application form specifying only the changes in the regulated

18  activity or a certification by the applicant that no changes

19  in the regulated activity are proposed if that is the case. An

20  applicant for short-form renewal shall complete and submit the

21  prescribed compliance form with the application and remains

22  subject to the compliance-history review of this section. All

23  other procedural requirements for a renewal application remain

24  unchanged. This sub-subparagraph supplements any expedited

25  review process provided in agency rules.

26         c.  Within 6 months after the effective date of this

27  section, the department may initiate rulemaking to implement

28  Level 1 incentives. The rule may specify what incentives will

29  be made available, how applicants may qualify for incentives,

30  and how extended permits may be transferred. Until an

31  

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    Florida Senate - 2005                           CS for SB 1182
    592-1997-05




 1  implementing rule is adopted, Level 1 incentives are not

 2  available to permit applicants under this section.

 3         (b)  Level 2.--

 4         1.  An applicant is entitled to incentives pursuant to

 5  this paragraph if the applicant meets the requirements for

 6  Level 1 and the applicant takes any other actions not

 7  otherwise required by law which result in:

 8         a.  Reductions in actual or permitted discharges or

 9  emissions;

10         b.  Reductions in the affects of regulated activities

11  on public lands or natural resources;

12         c.  Waste reduction or reuse;

13         d.  Implementation of a voluntary environmental

14  management system; or

15         e.  Other similar actions as determined by department

16  rule.

17         2.  Level 2 incentives may include all Level 1

18  incentives and may also include:

19         a.  Ten-year permits, if the applicant has conducted a

20  regulated activity at the site for at least 5 years.

21         b.  Fewer routine inspections than other regulated

22  activities similarly situated.

23         c.  Expedited review of requests for permit

24  modifications.

25         d.  Agency recognition, program-specific incentives, or

26  certifications in lieu of renewal permits.

27         e.  No more than two requests for additional

28  information.

29         3.  Within 6 months after the effective date of this

30  section, the department may initiate rulemaking to implement

31  Level 2 incentives. The rule may specify what incentives will

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    Florida Senate - 2005                           CS for SB 1182
    592-1997-05




 1  be made available, how applicants may qualify for incentives,

 2  and how extended permits may be transferred. Until an

 3  implementing rule is adopted, Level 2 incentives are not

 4  available to permit applicants under this section.

 5         Section 2.  Subsection (5) is added to section 161.041,

 6  Florida Statutes, to read:

 7         161.041  Permits required.--

 8         (5)  The provisions of the Incentive-based Permitting

 9  Program of s. 403.0874 apply to all permits issued under this

10  chapter.

11         Section 3.  Subsection (6) is added to section 373.413,

12  Florida Statutes, to read:

13         373.413  Permits for construction or alteration.--

14         (6)  The provisions of the Incentive-based Permitting

15  Program of s. 403.0874 apply to permits issued under this

16  section.

17         Section 4.  Subsection (7) of section 403.087, Florida

18  Statutes, is amended to read:

19         403.087  Permits; general issuance; denial; revocation;

20  prohibition; penalty.--

21         (7)  A permit issued pursuant to this section shall not

22  become a vested right in the permittee.  The department may

23  revoke any permit issued by it if it finds that the

24  permitholder knowingly:

25         (a)  Has submitted false or inaccurate information in

26  the his or her application for the permit when true or

27  accurate information would have warranted denial of the

28  permit;

29         (b)  Has violated law, department orders, rules, or

30  regulations, or permit conditions directly related to the

31  

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    Florida Senate - 2005                           CS for SB 1182
    592-1997-05




 1  permit and has refused to correct or cure such violations when

 2  requested to do so;

 3         (c)  Has failed to submit operational reports or other

 4  information required by department rule or regulation directly

 5  related to the permit and has refused to correct or cure such

 6  violations when requested to do so; or

 7         (d)  Has refused lawful inspection under s. 403.091 at

 8  the facility authorized by the permit.

 9         Section 5.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

10  law.

11  

12          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
13                         Senate Bill 1182

14                                 

15  The committee substitute authorizes the Department of
    Environmental Protection to provide incentives to permit
16  applicants who comply with the permit conditions and all
    applicable environmental laws. The department may develop
17  rules to implement an incentive-based permitting program.

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