Senate Bill sb2510c1

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
    Florida Senate - 2005                           CS for SB 2510

    By the Committee on Environmental Preservation; and Senator
    Lawson




    592-2135-05

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to natural resources; amending

  3         s. 380.23, F.S.; clarifying the list of

  4         federally licensed and permitted activities

  5         reviewed for consistency under the Florida

  6         Coastal Management Program; revising provisions

  7         relating to the licensing and relicensing of

  8         hydroelectric power plants; requiring the

  9         inclusion of National Environmental Policy Act

10         documents in consistency reviews for certain

11         activities; amending s. 380.06, F.S.; providing

12         that heavy mineral mining at greater than 500

13         acres per year or consuming more than 3 million

14         gallons of water per day requires review;

15         amending s. 376.121, F.S.; providing an

16         alternative to the compensation schedule for

17         calculating natural resources damages; revising

18         procedures relating to damage assessment;

19         removing a restriction on the amount of

20         compensation; providing an effective date.

21  

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

23  

24         Section 1.  Paragraph (c) of subsection (3) and

25  subsection (4) of section 380.23, Florida Statutes, are

26  amended to read:

27         380.23  Federal consistency.--

28         (3)  Consistency review shall be limited to review of

29  the following activities, uses, and projects to ensure that

30  such activities and uses are conducted in accordance with the

31  state's coastal management program:

                                  1

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2005                           CS for SB 2510
    592-2135-05




 1         (c)  Federally licensed or permitted activities

 2  affecting land or water uses when such activities are in or

 3  seaward of the jurisdiction of local governments required to

 4  develop a coastal zone protection element as provided in s.

 5  380.24 and when such activities involve:

 6         1.  Permits and licenses required under the Rivers and

 7  Harbors Act of 1899, 33 U.S.C. ss. 401 et seq., as amended.

 8         2.  Permits and licenses required under the Marine

 9  Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act of 1972, 33 U.S.C.

10  ss. 1401-1445 and 16 U.S.C. ss. 1431-1445, as amended.

11         3.  Permits and licenses required under the Federal

12  Water Pollution Control Act of 1972, 33 U.S.C. ss. 1251 et

13  seq., as amended, unless such permitting activities have been

14  delegated to the state pursuant to said act.

15         4.  Permits and licenses relating to the transportation

16  of hazardous substance materials or transportation and dumping

17  which are issued pursuant to the Hazardous Materials

18  Transportation Act, 49 U.S.C. ss. 1501 et seq., as amended, or

19  33 U.S.C. s. 1321, as amended.

20         5.  Permits and licenses required under 15 U.S.C. ss.

21  717-717w, 3301-3432, 42 U.S.C. ss. 7101-7352, and 43 U.S.C.

22  ss. 1331-1356 for construction and operation of interstate gas

23  pipelines and storage facilities.

24         6.  Permits and licenses required for the siting and

25  construction of any new electrical power plants as defined in

26  s. 403.503(12), as amended, and the licensing and relicensing

27  of hydroelectric power plants under the Federal Power Act, 16

28  U.S.C. ss. 791a et seq., as amended.

29         7.  Permits and licenses required under the Mining Law

30  of 1872, 30 U.S.C. ss. 21 et seq., as amended; the Mineral

31  Lands Leasing Act, 30 U.S.C. ss. 181 et seq., as amended; the

                                  2

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2005                           CS for SB 2510
    592-2135-05




 1  Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands, 30 U.S.C. ss. 351 et

 2  seq., as amended; the Federal Land Policy and Management Act,

 3  43 U.S.C. ss. 1701 et seq., as amended; the Mining in the

 4  Parks Act, 16 U.S.C. ss. 1901 et seq., as amended; and the OCS

 5  Lands Act, 43 U.S.C. ss. 1331 et seq., as amended, for

 6  drilling, and mining, pipelines, geological and geophysical

 7  activities, or rights-of-way on public lands, and permits and

 8  licenses required under the Indian Mineral Development Act, 25

 9  U.S.C. ss. 2101 et seq., as amended.

10         8.  Permits and licenses for areas leased under the OCS

11  Lands Act, 43 U.S.C. ss. 1331 et seq., as amended, including

12  leases and approvals of exploration, development, and

13  production plans.

14         9.  Permits for pipeline rights-of-way for oil and gas

15  transmissions.

16         9.10.  Permits and licenses required for deepwater

17  ports under the Deepwater Port Act of 1974, 33 U.S.C. ss. 1501

18  et seq. 33 U.S.C. s. 1503, as amended.

19         10.11.  Permits required for the taking of marine

20  mammals under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as

21  amended, 16 U.S.C. s. 1374.

22         (4)  The department is authorized to adopt rules

23  establishing procedures for conducting consistency reviews of

24  activities, uses, and projects for which consistency review is

25  required pursuant to subsections (1), (2), and (3). Such rules

26  shall include procedures for the expeditious handling of

27  emergency repairs to existing facilities for which consistency

28  review is required. The department is also authorized to adopt

29  rules prescribing the data and information necessary needed

30  for state the review of consistency certifications and

31  determinations. When an environmental impact statement or

                                  3

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2005                           CS for SB 2510
    592-2135-05




 1  environmental assessment required by the National

 2  Environmental Policy Act has been prepared for a specific

 3  activity, use, or project subject to federal consistency

 4  review under this section, the environmental impact statement

 5  or environmental assessment shall be data and information

 6  necessary for the state's consistency review of that federal

 7  activity, use, or project under this section.

 8         Section 2.  Paragraph (b) of subsection (19) of section

 9  380.06, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

10         380.06  Developments of regional impact.--

11         (19)  SUBSTANTIAL DEVIATIONS.--

12         (b)  Any proposed change to a previously approved

13  development of regional impact or development order condition

14  which, either individually or cumulatively with other changes,

15  exceeds any of the following criteria shall constitute a

16  substantial deviation and shall cause the development to be

17  subject to further development-of-regional-impact review

18  without the necessity for a finding of same by the local

19  government:

20         1.  An increase in the number of parking spaces at an

21  attraction or recreational facility by 5 percent or 300

22  spaces, whichever is greater, or an increase in the number of

23  spectators that may be accommodated at such a facility by 5

24  percent or 1,000 spectators, whichever is greater.

25         2.  A new runway, a new terminal facility, a 25-percent

26  lengthening of an existing runway, or a 25-percent increase in

27  the number of gates of an existing terminal, but only if the

28  increase adds at least three additional gates.  However, if an

29  airport is located in two counties, a 10-percent lengthening

30  of an existing runway or a 20-percent increase in the number

31  of gates of an existing terminal is the applicable criteria.

                                  4

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2005                           CS for SB 2510
    592-2135-05




 1         3.  An increase in the number of hospital beds by 5

 2  percent or 60 beds, whichever is greater.

 3         4.  An increase in industrial development area by 5

 4  percent or 32 acres, whichever is greater.

 5         5.  An increase in the average annual acreage mined by

 6  5 percent or 10 acres, whichever is greater, or an increase in

 7  the average daily water consumption by a mining operation by 5

 8  percent or 300,000 gallons, whichever is greater. An increase

 9  in the size of the mine by 5 percent or 750 acres, whichever

10  is less. An increase in the size of a heavy mineral mine as

11  defined in s. 378.403(7) shall constitute a substantial

12  deviation only if the average annual acreage mined is more

13  than 500 acres and consumes more than 3 million gallons of

14  water per day.

15         6.  An increase in land area for office development by

16  5 percent or an increase of gross floor area of office

17  development by 5 percent or 60,000 gross square feet,

18  whichever is greater.

19         7.  An increase in the storage capacity for chemical or

20  petroleum storage facilities by 5 percent, 20,000 barrels, or

21  7 million pounds, whichever is greater.

22         8.  An increase of development at a waterport of wet

23  storage for 20 watercraft, dry storage for 30 watercraft, or

24  wet/dry storage for 60 watercraft in an area identified in the

25  state marina siting plan as an appropriate site for additional

26  waterport development or a 5-percent increase in watercraft

27  storage capacity, whichever is greater.

28         9.  An increase in the number of dwelling units by 5

29  percent or 50 dwelling units, whichever is greater.

30         10.  An increase in commercial development by 50,000

31  square feet of gross floor area or of parking spaces provided

                                  5

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2005                           CS for SB 2510
    592-2135-05




 1  for customers for 300 cars or a 5-percent increase of either

 2  of these, whichever is greater.

 3         11.  An increase in hotel or motel facility units by 5

 4  percent or 75 units, whichever is greater.

 5         12.  An increase in a recreational vehicle park area by

 6  5 percent or 100 vehicle spaces, whichever is less.

 7         13.  A decrease in the area set aside for open space of

 8  5 percent or 20 acres, whichever is less.

 9         14.  A proposed increase to an approved multiuse

10  development of regional impact where the sum of the increases

11  of each land use as a percentage of the applicable substantial

12  deviation criteria is equal to or exceeds 100 percent. The

13  percentage of any decrease in the amount of open space shall

14  be treated as an increase for purposes of determining when 100

15  percent has been reached or exceeded.

16         15.  A 15-percent increase in the number of external

17  vehicle trips generated by the development above that which

18  was projected during the original

19  development-of-regional-impact review.

20         16.  Any change which would result in development of

21  any area which was specifically set aside in the application

22  for development approval or in the development order for

23  preservation or special protection of endangered or threatened

24  plants or animals designated as endangered, threatened, or

25  species of special concern and their habitat, primary dunes,

26  or archaeological and historical sites designated as

27  significant by the Division of Historical Resources of the

28  Department of State.  The further refinement of such areas by

29  survey shall be considered under sub-subparagraph (e)5.b.

30  

31  

                                  6

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2005                           CS for SB 2510
    592-2135-05




 1  The substantial deviation numerical standards in subparagraphs

 2  4., 6., 10., 14., excluding residential uses, and 15., are

 3  increased by 100 percent for a project certified under s.

 4  403.973 which creates jobs and meets criteria established by

 5  the Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development as to

 6  its impact on an area's economy, employment, and prevailing

 7  wage and skill levels. The substantial deviation numerical

 8  standards in subparagraphs 4., 6., 9., 10., 11., and 14. are

 9  increased by 50 percent for a project located wholly within an

10  urban infill and redevelopment area designated on the

11  applicable adopted local comprehensive plan future land use

12  map and not located within the coastal high hazard area.

13         Section 3.  Section 376.121, Florida Statutes, is

14  amended to read:

15         376.121  Liability for damage to natural

16  resources.--The Legislature finds that extensive damage to the

17  state's natural resources is the likely result of a pollutant

18  discharge and that it is essential that the state adequately

19  assess and recover the cost of such damage from responsible

20  parties.  It is the state's goal to recover the costs of

21  restoration from the responsible parties and to restore

22  damaged natural resources to their predischarge condition.  In

23  many instances, however, restoration is not technically

24  feasible.  In such instances, the state has the responsibility

25  to its citizens to recover the cost of all damage to natural

26  resources.  To ensure that the public does not bear a

27  substantial loss as a result of the destruction of natural

28  resources, the procedures set out in this section shall be

29  used to assess the cost of damage to such resources.  Natural

30  resources include coastal waters, wetlands, estuaries, tidal

31  flats, beaches, lands adjoining the seacoasts of the state,

                                  7

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2005                           CS for SB 2510
    592-2135-05




 1  and all living things except human beings.  The Legislature

 2  recognizes the difficulty historically encountered in

 3  calculating the value of damaged natural resources.  The value

 4  of certain qualities of the state's natural resources is not

 5  readily quantifiable, yet the resources and their qualities

 6  have an intrinsic value to the residents of the state, and any

 7  damage to natural resources and their qualities should not be

 8  dismissed as nonrecoverable merely because of the difficulty

 9  in quantifying their value.  In order to avoid unnecessary

10  speculation and expenditure of limited resources to determine

11  these values, the Legislature hereby establishes a schedule

12  for compensation for damage to the state's natural resources

13  and the quality of said resources. As an alternative to the

14  compensation schedule described in subsections (4), (5), (6),

15  and (9), the department, when no responsible party is

16  identified, when a responsible party opts out of the formula

17  pursuant to paragraph (10)(a), or when the department conducts

18  a cooperative damage assessment with federal agencies, may use

19  methods of calculating natural resources damages in accordance

20  with federal rules implementing the Oil Pollution Act of 1990,

21  as amended.

22         (1)  The department shall assess and recover from

23  responsible parties the compensation for the injury or

24  destruction of natural resources, including, but not limited

25  to, the death or injury of living things and damage to or

26  destruction of habitat, resulting from pollutant discharges

27  prohibited by s. 376.041.  The amount of compensation and any

28  costs of assessing damage and recovering compensation received

29  by the department shall be deposited into the Florida Coastal

30  Protection Trust Fund pursuant to s. 376.12 and disbursed

31  according to subsection (11). Whoever violates, or causes to

                                  8

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2005                           CS for SB 2510
    592-2135-05




 1  be violated, s. 376.041 shall be liable to the state for

 2  damage to natural resources.

 3         (2)  The compensation schedule for damage to natural

 4  resources is based upon the cost of restoration and the loss

 5  of ecological, consumptive, intrinsic, recreational,

 6  scientific, economic, aesthetic, and educational values of

 7  such injured or destroyed resources.  The compensation

 8  schedule takes into account:

 9         (a)  The volume of the discharge.

10         (b)  The characteristics of the pollutant discharged.

11  The toxicity, dispersibility, solubility, and persistence

12  characteristics of a pollutant as affects the severity of the

13  effects on the receiving environment, living things, and

14  recreational and aesthetic resources.  Pollutants have varying

15  propensities to injure natural resources based upon their

16  potential exposure and effects.  Exposure to natural resources

17  is determined by the dispersibility and degradability of the

18  pollutant.  Effects to natural resources result from

19  mechanical injury and toxicity and include physical

20  contamination, smothering, feeding prevention, immobilization,

21  respiratory distress, direct mortality, lost recruitment of

22  larvae and juveniles killed, changes in the food web, and

23  chronic effects of sublethal levels of contaminates in tissues

24  or the environment. For purposes of the compensation schedule,

25  pollutants have been ranked for their propensity to cause

26  injury to natural resources based upon a combination of their

27  acute toxicity, mechanical injury, degradability, and

28  dispersibility characteristics on a 1-to-3 relative scale with

29  Category 1 containing the pollutants with the greatest

30  propensity to cause injury to natural resources. The following

31  pollutants are categorized:

                                  9

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2005                           CS for SB 2510
    592-2135-05




 1         1.  Category 1:  bunker and residual fuel.

 2         2.  Category 2:  waste oils, crude oil, lubricating

 3  oil, asphalt, and tars.

 4         3.  Category 3:  hydraulic fluids, numbers 1 and 2

 5  diesel fuels, heating oil, jet aviation fuels, motor gasoline,

 6  including aviation gasoline, kerosene, stationary turbine

 7  fuels, ammonia and its derivatives, and chlorine and its

 8  derivatives.

 9  

10  The department shall adopt rules establishing the pollutant

11  category of pesticides and other pollutants as defined in s.

12  376.031 and not listed in this paragraph.

13         (c)  The type and sensitivity of natural resources

14  affected by a discharge, determined by the following factors:

15         1.  The location of a discharge.  Inshore discharges

16  are discharges that occur within waters under the jurisdiction

17  of the department and within an area extending seaward from

18  the coastline of the state to a point 1 statute mile seaward

19  of the coastline. Nearshore discharges are discharges that

20  occur more than 1 statute mile, but within 3 statute miles,

21  seaward of the coastline. Offshore discharges are discharges

22  that occur more than 3 statute miles seaward of the coastline.

23         2.  The location of the discharge with respect to

24  special management areas designated because of their unique

25  habitats; living resources; recreational use; aesthetic

26  importance; and other ecological, educational, consumptive,

27  intrinsic, scientific, and economic values of the natural

28  resources located therein.  Special management areas are state

29  parks; recreation areas; national parks, seashores, estuarine

30  research reserves, marine sanctuaries, wildlife refuges, and

31  national estuary program water bodies; state aquatic preserves

                                  10

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2005                           CS for SB 2510
    592-2135-05




 1  and reserves; classified shellfish harvesting areas; areas of

 2  critical state concern; federally designated critical habitat

 3  for endangered or threatened species; and outstanding Florida

 4  waters.

 5         3.  The areal or linear extent of the natural resources

 6  impacted.

 7         (3)  Compensation for damage to natural resources for

 8  any discharge of less than 25 gallons of gasoline or diesel

 9  fuel shall be $50.

10         (4)  Compensation schedule:

11         (a)  The amount of compensation assessed under this

12  schedule is calculated by: multiplying $1 per gallon or its

13  equivalent measurement of pollutant discharged, by the number

14  of gallons or its equivalent measurement, times the location

15  of the discharge factor, times the special management area

16  factor.

17         (b)  Added to the amount obtained in paragraph (a) is

18  the value of the observable natural resources damaged, which

19  is calculated by multiplying the areal or linear coverage of

20  impacted habitat by the corresponding habitat factor, times

21  the special management area factor.

22         (c)  The sum of paragraphs (a) and (b) is then

23  multiplied by the pollutant category factor.

24         (d)  The final damage assessment figure is the sum of

25  the amount calculated in paragraph (c) plus the compensation

26  for death of endangered or threatened species, plus the cost

27  of conducting the damage assessment as determined by the

28  department.

29         (5)(a)  The factors used in calculating the damage

30  assessment are:

31         1.  Location of discharge factor:

                                  11

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2005                           CS for SB 2510
    592-2135-05




 1         a.  Discharges that originate inshore have a factor of

 2  eight. Discharges that originate nearshore have a factor of

 3  five. Discharges that originate offshore have a factor of one.

 4         b.  Compensation for damage to natural resources

 5  resulting from discharges that originate outside of state

 6  waters but that traverse the state's boundaries and therefore

 7  have an impact upon the state's natural resources shall be

 8  calculated using a location factor of one.

 9         c.  Compensation for damage to natural resources

10  resulting from discharges of less than 10,000 gallons of

11  pollutants which originate within 100 yards of an established

12  terminal facility or point of routine pollutant transfer in a

13  designated port authority as defined in s. 315.02 shall be

14  assessed a location factor of one.

15         2.  Special management area factor: Discharges that

16  originate in special management areas described in

17  subparagraph (2)(c)2. have a factor of two.  Discharges that

18  originate outside a special management area described in

19  subparagraph (2)(c)2. have a location factor of one.  For

20  discharges that originate outside of a special management area

21  but impact the natural resources within a special management

22  area, the value of the natural resources damaged within the

23  area shall be multiplied by the special management area factor

24  of two.

25         3.  Pollutant category factor: Discharges of category 1

26  pollutants have a factor of eight.  Discharges of category 2

27  pollutants have a factor of four.  Discharges of category 3

28  pollutants have a factor of one.

29         4.  Habitat factor: The amount of compensation for

30  damage to the natural resources of the state is established as

31  follows:

                                  12

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2005                           CS for SB 2510
    592-2135-05




 1         a.  $10 per square foot of coral reef impacted.

 2         b.  $1 per square foot of mangrove or seagrass

 3  impacted.

 4         c.  $1 per linear foot of sandy beach impacted.

 5         d.  $0.50 per square foot of live bottom, oyster reefs,

 6  worm rock, perennial algae, saltmarsh, or freshwater tidal

 7  marsh impacted.

 8         e.  $0.05 per square foot of sand bottom or mud flats,

 9  or combination thereof, impacted.

10         (b)  The areal and linear coverage of habitat impacted

11  shall be determined by the department using a combination of

12  field measurements, aerial photogrammetry, and satellite

13  imagery.  An area is impacted when the pollutant comes in

14  contact with the habitat.

15         (6)  It is understood that a pollutant will, by its

16  very nature, result in damage to the flora and fauna of the

17  waters of the state and the adjoining land.  Therefore,

18  compensation for such resources, which is difficult to

19  calculate, is included in the compensation schedule.  Not

20  included, however, in this base figure is compensation for the

21  death of endangered or threatened species directly

22  attributable to the pollutant discharged. Compensation for the

23  death of any animal designated by rule as endangered by the

24  Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is $10,000.

25  Compensation for the death of any animal designated by rule as

26  threatened by the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is

27  $5,000.  These amounts are not intended to reflect the actual

28  value of said endangered or threatened species, but are

29  included for the purposes of this section.

30         (7)  The owner or operator of the vessel or facility

31  responsible for a discharge may designate a representative or

                                  13

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2005                           CS for SB 2510
    592-2135-05




 1  agent to work with the department in assessing the amount of

 2  damage to natural resources resulting from the discharge.

 3         (8)  When assessing the amount of damages to natural

 4  resources, the department shall be assisted, if requested by

 5  the department, by representatives of other state agencies and

 6  local governments that would enhance the department's damage

 7  assessment. The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

 8  shall assist the department in the assessment of damages to

 9  wildlife impacted by a pollutant discharge and shall assist

10  the department in recovering the costs of such damages.

11         (9)  Compensation for damage resulting from the

12  discharge of two or more pollutants shall be calculated for

13  the volume of each pollutant discharged.  If the separate

14  volume for each pollutant discharged cannot be determined, the

15  highest multiplier for the pollutants discharged shall be

16  applied to the entire volume of the spill.  Compensation for

17  commingled discharges that contact habitat shall be calculated

18  on a proportional basis of discharged volumes.  The highest

19  multiplier for such commingled pollutants may only be applied

20  if a reasonable proportionality of the commingled pollutants

21  cannot be determined at the point of any contact with natural

22  resources.

23         (10)  For cases in which the department is authorized

24  to use a method of natural resources damage assessment other

25  than the compensation schedules described in subsections (4),

26  (5), (6), and (9), the department may use the methods

27  described in federal rules implementing the Oil Pollution Act

28  of 1990, as amended. discharges of more than 30,000 gallons,

29  the department shall, in consultation with the Game and Fresh

30  Water Fish Commission, adopt rules by July 1, 1994, to assess

31  compensation for the damage to natural resources based upon

                                  14

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2005                           CS for SB 2510
    592-2135-05




 1  the cost of restoring, rehabilitating, replacing, or acquiring

 2  the equivalent of the damaged natural resources; the

 3  diminution in the value of those resources pending

 4  restoration; and the reasonable cost of assessing those

 5  damages. The person responsible for a discharge shall be given

 6  an opportunity to consult with the department on the

 7  assessment design and restoration program.

 8         (a)  When a responsible party is identified and the

 9  department is not conducting a cooperative damage assessment

10  with federal agencies For discharges greater than 30,000

11  gallons, the person responsible has the option to pay the

12  amount of compensation calculated pursuant to the compensation

13  schedule established in subsection (4) or pay the amount

14  determined by a damage assessment performed by the department.

15  If the person responsible for the discharge elects to have a

16  damage assessment performed, then such person shall notify the

17  department in writing of such decision within 30 15 days after

18  identification the discovery of the discharge by the

19  department. The decision to have a damage assessment performed

20  to determine compensation for a discharge shall be final; the

21  person responsible for a discharge may not later elect to use

22  the compensation schedule for computing compensation. Failure

23  to make such notice shall result in the amount of compensation

24  for the total damage to natural resources being calculated

25  based on the compensation schedule. The compensation shall be

26  paid within 90 days after receipt of a written request from

27  the department.

28         (b)  In the event the person responsible for a

29  discharge greater than 30,000 gallons elects to have a damage

30  assessment performed, said person shall pay to the department

31  an amount equal to the compensation calculated pursuant to

                                  15

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2005                           CS for SB 2510
    592-2135-05




 1  subsection (4) for the discharge using the lesser of the

 2  volume of the discharge or a volume of 30,000 gallons. The

 3  payment shall be made within 90 days after receipt of a

 4  written request from the department.

 5         (c)  After completion of the damage assessment, the

 6  department shall advise the person responsible for the

 7  discharge of the amount of compensation due to the state. A

 8  credit shall be given for the amount paid pursuant to

 9  paragraph (b). Payment shall be made within 90 days after

10  receipt of a written request from the department. In no event

11  shall the total compensation paid pursuant to this section be

12  less than the dollar amount calculated pursuant to paragraph

13  (b).

14         (11)(a)  Moneys recovered by the department as

15  compensation for damage to natural resources shall be expended

16  only for the following purposes:

17         1.  To the maximum extent practicable, the restoration

18  of natural resources damaged by the discharge for which

19  compensation is paid.

20         2.  Restoration of damaged resources.

21         3.  Developing restoration and enhancement techniques

22  for natural resources.

23         4.  Investigating methods for improving and refining

24  techniques for containment, abatement, and removal of

25  pollutants from the environment, especially from mangrove

26  forests, corals, seagrasses, benthic communities, rookeries,

27  nurseries, and other habitats which are unique to Florida's

28  coastal environment.

29         5.  Developing and updating the "Sensitivity of Coastal

30  Environments and Wildlife to Spilled Oil in Florida" atlas.

31  

                                  16

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2005                           CS for SB 2510
    592-2135-05




 1         6.  Investigating the long-term effects of pollutant

 2  discharges on natural resources, including pelagic organisms,

 3  critical habitats, and marine ecosystems.

 4         7.  Developing an adequate wildlife rescue and

 5  rehabilitation program.

 6         8.  Expanding and enhancing the state's pollution

 7  prevention and control education program.

 8         9.  Restoring natural resources previously impacted by

 9  pollutant discharges, but never completely restored.

10         10.  Funding alternative projects selected by the Board

11  of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund.  Any such

12  project shall be selected on the basis of its anticipated

13  benefits to the marine natural resources available to the

14  residents of this state who previously benefited from the

15  injured or destroyed nonrestorable natural resources.

16         (b)  All interest earned from investment of moneys

17  recovered by the department for damage to natural resources

18  shall be expended only for the activities described in

19  paragraph (a).

20         (c)  The person or parties responsible for a discharge

21  for which the department has requested compensation for damage

22  pursuant to this section shall pay the department, within 90

23  days after receipt of the request, the entire amount due to

24  the state. In the event that payment is not made within the 90

25  days, the person or parties are liable for interest on the

26  outstanding balance, which interest shall be calculated at the

27  rate prescribed under s. 55.03.

28         (12)  Any determination or assessment of damage to

29  natural resources for the purposes of this section by the

30  department in accordance with the compensation sections or in

31  accordance with the rules adopted under subsection (10) shall

                                  17

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2005                           CS for SB 2510
    592-2135-05




 1  have the force and effect of rebuttable presumption on behalf

 2  of the department in any administrative or judicial

 3  proceeding.

 4         (13)  There shall be no double recovery under this law

 5  for natural resource damage resulting from a discharge,

 6  including the costs of damage assessment or restoration,

 7  rehabilitation, replacement, or acquisition for the same

 8  incident and natural resource.  The department shall meet with

 9  and develop memoranda of understanding with appropriate

10  federal trustees as defined in Pub. L. No. 101-380 (Oil

11  Pollution Act of 1990) to provide further assurances of no

12  double recovery.

13         (14)  The department must review the amount of

14  compensation assessed pursuant to the damage assessment

15  formula established in this section and report its findings to

16  the 1995 Legislature.  Thereafter, the department must conduct

17  such a review and report its findings to the Legislature

18  biennially.

19         (15)  The department shall adopt rules necessary or

20  convenient for carrying out the duties, obligations, powers,

21  and responsibilities set forth in this section.

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

23  law.

24  

25  

26  

27  

28  

29  

30  

31  

                                  18

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2005                           CS for SB 2510
    592-2135-05




 1          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
 2                         Senate Bill 2510

 3                                 

 4  The committee substitute specifies that the state may review
    permits and licenses required for the siting and construction
 5  of any new electrical power plants and the licensing and
    relicensing of hydroelectric power plants under the Federal
 6  Power Act.

 7  When an environmental impact statement or an environmental
    assessment required by the National Environmental Policy Act
 8  has been prepared for a specific activity, use, or project
    that is subject to federal consistency review, the
 9  environmental impact statement or environmental assessment
    shall be the data and information necessary for the state's
10  review of the consistency of that activity, use, or project.

11  An increase in the size of a heavy mineral mine as defined in
    s. 378.403(7), F.S., will only constitute a substantial
12  deviation subject to an additional
    development-of-regional-impact review if the average annual
13  acreage mined is more than 500 acres and consumes more than 3
    million gallons of water per day.
14  
    The Department of Environmental Protection is authorized to
15  use methods established pursuant to the federal regulation
    implementing the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, as amended, to
16  assess the damages to natural resources from pollution.

17  

18  

19  

20  

21  

22  

23  

24  

25  

26  

27  

28  

29  

30  

31  

                                  19

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.