Florida Senate - 2017                                     SB 874
       
       
        
       By Senator Young
       
       18-00415A-17                                           2017874__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to nutrient pollution from onsite
    3         sewage treatment and disposal systems; amending s.
    4         375.041, F.S.; specifying an appropriation from the
    5         Land Acquisition Trust Fund to reduce nutrient
    6         pollution by offsetting or partially offsetting
    7         property owner costs incurred to retrofit certain
    8         onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems, to
    9         connect certain properties to central sewer systems,
   10         and for certain muck dredging and stormwater
   11         improvements; authorizing the Department of
   12         Environmental Protection to make certain grants;
   13         amending s. 403.067, F.S.; defining “onsite sewage
   14         treatment and disposal system”; requiring the
   15         department, as part of a basin management action plan,
   16         to develop onsite sewage treatment and disposal system
   17         remediation plans under certain conditions; specifying
   18         parameters for selecting priority focus areas for
   19         remediation; specifying the parameters for developing
   20         and adopting a remediation plan; specifying
   21         requirements for the installation, repair,
   22         modification, or upgrade of certain onsite sewage
   23         treatment and disposal systems; providing an effective
   24         date.
   25          
   26  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   27  
   28         Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subsection (3) of section
   29  375.041, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   30         375.041 Land Acquisition Trust Fund.—
   31         (3) Funds distributed into the Land Acquisition Trust Fund
   32  pursuant to s. 201.15 shall be applied:
   33         (b) Of the funds remaining after the payments required
   34  under paragraph (a), but before funds may be appropriated,
   35  pledged, or dedicated for other uses:
   36         1. A minimum of the lesser of 25 percent or $200 million
   37  shall be appropriated annually for Everglades projects that
   38  implement the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan as set
   39  forth in s. 373.470, including the Central Everglades Planning
   40  Project subject to Congressional authorization; the Long-Term
   41  Plan as defined in s. 373.4592(2); and the Northern Everglades
   42  and Estuaries Protection Program as set forth in s. 373.4595.
   43  From these funds, $32 million shall be distributed each fiscal
   44  year through the 2023-2024 fiscal year to the South Florida
   45  Water Management District for the Long-Term Plan as defined in
   46  s. 373.4592(2). After deducting the $32 million distributed
   47  under this subparagraph, from the funds remaining, a minimum of
   48  the lesser of 76.5 percent or $100 million shall be appropriated
   49  each fiscal year through the 2025-2026 fiscal year for the
   50  planning, design, engineering, and construction of the
   51  Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan as set forth in s.
   52  373.470, including the Central Everglades Planning Project
   53  subject to Congressional authorization. The Department of
   54  Environmental Protection and the South Florida Water Management
   55  District shall give preference to those Everglades restoration
   56  projects that reduce harmful discharges of water from Lake
   57  Okeechobee to the St. Lucie or Caloosahatchee estuaries in a
   58  timely manner. For the purpose of performing the calculation
   59  provided in this subparagraph, the amount of debt service paid
   60  pursuant to paragraph (a) for bonds issued after July 1, 2016,
   61  for the purposes set forth under paragraph (b) shall be added to
   62  the amount remaining after the payments required under paragraph
   63  (a). The amount of the distribution calculated shall then be
   64  reduced by an amount equal to the debt service paid pursuant to
   65  paragraph (a) on bonds issued after July 1, 2016, for the
   66  purposes set forth under this subparagraph.
   67         2. A minimum of the lesser of 7.6 percent or $50 million
   68  shall be appropriated annually for spring restoration,
   69  protection, and management projects. For the purpose of
   70  performing the calculation provided in this subparagraph, the
   71  amount of debt service paid pursuant to paragraph (a) for bonds
   72  issued after July 1, 2016, for the purposes set forth under
   73  paragraph (b) shall be added to the amount remaining after the
   74  payments required under paragraph (a). The amount of the
   75  distribution calculated shall then be reduced by an amount equal
   76  to the debt service paid pursuant to paragraph (a) on bonds
   77  issued after July 1, 2016, for the purposes set forth under this
   78  subparagraph.
   79         3. The sum of $5 million shall be appropriated annually
   80  each fiscal year through the 2025-2026 fiscal year to the St.
   81  Johns River Water Management District for projects dedicated to
   82  the restoration of Lake Apopka. This distribution shall be
   83  reduced by an amount equal to the debt service paid pursuant to
   84  paragraph (a) on bonds issued after July 1, 2016, for the
   85  purposes set forth in this subparagraph.
   86         4.A minimum of $20 million shall be appropriated annually
   87  to offset or partially offset property owner costs incurred to
   88  retrofit onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems determined
   89  by the Department of Environmental Protection to be individually
   90  or collectively contributing excess nutrient pollution in the
   91  counties contributing to the Indian River Lagoon, the St. Lucie
   92  and Caloosahatchee estuaries, and their watersheds; to connect
   93  properties with such onsite systems to central sewer systems; or
   94  to conduct muck dredging and large-scale stormwater improvements
   95  in counties contributing to the Indian River Lagoon, the St.
   96  Lucie and Caloosahatchee estuaries, and their watersheds. The
   97  Department of Environmental Protection is authorized to use the
   98  appropriated funds to make grants or provide other forms of
   99  financial assistance to local governments and other entities for
  100  these purposes.
  101         Section 2. Present paragraph (d) of subsection (7) of
  102  section 403.067, Florida Statutes, is redesignated as paragraph
  103  (e), and a new paragraph (d) is added to that subsection, to
  104  read:
  105         403.067 Establishment and implementation of total maximum
  106  daily loads.—
  107         (7) DEVELOPMENT OF BASIN MANAGEMENT PLANS AND
  108  IMPLEMENTATION OF TOTAL MAXIMUM DAILY LOADS.—
  109         (d) Onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems.—
  110         1.For purposes of this section, “Onsite sewage treatment
  111  and disposal system” has the same meaning as in s. 381.0065.
  112         2. As part of a basin management action plan, the
  113  department, the Department of Health, relevant local
  114  governments, and relevant local public and private wastewater
  115  utilities must develop an onsite sewage treatment and disposal
  116  system remediation plan if the department determines that
  117  remediation is necessary to achieve a total maximum daily load.
  118  In order to promote cost-effective remediation, the department
  119  may identify one or more priority focus areas. The department
  120  shall identify these areas by considering soil conditions;
  121  groundwater or surface water travel time; proximity to surface
  122  waters, including predominantly marine waters as defined by
  123  department rule; hydrogeology; onsite system density; nutrient
  124  load; and other factors that may lead to water quality
  125  degradation. The remediation plan must identify cost-effective
  126  and financially feasible projects necessary to reduce the
  127  nutrient impacts from onsite sewage treatment and disposal
  128  systems. The plan shall be completed and adopted as part of the
  129  basin management action plan no later than the first 5-year
  130  milestone assessment identified in subparagraph (a)6. The
  131  department is the lead agency in coordinating the preparation
  132  and adoption of the plan. In developing and adopting the plan,
  133  the department shall:
  134         a. Collect and evaluate credible scientific information on
  135  the effect of nutrients on surface and groundwaters;
  136         b. Work with local stakeholders to develop a public
  137  education plan to provide area residents with reliable,
  138  understandable information about onsite sewage treatment and
  139  disposal systems and surface and groundwater pollution;
  140         c. Ensure that the plan includes options, if appropriate,
  141  for system repair, upgrade, or replacement; drainfield
  142  modification; the addition of effective nutrient-reducing
  143  features; connection to a central sewerage system; or other
  144  actions addressing onsite sewage treatment and disposal system
  145  issues. The department shall include in the plan a priority
  146  ranking for each onsite system, or group of systems, that
  147  requires remediation. The priority ranking shall be used to
  148  ensure the most effective, efficient use of the funding provided
  149  for onsite system remediation. In awarding any such funds, the
  150  department may consider expected nutrient reduction benefit per
  151  unit cost, the size and scope of the project, local financial
  152  contribution to the project relative to the overall cost, and
  153  the financial impact on property owners and the community. For
  154  the purpose of awarding funds, the department may, at its
  155  discretion, totally or partially waive this consideration of the
  156  local contribution for proposed projects within an area
  157  designated as a rural area of opportunity under s. 288.0656; and
  158         d. Ensure that the plan includes an implementation schedule
  159  for completion of the actions related to reducing onsite sewage
  160  treatment and disposal system nutrient loads, with milestones,
  161  periodic progress evaluations, and a completion date necessary
  162  to achieve the total maximum daily load within the timeframe
  163  established in the basin management action plan.
  164         3. The installation, repair, modification, or upgrade of
  165  onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems on lots of 1 acre
  166  or less and within the boundaries of a basin management action
  167  plan with an onsite sewage treatment and disposal remediation
  168  plan must conform to the requirements of the remediation plan.
  169         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2017.