Environmental Law Matters

Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) touts the success of the State's Brownfields Redevelopment Program. Since its inception in 1997, Florida's Brownfields Redevelopment Act ( Florida Statutes Sections 376.77 -376.85) has been viewed as successfully encouraging the redevelopment of abandoned or underutilized industrial and commercial property. The Brownfield's program provides a mix of regulatory and financial incentives to encourage the voluntary cleanup and redevelopment of qualified sites. FDEP recently released its Annual Report on the ...

Following new state legislation granting the Florida Department of Environmental Protection ("FDEP") the authority to establish one statewide rule for the environmental resource permitting ("ERP") program, FDEP in early October finalized the new rule -Chapter 62-330. Previously, Florida's five water management districts implemented different versions of rules addressing impacts to wetlands and surface waters. An ERP permit is required for certain activities that cause water pollution or affect wetlands and other surface waters. The new rule is now applied statewide ...

The Florida Legislature recently adopted a new law that allows the Florida Department of Environmental Protection ("FDEP") to establish surface water quality standards in the state. The Governor is expected to support the new law. The new law essentially approved FDEP's nutrient standards for streams, springs, lakes, and estuaries in accordance with the document entitled "Implementation of Florida's Numeric Nutrient Standards." The water quality standards primarily focus on Nitrogen(N) and Phosphorus (P) found in surface waters. The adoption of the law resolves years of ...