Bill Text: FL S1692 | 2024 | Regular Session | Comm Sub


Bill Title: Preventing Contaminants of Emerging Concern from Discharging Into Wastewater Facilities and Waters of the State

Spectrum:

Status: (Failed) 2024-03-08 - Died in Fiscal Policy [S1692 Detail]

Download: Florida-2024-S1692-Comm_Sub.html
       Florida Senate - 2024                             CS for SB 1692
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources; and
       Senator Brodeur
       
       
       
       
       592-02427-24                                          20241692c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to preventing contaminants of emerging
    3         concern from discharging into wastewater facilities
    4         and waters of the state; creating s. 376.92, F.S.;
    5         defining terms; establishing the PFAS and 1,4-dioxane
    6         pretreatment initiative within the Department of
    7         Environmental Protection for a specified purpose;
    8         requiring the department to coordinate with wastewater
    9         facilities in implementing the pretreatment of
   10         contaminants of emerging concern; requiring the
   11         department, by a specified date, to provide certain
   12         guidance to wastewater facilities with an industrial
   13         pretreatment program; requiring such wastewater
   14         facilities to conduct an inventory of industrial users
   15         that are probable sources of specified contaminants
   16         and to submit the inventory to the department by a
   17         specified date; requiring wastewater facilities to
   18         notify identified industrial users; providing
   19         requirements for the notice; requiring that industrial
   20         users identified as probable sources of the specified
   21         contaminants be issued permits, orders, or similar
   22         measures to enforce specified pretreatment standards
   23         by a specified date; providing requirements for such
   24         measures; providing requirements for certain
   25         wastewater facilities that have industrial
   26         pretreatment programs which begin implementing an
   27         industrial treatment program after a specified date;
   28         authorizing the department to expand the initiative;
   29         requiring the department to conduct an inventory of
   30         major facilities that discharge directly to surface
   31         waters to identify probable sources of the specified
   32         contaminants; requiring the department to issue a
   33         notice and permits, orders, or similar measures to
   34         such a major facility to enforce specified
   35         pretreatment standards; providing interim discharge
   36         limits for industrial users beginning on a specified
   37         date; providing that such limits are effective for a
   38         specified timeframe; authorizing wastewater facilities
   39         to develop and propose local limits for PFOS, PFOA, or
   40         1,4-dioxane to the department for approval; providing
   41         that industrial users are not subject to civil or
   42         criminal penalties for violations of certain standards
   43         and requirements during a specified period; requiring
   44         wastewater facilities and the department to take into
   45         consideration specified factors when taking
   46         enforcement actions for such violations; providing a
   47         declaration of important state interest; providing an
   48         effective date.
   49          
   50  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   51  
   52         Section 1. Section 376.92, Florida Statutes, is created to
   53  read:
   54         376.92Contaminants of emerging concern; inventory of
   55  probable sources of contamination; pretreatment.—
   56         (1)DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
   57         (a)“Department” means the Department of Environmental
   58  Protection.
   59         (b)“Industrial user” means a nondomestic source of a
   60  discharge.
   61         (c)“Major facility” means a facility or an activity
   62  permitted under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination
   63  System which is classified as such by the United States
   64  Environmental Protection Agency with the concurrence of the
   65  department.
   66         (d)“PFAS” means per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances,
   67  including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane
   68  sulfonate (PFOS).
   69         (e)“Pretreatment” means the reduction of the amount of
   70  pollutants, the elimination of pollutants, or the alteration of
   71  the nature of pollutant properties in wastewater before or in
   72  lieu of discharging or otherwise introducing such pollutants
   73  into a wastewater facility. The reduction or alteration may be
   74  obtained by physical, chemical, or biological processes, by
   75  process changes, or by other means, except as prohibited by rule
   76  62-625.410(5), Florida Administrative Code.
   77         (f)“Wastewater facility” means a facility that discharges
   78  waste into waters of the state or which can reasonably be
   79  expected to be a source of water pollution and includes any of
   80  the following:
   81         1.The collection and transmission system.
   82         2.The wastewater treatment works.
   83         3.The reuse or disposal system.
   84         4.The biosolids management facility.
   85         (2)PFAS AND 1,4-DIOXANE PRETREATMENT INITIATIVE.—
   86         (a)The PFAS and 1,4-dioxane pretreatment initiative is
   87  established within the department. The purpose of the initiative
   88  is to prevent contaminants of emerging concern, including PFOS,
   89  PFOA, and 1,4-dioxane, from entering the waters of the state
   90  through wastewater facilities. The department shall coordinate
   91  with wastewater facilities to implement the pretreatment of
   92  contaminants of emerging concern pursuant to this section.
   93         (b)By November 1, 2024, the department shall provide
   94  specific guidance to wastewater facilities with an industrial
   95  pretreatment program on the types of industrial users to be
   96  included in a required inventory of industrial users that are
   97  probable sources of PFOS, PFOA, or 1,4-dioxane. Upon issuance of
   98  the guidance, each such wastewater facility shall conduct such
   99  an inventory and submit it to the department by July 1, 2025.
  100         (c)Within 30 days after submitting the inventory required
  101  by paragraph (b), the wastewater facility shall send all
  102  industrial users identified in the wastewater facility’s
  103  inventory a written notice that the industrial user has been
  104  identified as a probable source of PFOS, PFOA, or 1,4-dioxane.
  105  The notice must:
  106         1.Inform the industrial user that it will be issued
  107  permits, orders, or similar measures to enforce applicable
  108  pretreatment standards for PFOS, PFOA, or 1,4-dioxane, including
  109  specific discharge limits, as early as 1 year after the date the
  110  written notice has been sent to the user by wastewater facility.
  111         2.Encourage the industrial user to take action to reduce
  112  the probability that PFOS, PFOA, or 1,4-dioxane discharges
  113  exceed specific discharge limits before permits, orders, or
  114  similar measures are issued to enforce applicable pretreatment
  115  standards and requirements.
  116         (d)All industrial users identified as probable sources of
  117  PFOS, PFOA, or 1,4-dioxane discharges must be issued permits,
  118  orders, or similar measures to enforce applicable pretreatment
  119  standards and requirements for PFOS, PFOA, or 1,4-dioxane by
  120  July 1, 2027. Each permit, order, or similar measure must
  121  include monitoring, sampling, reporting, and recordkeeping
  122  requirements.
  123         (e)A wastewater facility that begins implementing an
  124  industrial pretreatment program after July 1, 2024, shall
  125  complete an inventory of industrial users to identify probable
  126  sources of PFOS, PFOA, or 1,4-dioxane discharges and shall issue
  127  a permit, an order, or a similar measure to enforce applicable
  128  pretreatment standards and requirements consistent with this
  129  section.
  130         (f)The department may expand the initiative to other
  131  wastewater treatment plants to include wastewater facilities
  132  permitted under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination
  133  System.
  134         (g)By July 1, 2025, the department shall complete an
  135  inventory of all industrial users that are major facilities that
  136  discharge directly to surface waters to identify probable
  137  sources of PFOS, PFOA, or 1,4-dioxane discharges. The department
  138  shall issue a notice to such a major facility specifying that
  139  the facility has been identified as a probable source of PFOS,
  140  PFOA, or 1,4-dioxane discharges, and shall issue to the major
  141  facility a permit, an order, or a similar measure to enforce
  142  applicable pretreatment standards and requirements consistent
  143  with this section.
  144         (3)DISCHARGE LIMITS.—
  145         (a)Beginning July 1, 2025, the following interim specific
  146  discharge limits for PFOS, PFOA, and 1,4-dioxane for industrial
  147  users are established until new specific discharge limits are
  148  established:
  149         1.For PFOS, 10 nanograms per liter.
  150         2.For PFOA, 170 nanograms per liter.
  151         3.For 1,4-dioxane, 200,000 nanograms per liter.
  152         (b)A wastewater facility may develop and propose local
  153  limits for PFOS, PFOA, or 1,4-dioxane to the department and may
  154  include the local limits in permits, orders, or similar measures
  155  once they are approved by the department.
  156         (4)VIOLATIONS AND ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION.—An industrial
  157  user is not subject to civil or criminal penalties for
  158  violations of applicable pretreatment standards and requirements
  159  for PFOS, PFOA, or 1,4-dioxane during the first 2 years after a
  160  permit, an order, or a similar measure is issued to the
  161  industrial user. A wastewater facility and the department shall
  162  take into consideration the costs of implementing best
  163  management practices and other corrective actions when taking
  164  enforcement action for violations of discharge limits and other
  165  applicable pretreatment standards and requirements for PFOS,
  166  PFOA, or 1,4-dioxane.
  167         Section 2. The Legislature finds that this act fulfills an
  168  important state interest.
  169         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.

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