Bill Text: FL S2000 | 2010 | Regular Session | Comm Sub

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Seaports [WPSC]

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-04-28 - Placed on Special Order Calendar; Read 2nd time -SJ 00933; Amendment(s) adopted (800090, 594120, 312540) -SJ 00933; Substituted CS/CS/CS/HB 963 -SJ 00933; Laid on Table, companion bill(s) passed, see CS/CS/CS/HB 963 (Ch. 2010-201) -SJ 00933 [S2000 Detail]

Download: Florida-2010-S2000-Comm_Sub.html
 
Florida Senate - 2010                      CS for CS for SB 2000 
 
By the Committees on Environmental Preservation and 
Conservation; and Commerce; and Senator Ring 
592-03552-10                                          20102000c2 
1                        A bill to be entitled 
2         An act relating to ports; amending ss. 161.055 and 
3         253.002, F.S.; conforming provisions to changes made 
4         by the act; amending s. 311.09, F.S.; requiring the 
5         Department of Transportation to include certain 
6         seaport projects and funding related to the Florida 
7         Seaport Transportation and Economic Development grant 
8         program in its legislative budget request; requiring 
9         the department to submit work program amendments 
10         requested by the Florida Seaport Transportation and 
11         Economic Development Council within a certain 
12         timeframe; amending s. 373.403, F.S.; revising the 
13         definition for “stormwater management system” to 
14         exempt certain structures from regulation; creating s. 
15         373.4133, F.S.; providing legislative findings; 
16         providing for port conceptual permits; providing which 
17         ports may apply for a port conceptual permit; 
18         authorizing a private entity that has adjacent 
19         property to apply for a permit; specifying the length 
20         of time for which a permit may be issued; providing 
21         that a conceptual permit is the state’s water quality 
22         compliance certification and conceptual determination 
23         of consistency with the state’s coastal zone 
24         management program; providing for permit applications 
25         and application requirements; requiring the department 
26         to effect a certain balance between the benefits of 
27         the facility and the environment; providing that a 
28         permit provides certain assurances with respect to 
29         construction permits if certain requirements are met; 
30         providing for advance mitigation; providing that 
31         certain actions may not be delegated by the Board of 
32         Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund; 
33         providing an exception for sovereignty submerged 
34         lands; providing procedures for the approval or denial 
35         of an application; providing for administrative 
36         challenges; authorizing the department and the board 
37         to issue certain permits and authorizations before 
38         certain actions are taken under the Endangered Species 
39         Act; authorizing the department and the board to adopt 
40         rules; amending s. 403.061, F.S.; removing the 
41         requirement for the Department of Environmental 
42         Protection to enter into memoranda of agreement 
43         relating to the issuance of certain joint coastal 
44         permits or other permits with the Florida Ports 
45         Council; amending s. 403.813, F.S.; revising 
46         requirements relating to maintenance dredging at 
47         seaports; revising the mixing zone and a requirement 
48         relating to the discharge of return water; increasing 
49         the time allowance for maintenance dredging after a 
50         storm event; providing an effective date. 
51 
52  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 
53 
54         Section 1. Subsection (1) of section 161.055, Florida 
55  Statutes, is amended to read: 
56         161.055 Concurrent processing of permits.— 
57         (1) If When an activity for which a permit is required 
58  under this chapter also requires a permit, authorization, or 
59  approval described in paragraph (2)(b), or a port conceptual 
60  permit under s. 373.4133, the department may, by rule, provide 
61  that the activity may be undertaken only upon receipt of a 
62  single permit from the department called a “joint coastal 
63  permit,” as provided in this section. 
64         Section 2. Subsection (2) of section 253.002, Florida 
65  Statutes, is amended to read: 
66         253.002 Department of Environmental Protection, water 
67  management districts, Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 
68  and Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; duties with 
69  respect to state lands.— 
70         (2) Delegations to the department, or a water management 
71  district, or the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services 
72  of authority to take final agency action on applications for 
73  authorization to use submerged lands owned by the Board of 
74  Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund, without any 
75  action on behalf of the board of trustees, shall be by rule; 
76  however, delegations related to conceptual permits must be in 
77  accordance with s. 373.4133. Until rules adopted pursuant to 
78  this subsection become effective, existing delegations by the 
79  board of trustees shall remain in full force and effect. 
80  However, the board of trustees is not limited or prohibited from 
81  amending these delegations. The board of trustees shall adopt by 
82  rule any delegations of its authority to take final agency 
83  action without action by the board of trustees on applications 
84  for authorization to use board of trustees-owned submerged 
85  lands. Any final agency action, without action by the board of 
86  trustees, taken by the department, or a water management 
87  district, or the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services 
88  on applications to use board of trustees-owned submerged lands 
89  is shall be subject to the provisions of s. 373.4275. 
90  Notwithstanding any other provision of this subsection, the 
91  board of trustees, the Department of Legal Affairs, and the 
92  department retain the concurrent authority to assert or defend 
93  title to submerged lands owned by the board of trustees. 
94         Section 3. Subsection (10) of section 311.09, Florida 
95  Statutes, is amended to read: 
96         311.09 Florida Seaport Transportation and Economic 
97  Development Council.— 
98         (10) The Department of Transportation shall include in its 
99  annual legislative budget request a Florida Seaport 
100  Transportation and Economic Development grant program for 
101  expenditure of funds of not less than $8 million per year. The 
102  Such budget request must shall include funding for projects 
103  approved by the council which have been determined by each 
104  agency to be consistent and which have been determined by the 
105  Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development to be 
106  economically beneficial. 
107         (a) The department shall include a list of the approved 
108  seaport projects from the tentative work program developed 
109  pursuant to s. 339.135(4) which are to be funded during the next 
110  fiscal year. The department shall also include the total amount 
111  of funding under s. 311.07 to be allocated to seaport projects 
112  during the successive 4 fiscal years of the tentative work 
113  program. 
114         (b) The council may submit to the department a list of 
115  approved projects that could be made production-ready within the 
116  next 2 years. The list shall be submitted as part of the needs 
117  and project list prepared pursuant to s. 339.135(2)(b) 339.135. 
118  Upon the written request of the council, the department shall 
119  submit work program amendments pursuant to s. 339.135(7) to the 
120  Governor within 10 days after the date the request is received 
121  by the department, or the effective date of the amendment, 
122  termination, or closure of the applicable funding agreement 
123  between the department and the seaport required to release the 
124  funds from the existing commitment, whichever occurs later. 
125         Section 4. Subsection (10) of section 373.403, Florida 
126  Statutes, is amended to read: 
127         373.403 Definitions.—When appearing in this part or in any 
128  rule, regulation, or order adopted pursuant thereto, the 
129  following terms mean: 
130         (10) “Stormwater management system” means a system that 
131  which is designed and constructed or implemented to control 
132  discharges that which are caused necessitated by rainfall 
133  events, incorporating methods to collect, convey, store, absorb, 
134  inhibit, treat, use, or reuse water to prevent or reduce 
135  flooding, overdrainage, environmental degradation, and water 
136  pollution or otherwise affect the quantity and quality of 
137  discharges from the system. Overwater piers, docks, and similar 
138  structures located in a port listed in s. 311.09(1) are not part 
139  of a stormwater management system and are not considered 
140  impervious surfaces under this chapter or chapter 403 if the 
141  port has a stormwater pollution prevention plan developed 
142  pursuant to the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System. 
143         Section 5. Section 373.4133, Florida Statutes, is created 
144  to read: 
145         373.4133Port conceptual permits.— 
146         (1) The Legislature finds that seaport facilities are 
147  critical infrastructure facilities that significantly support 
148  the economic development of the state. The Legislature further 
149  finds that it is necessary to provide a method of permit review 
150  that allows seaports in this state to become internationally 
151  competitive. 
152         (2) Any port listed in s. 311.09(1) may apply to the 
153  department for a port conceptual permit, which may include 
154  authorization to use sovereignty submerged lands under chapter 
155  253 under a joint coastal permit issued pursuant to s. 161.055 
156  or an environmental resource permit issued pursuant to this part 
157  for all or a portion of the area within the geographic 
158  boundaries of the port. A private entity that has a controlling 
159  interest in property used for private industrial marine 
160  activities in the immediate vicinity of such port may also apply 
161  under this section. A port conceptual permit may be issued for 
162  up to 20 years and extended once for 10 additional years. A port 
163  conceptual permit constitutes the state’s conceptual water 
164  quality compliance certification for purposes of s. 401 of the 
165  Clean Water Act, and the state’s conceptual determination that 
166  the activities contained in the permit are consistent with the 
167  state’s federally approved coastal zone management program. 
168         (3) A port conceptual permit application must include 
169  sufficient information to provide reasonable assurance that the 
170  engineering and environmental concepts upon which the designs 
171  are based are likely to meet applicable rule criteria for the 
172  issuance of construction permits for subsequent phases of the 
173  project. At a minimum, the application should include 
174  projections of costs, revenue, and job creation for proposed 
175  development; proposed construction areas and areas where 
176  construction will not occur; estimated or maximum anticipated 
177  impacts to wetlands and other surface waters, and any proposed 
178  mitigation for those impacts; estimated or maximum amount of 
179  anticipated impervious surface and the nature of the stormwater 
180  treatment system for those areas; and the general location and 
181  types of activities on sovereignty submerged lands. Except where 
182  construction approval is requested as part of the application, 
183  the application is not expected to include final design 
184  specifications and drawings. The department shall specify any 
185  additional information that must be submitted as part of a 
186  request for a subsequent construction permit or authorization in 
187  the port conceptual permit. 
188         (4) In determining whether a port conceptual permit 
189  application should be approved in whole, with modifications or 
190  conditions, or denied, the department shall effect a reasonable 
191  balance between the potential benefits of the facility and the 
192  impacts upon water quality, fish and wildlife, water resources, 
193  and other natural resources of the state resulting from the 
194  construction and operation of the facility. 
195         (5) A port conceptual approval permit provides the 
196  permitholder with assurance during the duration of the permit 
197  that the engineering and environmental concepts upon which the 
198  designs are based are likely to meet applicable rule criteria 
199  for the issuance of construction permits for subsequent phases 
200  of the project if: 
201         (a) There are no changes in the rules governing the 
202  conditions of issuance of permits for future phases of the 
203  project and the conceptual approval permit is not inconsistent 
204  with any total maximum daily load or basin management action 
205  plan adopted for the water body into which the system discharges 
206  or is located pursuant to s. 403.067(7) and rule 62-304, Florida 
207  Administrative Code; and 
208         (b) Applications for proposed future phase activities under 
209  the permit are consistent with the design and conditions of the 
210  permit. Primary areas for consistency comparisons include the 
211  size, location, and extent of the system; type of activity; 
212  percent imperviousness; allowable discharge and points of 
213  discharge; location and extent of wetland and other surface 
214  water impacts and proposed mitigation plan, if required; control 
215  elevations; extent of stormwater reuse; and detention-retention 
216  volumes. If an application for subsequent phase activity is not 
217  consistent with the terms and conditions of the approved permit, 
218  the applicant may request a modification of the permit to 
219  resolve the inconsistency or may request that the application be 
220  processed independently of the permit. 
221         (6) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a port 
222  conceptual permit or associated construction permit, including 
223  any applicable sovereignty submerged lands authorization, may 
224  authorize advance mitigation for impacts expected as a result of 
225  the activities described in the port conceptual permit. Such 
226  advance mitigation shall be credited to offset the impacts of 
227  the activities when undertaken to the extent that the advance 
228  mitigation is successful. 
229         (7) Final agency action on a port conceptual sovereignty 
230  submerged lands authorization associated with a port conceptual 
231  permit may not be delegated by the Board of Trustees of the 
232  Internal Improvement Trust Fund. However, approval of the 
233  authorization by the board delegates to the department authority 
234  to take final agency action on behalf of the board on any 
235  sovereignty submerged lands authorization necessary to construct 
236  facilities included in the authorization, unless a member of the 
237  board specifically requests that final agency action be brought 
238  before the board. Any delegation to the department concerning a 
239  private project does not exempt the private project from 
240  applicable board rules, including lease and easement fees. 
241         (8) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, the 
242  following procedures apply to the approval or denial of an 
243  application for a port conceptual permit, or a final permit or 
244  authorization: 
245         (a) Applications for a port conceptual permit, including 
246  any request for the conceptual approval of the use of sovereign 
247  submerged lands, must be processed in accordance with ss. 
248  373.427 and 120.60. However, if the applicant believes a request 
249  for additional information is not authorized by law or agency 
250  rule, the applicant may request an informal hearing pursuant to 
251  s. 120.57(2) before the secretary of the department to determine 
252  whether the application is complete. 
253         (b) Upon issuance of the department’s notice of intent to 
254  issue or deny a port conceptual permit, the applicant shall 
255  publish a one-time notice of such intent, prepared by the 
256  department, in the newspaper having the largest general 
257  circulation in the county or counties where the port is located. 
258         (c) Final agency action on a port conceptual permit is 
259  subject to challenge under ss. 120.569 and 120.57. However, 
260  final agency action to authorize subsequent construction of 
261  facilities contained in a port conceptual permit may be 
262  challenged only by a third party for consistency with the port 
263  conceptual permit. 
264         (d)A person who will be substantially affected by a final 
265  agency action described in paragraph (c) must initiate 
266  administrative proceedings pursuant to ss. 120.569 and 120.57 
267  within 21 days after the publication of the notice of the 
268  proposed action. If administrative proceedings are requested, 
269  the proceedings are subject to the summary hearing provisions of 
270  s. 120.574. However, if the decision of the administrative law 
271  judge will be a recommended order, rather than a final order, a 
272  summary proceeding must be conducted within 90 days after a 
273  party files a motion for summary hearing regardless of whether 
274  the parties agree to the summary proceeding. 
275         (9) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the 
276  department and the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement 
277  Trust Fund may issue permits and authorizations pursuant to this 
278  section in advance of the issuance of a take authorization as 
279  provided in the federal Endangered Species Act and its 
280  implementing regulations. However, the permits and 
281  authorizations must include a condition requiring that 
282  authorized activities may not commence until such take 
283  authorization is issued and such activities must be consistent 
284  with such authorization. The department shall unilaterally 
285  modify any permit or authorization issued pursuant to this 
286  section to make the permit or authorization consistent with any 
287  subsequently issued incidental take authorization. Such 
288  unilateral modification does not create a point of entry for any 
289  substantially affected person to request administrative 
290  proceedings under ss. 120.569 and 120.57. 
291         (10) The department and the Board of Trustees of the 
292  Internal Improvement Trust Fund may adopt rules to administer 
293  this section under the joint coastal permit provisions of 
294  chapter 161, the sovereign lands provisions of chapter 253, and 
295  the environmental resource permit provisions of this part. 
296  Adoption of such rules is not subject to any special rulemaking 
297  requirements related to small businesses. Notwithstanding this 
298  grant of rulemaking authority, this section is intended to be 
299  available effective July 1, 2010, and its implementation may not 
300  be delayed pending the adoption of rules. 
301         Section 6. Subsections (37) and (38) of section 403.061, 
302  Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 
303         403.061 Department; powers and duties.—The department shall 
304  have the power and the duty to control and prohibit pollution of 
305  air and water in accordance with the law and rules adopted and 
306  promulgated by it and, for this purpose, to: 
307         (37) Provide Enter into a memorandum of agreement with the 
308  Florida Ports Council which provides a supplemental permitting 
309  process for the issuance of a joint coastal permit pursuant to 
310  s. 161.055 or environmental resource permit pursuant to part IV 
311  of chapter 373, to a port listed in s. 311.09(1), for 
312  maintenance dredging and the management of dredged materials 
313  from maintenance dredging of all navigation channels, port 
314  harbors, turning basins, and harbor berths. Such permit shall be 
315  issued for a period of 5 years and shall be annually extended 
316  for an additional year if the port is in compliance with all 
317  permit conditions at the time of extension. The department may 
318  is authorized to adopt rules to administer implement this 
319  subsection. 
320         (38) Provide Enter into a memorandum of agreement with the 
321  Florida Ports Council which provides a supplemental permitting 
322  process for the issuance of a conceptual joint coastal permit 
323  pursuant to s. 161.055 or environmental resource permit pursuant 
324  to part IV of chapter 373, to a port listed in s. 311.09(1), for 
325  dredging and the management of materials from dredging and for 
326  other related activities necessary for development, including 
327  the expansion of navigation channels, port harbors, turning 
328  basins, harbor berths, and associated facilities. Such permit 
329  shall be issued for a period of up to 15 years. The department 
330  may is authorized to adopt rules to administer implement this 
331  subsection. 
332 
333  The department shall implement such programs in conjunction with 
334  its other powers and duties and shall place special emphasis on 
335  reducing and eliminating contamination that presents a threat to 
336  humans, animals or plants, or to the environment. 
337         Section 7. Subsection (3) of section 403.813, Florida 
338  Statutes, is amended to read: 
339         403.813 Permits issued at district centers; exceptions.— 
340         (3) For maintenance dredging conducted under this section 
341  by the seaports of Jacksonville, Port Canaveral, Fort Pierce, 
342  Palm Beach, Port Everglades, Miami, Port Manatee, St. 
343  Petersburg, Tampa, Port St. Joe, Panama City, Pensacola, Key 
344  West, and Fernandina or by inland navigation districts: 
345         (a) A mixing zone for turbidity is granted within a 100 
346  meter radius from the point of dredging while dredging is 
347  ongoing, except that the mixing zone may does not extend into 
348  areas supporting wetland communities, submerged aquatic 
349  vegetation, or hardbottom communities. 
350         (b) The discharge of the return water from the site used 
351  for the disposal of dredged material shall be allowed only if 
352  such discharge does not result in a violation of water quality 
353  standards in the receiving waters. The However, any such return 
354  water discharge into receiving manmade waters shall be that are 
355  not in Monroe County is granted a mixing zone for turbidity 
356  within a 150-meter radius from the point of discharge during and 
357  immediately after the discharge while dredging is ongoing, 
358  except that the mixing zone may does not extend into areas 
359  supporting wetland communities, submerged aquatic vegetation, or 
360  hardbottom communities outside the manmade waters. As used in 
361  this paragraph, the term “manmade waters” means surface waters 
362  that were wholly excavated from lands other than wetlands and 
363  other surface waters or semienclosed port berths. 
364         (c) The state may not exact a charge for material that this 
365  subsection allows a public port or an inland navigation district 
366  to remove. 
367         (d) The use of flocculants at the site used for disposal of 
368  the dredged material is allowed if the use, including supporting 
369  documentation, is coordinated in advance with the department and 
370  the department has determined that the use is not harmful to 
371  water resources. 
372         (e) This subsection does not prohibit maintenance dredging 
373  of areas where the loss of original design function and 
374  constructed configuration has been caused by a storm event if, 
375  provided that the dredging is performed as soon as practical 
376  after the storm event. Maintenance dredging that commences 
377  within 3 2 years after the storm event is shall be presumed to 
378  satisfy this provision. If more than 3 2 years are needed to 
379  commence the maintenance dredging after the storm event, a 
380  request for a specific time extension to perform the maintenance 
381  dredging must shall be submitted to the department before, prior 
382  to the end of the 3-year 2-year period, accompanied by a 
383  statement, including supporting documentation, demonstrating 
384  that contractors are not available or that additional time is 
385  needed to obtain authorization for the maintenance dredging from 
386  the United States Army Corps of Engineers. 
387         Section 8. This act shall take effect July 1, 2010. 
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