SB 1772 – Relating to Environmental Value of Agricultural Lands and Timberlands
On Tuesday, January 28, SB 1772 by Senator Bill Montford (D-Tallahassee) was heard by the Senate Agriculture Committee and was reported favorable with 5 yeas and 0 nays. AIF stood in support of this legislation.
This legislation establishes a framework for determining the value of environmental benefits provided by agriculture and timber lands. This legislation further directs the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to create a cost-share program to compensate landowners for those environmental benefits.
SB 1772 will now move to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Environment and General Government.
AIF supports efforts to establish a method to more accurately determine the environmental benefits of agriculture and timber on which Florida businesses rely.
HB 1343 – Relating to Water Quality Improvements
On Tuesday, January 28, HB 1343, co-sponsored by Representative Blaise Ingoglia (R-Spring Hill) and Representative Bobby Payne (R-Palatka) was heard by the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee and was reported favorable with 12 yeas and 0 nays. AIF stood in support of this legislation.
States are required by the Clean Water Act to maintain the quality of their waters. In Florida, water quality is addressed through water quality standards, total maximum daily loads (TMDLs), basin management action plans (BMAPs), and permits.
The bill addresses water quality impacts. Specifically, the bill addresses water quality issues resulting from on-site sewage treatment and disposal systems (OSTDSs) by:
- Transferring the Onsite Sewage Program from the Department of Health to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP);
- Requiring the departments to submit recommendations to the Governor and Legislature regarding the transfer of the Onsite Sewage Program;
- Creating an OSTDS technical advisory; and
- Requiring OSTDS remediation plans.
The bill addresses the water quality issues resulting from stormwater by:
- Requiring DEP staff training to include field inspections of stormwater structural controls;
- Requiring DEP and the water management districts to update the stormwater regulations using the most up to date science; and
- Requiring the model stormwater management program to contain model ordinances targeting nutrient reduction.
The bill addresses water quality issues resulting from domestic wastewater facilities by requiring:
- Local governments to create wastewater treatment plans;
- Sanitary sewage facilities to take steps to prevent sanitary sewer overflows;
- DEP to establish real-time water quality monitoring; and
- Advanced wastewater treatment for domestic wastewater discharges to the Indian River Lagoon.
The bill also creates a wastewater grant program that requires DEP to provide grants for projects that will reduce excess nutrient pollution. Additionally, the bill requires the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to conduct inspections of producers enrolled in best management practices.
HB 1343 will now move to the House Appropriations Committee.
AIF supports legislation that addresses the existing water quality issues as Florida’s businesses and citizens alike rely on access to clean, uncontaminated water.
HB 1363 – Relating to Basin Management Action Plans
On Tuesday, January 28, HB 1363 by Representative Toby Overdorf (R-Stuart) was heard by the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee and was reported favorable with 11 yeas and 0 nays. AIF stood in support of this legislation.
The federal Clean Water Act (CWA) requires states to adopt water quality standards (WQS) for navigable waters. The CWA requires states to develop lists of water bodies that do not meet WQS, which are called impaired waters. States are then required to develop a total maximum daily load (TMDL) for the particular pollutants causing the impairment. The TMDL is the maximum allowable amount of the pollutants the water body can receive while maintaining WQS. Once a TMDL is adopted, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) may develop and implement a basin management action plan (BMAP), which is a restoration plan for the watersheds and basins connected to the impaired water body. A BMAP must integrate appropriate management strategies available to the state and must include milestones for implementation and water quality improvement, and associated water quality monitoring.
The bill requires nonpoint source dischargers (farm water runoff, for example) who discharge into a basin included in an adopted BMAP to comply with interim measures, best management practices (BMPs), other measures adopted by rule by DEP or the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (DACS), or management measures adopted in a BMAP.
The bill further requires DEP, DACS, or the water management district (WMD), to verify by site visit the implementation of such requirements at least once every two years. The bill requires DEP, DACS, and owners of agricultural operations in the basin to develop a cooperative agricultural regional water quality improvement element as part of a BMAP under certain circumstances. The bill further requires DEP, DOH, local governments, and WMDs to develop a cooperative urban, suburban, commercial, or institutional regional water quality improvement element as part of a BMAP under certain circumstances.
HB 1363 will now move to the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee.
AIF supports legislation that addresses the existing water quality issues as Florida’s businesses and citizens alike rely on access to clean, uncontaminated water.
