Stakeholder Input on Proposed Rulemaking
EPA is holding three public hearings in Florida during the public comment period for the proposed rule. The public comment period will begin on the day the proposed rule is published in the Federal Register, and will last for 60 days. The public hearings will afford an opportunity for the public to provide comments on EPA’s proposed rule. Brief oral comments and written comments will be accepted at the hearings. Due to the large number of expected commenters, EPA expects to limit each oral comment to five minutes or less in order to give everyone an opportunity to speak. You do not have to be present at the hearings in order to provide written comments on the proposed rule (the proposed rule will contain information on how you can submit written comments). The dates and locations of the hearings are as follows:

February 16, 2010: 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Capitol East, 1355 Apalachee Parkway, Tallahassee, FL 32301
February 17, 2010: 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza Orlando Universal, 7800 Universal Boulevard, Orlando, FL 32819
February 18, 2010: 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Palm Beach Airport, 1301 Belvedere Road, West Palm Beach, FL 33405

Florida
Proposed Water Quality Standards for the State of Florida’s Lakes and Flowing Waters
Overview

EPA has proposed numeric nutrient water quality standards for lakes and flowing waters, including canals, within the State of Florida and has proposed regulations to establish a framework for Florida to develop “restoration standards” for impaired waters. EPA issued this proposed rule pursuant to a determination that EPA made on January 14, 2009, under section 303(c)(4)(B) of the Clean Water Act. The determination states that numeric nutrient water quality standards for lakes and flowing waters and for estuaries and coastal waters are necessary for the State of Florida to meet the requirements of Clean Water Act section 303(c). EPA signed the proposed rule addressing lakes and flowing waters on January 14, 2010, per the terms of a consent decree. This proposed rule will be published in the Federal Register shortly.

Press Release (January 15, 2010)
Fact sheet (January 2010)
Federal Register Notice | Print Version (PDF) (54 pp, 541 K, About PDF)
Technical Support Document
If you have questions about the proposed rule contact Danielle Salvaterra at .

All information can be found here.

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New Regulations for Farmers?
01/26/10 - 05:46 PM
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New environmental regulations are on the way, and they have farmers worried.  The regulations will be handed down by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in cooperation with the US Environmental Protection Agency. 

They are aimed at protecting lakes, rivers and streams from dangerous phosphorus and nitrogen levels.  The regulations will depend on measuring water quality according to an assigned numeric nutrient number.  Farmers and other landowners may have to meet the designated standard by a certain deadline.

Jackson County farmers have a few problems with that.  First, they say they don’t know anything about the designated number or when the deadline will be set.  Jeff Pittman, a fourth generation farmer, says he never heard anything about numbers.

“No, absolutely not,” Pittman said.  “Our understanding was that those numbers would possibly be set in the last couple of weeks, and we have not heard anything.”

He said he’d be worried if the number was too high, and hopes it will be manageable.  Ken Barton, of the Peanut Producer’s Association, has other questions.  He said Florida borders two states that aren’t regulated, and that could pose problems.

“Who will be liable if at the state lines those waters don’t meet the criteria?” Barton asked.  “I’ve asked, and no one can answer that question right now.”

Barton also said he was worried about where the regulation was coming from, because a recommendation from the US Department of Agriculture started it all.
They sent a letter saying ‘you have to have this deadline set by January 14, or we’re going to come in and impose that nutrient criteria for you,” Barton said of a US Department of Agriculture letter, which he says was sent to the state of Florida.

“We think that’s why this number’s going to be set—out of fear of litigation from meeting this deadline.”

After repeated requests for an interview, FDEP officials were not available at press time.  They responded with an email which outlined the nutrient data, along with where the numbers could be found.
 
They also sent a list of locations for where public input will be solicited.