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Florida's Environmental News Source of Record focused on news content of interest to the environmental community.
Governor Signs $116.5B State Budget
Steakhouses beef up menus with new twists on American classics
Rockville, MD - When it comes to American cuisine, there are few things more iconic than steakhouses. The slabs of marbled meat, the sizzling grills, the oozing butter, and the dripping bravado, maybe even a cowboy hat or two for ambiance—it's enough to make even fictional steakophile Ron Swanson misty-eyed.
Yet for all the traditional steak dinners ordered daily, there are restaurants nationwide pushing the concept of the all-American steakhouse to new culinary heights, according to market research firm Packaged Facts in the brand new report 2017 Forecast: Culinary Trend Tracking Series.
"The steakhouse is back and will capture our attention in 2017. Not that the classic restaurant style ever disappeared, but a renewal of the model is taking place in response to new sources of beef and new flavorful expressions of the concept that get chefs and diners excited," says David Sprinkle, research director, Packaged Facts.
By PATRICK GILLESPIE
On June 12, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the fiscal year 2024-2025 budget for the State of Florida, landing on a $116.5 billion budget to pay for state operations, after slashing nearly $1 billion in line-item vetoes.
Today's steakhouse menus increasingly feature grass-fed cattle, locally raised animals, heritage varieties, meat butchered and dry aged in-house, and dishes that stem from the whole animal, not just the premium cuts. And that's just the meat. Creative side dishes in lieu of old standards, global and seasonal flavors, and a wider menu selection also distinguish these new school operations.
The Governor’s recommended budget
Chefs and consumers both want their meat to taste delicious and to feel good about its’ consumption, too. This new breed of steakhouse broadcasts its mission to support local ranchers, factor in sustainability and animal welfare, and create a dining experience that showcases culinary flair, not just a grill master's skill at cooking steak to the requested doneness. These operations are also designed to be more inclusive, more of a great place for all kinds of people to dine well, not just traditionminded men on expense accounts. As a result, the modern steakhouse is increasingly similar to other modern restaurants with a focus on distinctive
filed in late 2023 was roughly $114 billion and the Florida Legislature sent him a budget north of $117 billion.
“This budget delivers historic support for education, infrastructure, and conservation, yet spends less than the year before and includes major tax relief,” said Governor DeSantis in a news release. “We have paid down 36 percent of the state’s entire
and sustainable sourcing, local and seasonal produce, and global flavors and forms, all done within the steakhouse format showcasing cuts of meat as entrées with a choice of sides. Moreover, new menu categories (such as flatbreads) and service elements freshen the concept.
tax-supported debt over the course of my term, and the state maintains a AAA credit rating, one of the lowest tax burdens in America, and more than $17 billion in reserve.”
About the Report
At an event in Tampa to announce the budget, DeSantis was joined by several of his state agency leaders, including Shawn
Marco Island EPSS Again Set to Impress
By RYAN MATTHEWS
I’vebeen lucky enough to attend the Environmental Permitting Summer School since its inception in the early 80’s, and although I’m biased — not only because I have the privilege of helping to put on the conference, but also because my late father was so intimately involved — in my mind, we simply provide the greatest conference experience in the southeastern United States.
Jacksonville, FL - After much anticipation and excitement, Jollibee, the largest Asian restaurant company, is now open in Jacksonville. This is the 36th store in the US, as well as
been the talk of the town since 2016. With the opening, Floridians will get to try Jollibee's signature menu items such as the world famous Chickenjoy. This dish is delicately breaded to be crispylicious on the outside and juicylicious inside. The well-loved Jolly Spaghetti is a favorite of both kids and kids-at-heart because of its signature sweetstyle sauce, loaded with chunky slices of savory ham, ground meat, and hotdog. Other classic menufavorites include the juicy and cheesy Jolly Hotdog, and the Peach Mango Pie, which is made with real Philippine sweet mangoes and a flaky golden brown crust.
rants, and shops I grew up going to every July. Many of the attendees have spent decades doing the same with their families. Countless stories and memories have been shared with me of just how unique and special the conference is for our attendees.
2017 Forecast: Culinary Trend Tracking Series offers an outlook on the culinary trends—the foods, dishes, ingredients and flavors—that Packaged Facts expects to grow in popularity in 2017.
In addition to welcoming folks to an unbeatable location, our annual efforts are focused on providing the most informative and interactive experience possible for speakers, sponsors, and attendees alike.
"As Jollibee debuts in Florida, we anticipate seeing not only a multitude of excited Jollibee patrons waiting to get their hands on their Jollibee favorites, but also first-timers waiting to have their own Jollibee experience," said Jose Miñana, Jollibee Foods Corporation's Group President for North America. "There's no greater joy for us than serving the needs and tastes of Jollibee fans in the community. At Jollibee, we aim to bring families together for happy moments over great tasting food with superior value, served with warm and friendly service – our own brand of joy."
Mr. Littlejohn, at the conference’s inception in 1987, wisely knew that if the conference was successful in bringing in regulators at the local, state, and federal level as speakers that getting people to register would not be a difficult task. Having traversed the state and attending dozens of conferences each year myself, I can confidently say that there are few opportunities to engage with state agencies, water management districts, executive office staff, and federal agencies as easily accomplished, and more enjoyable, then at Summer School.
The brand has become a symbol of nostalgia and warm childhood memories for many overseas Filipinos in the U.S. To many, Jollibee is the go-to restaurant of Filipinos for both special
See JOLLIBEE page 15
Stress seems to fade upon arrival allowing engineers, attorneys, and consultants alike the freedom to both socialize and advocate before those who are making the important decisions regarding Florida’s natural resources. It truly sets itself apart from other conferences in countless central Florida hotels where you may or may not leave the property and the biggest question will be how long the walk is from your hotel room to the conference staging area. Our courses provide subject matter experts in various environmental fields, and we do our best to refresh or keep current the subject matters at hand. The judicial, executive, and legislative branches of government certainly give us a roadmap each year as to what the newest and hottest topics are that will be discussed in Marco.
2017 forecast:
Wekiva River Protection Key to FDOT Project
By WILL WATTS
Earlier this year, officials celebrated the grand opening of the final section of the Wekiva Parkway, fulfilling the long-awaited completion of Central Florida’s beltway, and highlighting unprecedented steps taken before, during, and after construction to protect the natural resources surrounding the Wekiva River, a National Wild and Scenic River and Florida Outstanding Waterway.
less execute successfully. Accomplishing these efforts on Wekiva Parkway has not only raised the bar but made it the model project for other state DOTs and transportation agencies worldwide. Transportation planners around the globe now refer to the “Wekiva Parkway model” when developing major improvements through environmentally sensitive areas.
Completing the beltway, which connected State Road (S.R.) 429 to Interstate 4 (I-4), and S.R. 417, was accomplished in partnership with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and the Central Florida Expressway Authority. By protecting the natural resources surrounding the Wekiva River, the project is a major accomplishment for the region and the state.
“It’s road projects such as Wekiva Parkway that break the mold on how projects are built. Wekiva Parkway is not only an achievement for transportation, but also a win for the environment surrounding it,” said FDOT Secretary Jared W. Perdue, P.E. “I’m grateful for Governor DeSantis’ unwavering leadership and keen environmental stewardship that allows the Department to develop and implement projects that go above and beyond to meet transportation needs of our communities. This is a community-focused project, and the Department’s attention to design and detail shows that.”
Many of the innovative processes and techniques that FDOT employed on this project were unprecedented for a state transportation agency to consider, much
The Wekiva Parkway was designed with environmental stewardship in mind. The Wekiva River Basin provides habitat for rare or threatened species including the Florida Black Bear, Bald Eagles and Burrowing Owls. Developing the parkway while creating as little disturbance as possible to the Wekiva Basin was a major accomplishment that required FDOT to incorporate new ways of delivering infrastructure. One example includes the Department relocating nearly a mile of County Road 46A out of the Seminole State Forest to reestablish an undisturbed natural habitat in the area.
FDOT used innovative “top-down” construction to build the three bridges over the Wekiva River. This means heavy equipment was never put in the river to preserve its pristine nature. All work was done on land or from the tops of the bridge piers located on the river sides. With the constant goal of incorporating the natural beauty of the area into the project, FDOT even adjusted the northernmost bridge location to preserve a legacy grand cypress tree, believed to be more than 100 years old. FDOT incorporated these innovative techniques to ensure the community vision for this project was accomplished while leaving as much of the natural surroundings around the project untouched.
The Wekiva Parkway project limits the number of interchanges in natural areas, conserving 3,400 acres of land and includes 1.5 miles of wildlife crossing bridges and other environmental protections,
one of the longest in Florida.
The Wekiva Parkway incorporates multiple modes of transportation, including a series of trails for nature lovers to enjoy. As part of the project, the FDOT constructed a 10mile, multi-use trail through Orange, Lake and Seminole counties. The trail crosses over a new, high-profile bridge over the Wekiva River. The Wekiva Parkway trail is planned to tie into a proposed extension of the West Orange Trail in Orange County, the Lake-Wekiva trail in Lake County, and an extension of the Seminole-Wekiva Trail in Seminole County.
The steps FDOT took to be good stewards of the environment did not lessen their ability to dramatically expand connectivity throughout Central Florida. The Wekiva Parkway completes the western beltway around the Orlando area to relieve congestion, enhance safety, and offer motorists yet another travel choice to improve mobility in a quickly growing region.
FDOT District Five Secretary John E. Tyler, P.E., said the key to the Parkway’s success was partnerships with environmentalists, state agencies, and local governments and communities.
“We built bridges for this project that protected our natural treasures and preserved natural spaces for future generations,” Tyler said. “I’m proud of what FDOT has done, but we are just one piece in the puzzle. I want to thank all of our local partners who committed to making one of the most comprehensive environmental and construction partnerships a model for future success.” ●
Will Watts is the Assistant Secretary for the Florida Department of Transportation
FAMU, U.S. Sugar Team On Sugar Research
By STAFF REPORTS
Florida A&M University, U.S. Sugar, and Tuskegee University are teaming up to study the environmental and economic impacts of sugarcane farming in South Florida as part of an effort to improve sustainable agriculture practices in the region.
Researchers will specifically study sugarcane burning methods and how they impact the environment, as well as economic impacts to the surrounding communities.
“By uniting our expertise and resources, we reaffirm our commitment to fostering innovative, environmentally responsible agriculture in the Glades region and beyond,” Dr. Garlen D. Weston, Interim Dean of Agriculture at FAMU said, according to news reports. “This collaboration exemplifies our dedication to understanding sustainable agricultural practices and underscores our unwavering commitment to the well-being of our communities.”
Sugarcane agriculture has long been an economic driver for parts of South Florida, particularly in the Glades Region of Florida, which includes cities and unincorporated areas surrounding Lake Okeechobee, namely Belle Glade, Pahokee, South Bay, and Canal Point. U.S. Sugar is based in Clewiston.
Sugar production in the area has long been
involved in political and environmental fights, with environmental groups often blaming companies for greenhouse gas emissions, contributors to seasonal red tide, air quality concerns, Everglades water quality impacts, and other factors.
“We are committed to strengthening partnerships and highlighting the role we play in our communities and our environmental stewardship,” U.S. Sugar Community Relations Director Brannan Thomas said in a statement to the Tallahassee Democrat. “This collaboration marks a significant step toward a more comprehensive and inclusive understanding of our rural communities and sustainable agricultural practices.”
According to a February 2023 report by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Florida ranked first nationally in value of sugar produced from sugarcane in 2020, with a value of roughly $737 million, marking 50 percent of the value of the crop.
Florida and Louisiana are the country’s two largest commercial producers of sugarcane, with more than 403,000 acres harvested in the Sunshine State in 2021 alone. That produced more than 17 million tons of sugarcane and more than 2 million tons of sugar. ●
PATRICK GILLESPIE
BLANCHE HARDY, PG
Senior Correspondent
MBA, MSRED, LEED Green Associate
LINA ALFIERI STERN WILL WATTS Florida Department of Transportation
RYAN MATTHEWS Gray Robinson
CRISSY MEHLE WSP
DANIELLE FITZPATRICK St. Johns River Water Management District
NICHOLAS MUZIA Sea & Shoreline
PEPPER UCHINO Florida Shore & Beach Preservation Association
HERSCHEL T. VINYARD Adams and Reese
VICTORIA BRUCE The Mitigation Banking Group
SEAN PARKS Lake County Commissioner
JERRY MALLAMS Southwest Florida Water Management District
KEYNA CORY Florida Recycling Partnership Foundation
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Our streams and creeks are becoming unhealthy. It’s happening when these natural systems become pinched between commercial, residential, and industrial development, resulting in “urban stream syndrome,” a consistent ecological degradation of streams that drain urban land.
Change in land use from a natural to a built environment is the biggest driver for overloading these systems, while changes in rainfall are also to blame. Today’s storms are more intense and deliver more water than ever and severe flooding is overwhelming city street- and sidewalk-drainage.
Changes in timing and the volume of stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces can also cause streams and creeks to overflow. Streams resemble raging rivers, exposing an area to runoff containing sediment, nutrients, oils and other chemicals and even causing physical changes to the stream and channelization.
With thousands of miles of streams flowing through cities, towns and neighborhoods throughout Florida, urban stream syndrome is a growing issue. There are several ways local agencies and communities can help mitigate urban stream syndrome, bring streams back to life, and plan for the future.
Conservation: Strategic planning to balance environmental protection and land development is crucial to addressing urban stream syndrome. This can range from whole watershed protection to undeveloped land acquisition and preservation. For example, managing surrounding properties, including identifying, acquiring and conserving undeveloped parcels ensures that important streams and their natural hydrology are afforded protection from future damage.
Local Ordinances: Vital to the natural environment, there are ways to protect and rejuvenate urban streams in conjunction with local government regulations. Reviewing and updating city and county ordinances, to ensure protectional provisions are included, is a good place to start. Simple things, like mandating an appropriate
Hamilton, Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary. The two highlighted key portions of the budget that will support environmental protection and key projects.
“We have, since 2019, secured over $6.5 billion for water quality improvements and restoration of Florida Everglades,” DeSantis said at the event. “That is so much more than anyone had been able to do prior. I'm really, really proud of that. Thanks to the Legislature for doing that.”
Hamilton said that the increased investments in water projects, particularly Everglades funding, is historic for the state.
“When you break a record, it's not the same when you're breaking your own record,” he said. “But it's important to note that the record being broke is the largest investment in Everglades history – this fiscal year coming up. And that is amazing. We are definitely maximizing the investments to improve our water resources across the state and into the future.”
The Everglades Trust, a political non-profit focused on environmental protection,
riparian buffer during development; and encouraging low-impact design elements (such as bioswales, permeable pavement and rain gardens) during design, are key to stopping further degradation of urban waterways. When streams cross multiple jurisdictions, agency coordination is imperative.
Planning and Design: According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, watershed management approaches are evolving across the country. Just some of the advantages to watershed management planning include reducing pollution, recharging the groundwater table, protecting the biodiversity of a region and reducing flood risk while increasing flood resiliency. In Escambia County, the Carpenter Creek and Bayou Texar Watersheds Management Plan provided restoration recommendations for 19-square miles of combined watershed area in and around Pensacola. Through funding from a RESTORE grant, key goals included improving water quality, water quantity and wildlife habitat, while providing resiliency and community access.
Education: Transparency and awareness, as well as on-going communication are important to combating urban stream syndrome. Actively educating residents and businesses on steps to prevent stream degradation helps foster a sense of commu-
praised the budget in a news release.
“Governor DeSantis has continued to fulfill the promises that he made to Floridians by advocating for and securing a budget that contains over $740 million for Everglades restoration, as well as funding for resiliency and statewide environmental efforts,” said Anna Upton, CEO of the Everglades Trust. “It’s been clear from the beginning that he understands the importance of the Everglades – to our economy and environment – and has continually sought to push restoration forward.”
South Florida Water Management District Chair Chauncey Goss highlighting the more than 70 project completions, groundbreakings, and other major milestones since DeSantis took office in 2019.
"Water is the backbone of Florida’s economy and we’re fortunate to have a Governor and Legislature who understand this important connection," Goss said, in a news release. "Restoring America’s Everglades is the world’s largest ecosystem restoration project, and we are making a measurable difference for the communities and water resources of our region." ●
nity ownership and strengthens positive outcomes of green infrastructure projects.
The McCoys Creek project in Jacksonville started as a flood mitigation project but expanded into a community asset. Recreational amenities, including lagoons, parks, trails and habitat restoration as well as green and natural stormwater solutions were included in the design.
“A stream restoration project is designed to be a sustainable system that’s going to adapt to the future,” said Justin Lennon, senior vice president and hydraulic structures and flood control national lead, technical fellow, WSP. “So not only will we rebuild a stream to work with the present day, but we’re also constructing it to adapt and be a great asset for the community in the future,”
With an actively engaged community everyone can help be part of improvements no matter how small – even awareness about where to place a dumpster in a business parking lot can help.
Implementation: Low=impact design (LID) and green infrastructure works with nature and not against it. Stream restoration looks different for each system and must be tailored to create a stable, resilient system. Natural channel design mimics a naturally balanced and healthy stream. In
urban settings, the idea is to design and build a functional stream channel by establishing a stable dimension, pattern, and profile, so over time, the channel neither aggrades nor degrades. Many different design methods are implemented from hardened grade control and diversion structures to bio-engineered streambank slope stabilization.
Restoring a more natural function improves localized and downstream flooding, reduces erosion, enhances a riparian buffer and its floodplain, filters nutrients improving water quality, strengthens ecological systems and wildlife corridors and promotes recreational opportunities.
In many communities, the first step to implementation is developing a solid plan including a stream condition index. Plans vary and overlap. Benefits may include ordinance reviews and watershed management, resiliency and land development plans, which help pave the way for clear identification and prioritization of implementation areas and projects. Alligator Creek and Phillippi Creek Stream Restoration projects in Sarasota County, are examples of plan-identified projects that are moving forward. Alligator Creek restoration is a smaller segment funded for full design. For Phillippi Creek, approximately 24 miles of stream are being evaluated for restoration, identification and prioritization into a phased approach for design and construction as funding becomes available.
Water Stewardship Can Start Today: Stream restoration often is overlooked as a vital part of planning for a sustainable system for water quality and flood control. State and Federal grant opportunities are available for counties, cities and towns to support green infrastructure and urban stream restoration and prevention projects. Embracing LID and green infrastructure, bank stabilization and floodplain restoration will help bring back that natural environment while enhancing water quality and flood control measures. ●
Crissy Mehle is Vice President and Florida Water Lead at WSP
AMONG THE ENVIRONMENTAL HIGHLIGHTS IN THE BUDGET:
$850 million for Everglades Restoration, including:
• $550 million for the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan
• $86.7 million for the Northern Everglades and Estuaries Protection Program
• $64 million for the EAA Reservoir
$535 million for targeted water quality improvements, including:
• $110 million for the Water Quality Improvement Grant Program
• $100 million for priority wastewater and stormwater projects that address water quality impairments in the Indian River Lagoon
• $25 million for water quality improvements in the Caloosahatchee River watershed
• $20 million for wastewater and stormwater projects that address water quality impairments and coral reef restoration in Biscayne Bay
$281.5 million for coastal and inland resilience, including:
• $225 million for implementation of statewide resilience projects
• $57 million for resilience planning and coral reef protection
$55 million to restore Florida’s springs.
$40 million to combat harmful algal blooms and red tide
$55 million for the Alternative Water Supply Grant Program
$156.1 million in Florida’s conservation lands, including:
• $100 million for Florida Forever, in addition to $100 million for the Florida Wildlife Corridor in Senate Bill 1638
• $15 million for Florida’s state parks, is in addition to the $36 million provided for state park and trail management in Senate Bill 1638
• $15 million for the Florida Communities Trust
• $14.3 million for the Florida Recreation Development Assistance Program
$234 million for cleanup programs
STAFF & WIRE REPORTS
TEXAS
Low-Interest Loans Spur New Natural Gas Power Plants
Texas state leaders are pushing for the construction of new natural gas power plants to increase the state's power generation capacity. The Texas Energy Fund was approved by voters in November and provides low-interest loans for building new natural gas power plants. The fund has received 125 notices of intent to apply, totaling $38.9 billion in financing for 55,908 megawatts of proposed generation. One megawatt is estimated to provide enough energy to power 250 homes during the hottest summer days. This would nearly double the state's installed gas capacity. Private developers and municipalities have joined forces to support the construction of the natural gas plants. ●
prevention projects. It also recommends that counties be given the authority to collect drainage fees in unincorporated areas to help finance flood mitigation and drainage projects. The plan used existing flood data to create maps that served as a baseline, but many state regions either didn't have flood maps or used outdated maps. ●
Barge Crash Causes Oil Spill in Galveston Bay
A barge crashed into a bridge pillar in Galveston, spilling oil into the surrounding waters and closing the only road to Pelican Island, home to Texas A&M University at Galveston. One person on the barge was knocked into the water and quickly rescued. The accident occurred when a tugboat backing out of a fuel storage operator lost control of two barges it was pushing, and one of the barges hit the bridge and two telephone poles. The accident resulted in oil spilling from the barge into the channel off Galveston Bay, and crews worked to clean it up. The barge had a 30,000-gallon capacity, but it's not clear how much oil leaked into the bay. The bridge, which was rated as "Poor" in the Federal Highway Administration's 2023 National Bridge Inventory, was scheduled to be replaced in the summer of 2025 as part of a $194 million project. ●
LOUISIANA
electronics, by offering a sales tax rebate for development, production, operation, storage, equipment and materials used in lithium recovery activities. The rebate, which was signed into law by Gov. Jeff Landry, aims to incentivize companies to invest in lithium production in the state. The Smackover Formation, which extends into north Louisiana, is believed to contain significant amounts of lithium. The sales tax rebate will be in effect until Dec. 31, 2025, and can also be used in the initial development stages of a project. The amount available to fund the rebate is capped at $100,000. ●
Shipping Companies Fined $2 Million for Dumping Oil
Two shipping companies – Prive Overseas Marine LLC and Prive Shipping Denizcilik Ticaret – have pleaded guilty to federal charges related to the dumping of oil into the Atlantic Ocean by a ship bound for New Orleans. The companies have agreed to pay $2 million in penalties and have admitted to conspiracy and obstruction of justice charges. The case involves false information entered into the oil record logbook of the tanker PS Dream, and evidence includes information from two whistleblowers and video footage showing oil being pumped overboard. The ship's master is facing separate charges in a related case. ●
MISSISSIPPI
agriculture and forestry in Mississippi. The event included roundtable discussions focused on five areas: commercial crops, specialty crops, livestock, forestry/ natural resources, and rural communities. Participants included University President Mark Keenum, producers, MSU faculty and leadership, and representatives from organizations such as the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation, Forestry Association, Cattlemen's Association, and Poultry Association. The goal of Vision 2030 is to identify value-added opportunities, potential barriers, strengths, and challenges in the agricultural and forestry industries and to develop policy recommendations and strategies for innovation, rural job creation, and economic growth in Mississippi. Additional meetings will be held across the state throughout the year, and recommendations will be presented to state leaders. ●
ALABAMA
$1.1 Billion Awarded to 181 Alabama Water & Sewer Systems
Tesla has officially changed its incorporation from Delaware to Texas, according to documents filed with the Texas secretary of state’s office. This move aligns the company’s legal home with its physical headquarters, which has been in Austin for years. The paperwork was submitted in June, following a vote by Tesla investors in favor of the move from Delaware. Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO, initiated the move in January after a Delaware judge voided his $56 billion compensation package, the largest ever given to a US corporate executive. ●
Petrochemical Company Fined
$30 Million for Safety Violation
TPC Group, a Texas petrochemical company, has pleaded guilty to a violation of the Clean Air Act and agreed to pay more than $30 million in connection with two explosions at its Port Neches plant in 2019. The explosions injured workers and caused the evacuation of more than 50,000 people. The company also agreed to spend $80 million to improve its risk management program and safety issues at its Port Neches and Houston facilities. The guilty plea and agreement come after an investigation by the Department of Justice. ●
Texas First Ever Flood Plan Draft Released Tesla Officially Moves Corporation from Delaware to Texas
The Texas Water Development Board has released a draft of the state's first-ever flood plan, which estimates the cost of flood mitigation projects to reduce the risk of flooding across Texas could cost more than $49 billion. The document provides the most complete picture yet of which areas of the state are most at risk for flooding and estimates that over 5 million people, 1 in 6 Texans, live or work in flood-prone areas. The plan includes recommendations for legislative action, such as establishing a flood early warning system and providing additional funding for flood mitigation and
$230 Million Awarded to Louisiana Port
The Port of New Orleans will receive $230.5 million in state funding for infrastructure projects, including a new downriver container terminal, the Louisiana International Terminal (LIT), and the St. Bernard Transportation Corridor. The LIT project will receive $10 million in direct state funding and $140 million in Priority 5 state funding, while $50 million will go toward the St. Bernard Transportation Corridor. The projects are expected to create 32,000 new jobs nationwide, with 18,000 in Louisiana and 4,300 in St. Bernard Parish, and generate $1 billion in new state and local tax revenue. The funding is in addition to $300 million in federal funding awarded to Port NOLA earlier this year for the LIT project, which will be built through a public-private partnership between Port NOLA and two private terminal operators. ●
Second Round of Funding for Louisiana Fortified Roof Program
Louisiana's Fortify Homes Program, which provides grants of up to $10,000 to eligible homeowners and business owners for new roofs built with improved techniques and materials, is expected to accept applications for a second year with a new round of funding this fall. The program, which began last year as a response to the state's ongoing insurance crisis, has already granted roughly $9 million and completed 900 new roofs, with another 187 roofs installed and awaiting final inspection. To qualify for a grant, homeowners must get a state-approved evaluator to inspect their home and obtain bids from at least three insurance department-approved contractors. The program aims to help lower the risk of storm damage and lower homeowner insurance costs. ●
Louisiana Passes Lithium Production Rebate Bill
Louisiana is preparing for the potential discovery of lithium, a key component in batteries for electric vehicles and other
$221 Million Flood Control Plan Proposed for Jackson
The US Army Corps of Engineers is considering a revised plan for flood control in Jackson, which includes a smaller lake and additional measures to mitigate flooding. The plan, known as Alternative D, would cost between $485 and $655 million and includes a dam on the Pearl River, widening the channel, and creating a 1,700-acre lake. It also includes elevating or floodproofing up to 60 structures, voluntary buyouts, and improving existing levees. The Corps is tentatively supporting this plan, which it believes would be the most effective way to reduce flooding in the area. Environmental advocates have expressed concerns that the plan would lead to destruction of wetland areas and critical habitat. The final plan –following a comment period -- is expected to be selected in the fall. ●
EPA Finds No Evidence of Discrimination by State’s EQ and Health Departments
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has closed its investigation into the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality and the Mississippi Department of Health, finding no evidence of discrimination in the allocation of federal funds for water infrastructure projects. The investigation was prompted by a complaint from the NAACP, which alleged that the state agencies were short-changing Jackson's water system. The EPA looked at funding amounts and racial demographics of cities that received water funding and found no correlation between the two factors. The agencies are responsible for disbursing funds from the EPA called "state revolving loan" or SRF funds, which are meant to help cities make infrastructure improvements. ●
MSU Hosts Agriculture and Forestry Conference
Mississippi State University hosted a meeting with leaders from the state's top industries to launch Vision 2030, a collaborative roadmap for the future of
The Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) has committed more than $1.1 billion to water and sewer systems throughout the state, with the majority of the funding going to disadvantaged communities. The funding has come from various sources, including the state's share of federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) passed by Congress in 2021, and State Revolving Fund (SRF) money. ADEM has awarded funding to 181 systems, including 105 drinking water systems and 76 clean water (sewer) systems, and has prioritized need-based funding to address critical drinking water and sewer needs. More than 750 projects from 535 of the state's 1,061 drinking water and sewer systems remain at an estimated cost of r $3.4 billion. ●
Bollinger Shipyards and United Launch Alliance Team Up to Build Rocket Transport Ship
Bollinger Shipyards has signed a contract with United Launch Alliance (ULA) to design, oversee, and build a 356-foot-long ship that will transport Vulcan rockets from Alabama to their launch sites. The ship, currently under construction at Bollinger's shipyard in Amelia, is set for completion in January 2026. The vessel will transport rockets from the ULA factory in Decatur, Alabama, to launch sites at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida and Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. ULA has stated that it is doubling its launch rate in support of its deal with Blue Origin, to launch 38 rockets to set up a satellite network for Blue Origin that will provide fast, affordable broadband service worldwide. ●
New ADEM Field Office in Mobile Features Environment Friendly Elements
The Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) has opened a new field office in Mobile to provide more efficient environmental protection services in the coastal region. The $13 million, 15,000-square-foot building was funded in collaboration with the Alabama Gulf Coast Recovery Council (AGCRC) and the Alabama Legislature. The new office will bring together over 30 ADEM staff who previously worked in two separate locations in the Mobile area, and will enhance cooperation between ADEM and nearby agencies such as the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. ●
Florida is home to many conferences. Here are a few that may be of interest to Specifier readers.
38TH ANNUAL ENVIRONMENTAL PERMITTING SUMMER SCHOOL
When: July 16-19, 2024
Where: JW Marco Marriott, Marco Island
The 38th Annual Environmental Permitting Summer School will be held in Marco Island, Florida July 16-19. The 2024 EPSS will bring public and private professionals together for unparalleled leadership and professional development, networking, and best-in-class programming you won’t want to miss!
www.floridaenet.com
48TH INTERNATIONAL TECHNICAL CONFERENCE ON CLEAN ENERGY
When: July 16-19, 2024
Where: Sheraton Sand Key, Clearwater
Highlights of the Clearwater Clean Energy Conference:
• Topics are highly relevant and advanced;
• Science and Technology driven;
• Aimed at Clean Energy Supply;
• Attendance can be actual or virtual;
• Prime location;
• Reasonably priced;
• Participants are highly qualified and from many countries with 40% of the papers coming from China, Australia, Canada, Sweden, Japan, Greece, Germany, Poland, Thailand and India.
www.clearwatercleanenergyconference. com/
2024 ASLA FLORIDA ANNUAL CONFERENCE: CULTIVATING CONNECTIONS
When: July 30-Aug 1, 2024
Where: Renaissance Orlando at Sea World, Orlando
Our 2024 Annual Conference + Expo theme for Orlando is Cultivating Connections. Tracks for the conference focus on Nurturing Cultural Landscapes, Embracing Policy Engagement, and Strengthening Climate Resilience. Sessions will explore innovative skillsets, techniques, ideas, materials, technology, approaches, and lessons learned to move landscape architects forward and create lasting connections.
Where: Hyatt Regency Coconut Point, Bonita Springs
The Florida Shore & Beach Preservation Association and Resiliency Florida are hosting the 3rd Annual Florida Resilience Conference on September 11-13, 2024, at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point in Bonita Springs, Florida. The purpose of
the conference is to provide a professional forum for in-depth discussion on the state’s burgeoning resilience programs. The conference program will feature concurrent sessions on:
A cross-industry approach is needed to ensure the preservation of Florida’s unique natural resources and thriving communities from the effects of rising seas, weather extremes, intensified flooding, and coastal erosion. The Florida Resilience Conference is our response to this challenge. https://www.fsbpa.com/annual-conference.html
Florida Local Environmental Resource Agencies (FLERA) hosts its annual conference.
www.flera.org/2024-annual-conference
SYMPOSIUM ON FLOODING ADAPTION
When: Oct. 28-31
Where: Embassy Suites Orlando – Lake Buena Vista South, Kissimmee
Across the state, inland and coastal communities both large and small are taking bold steps to prepare for a wetter future. This convening of practitioners,
researchers, advocates, and community stakeholders will focus on projects in Florida that demonstrate a paradigm shift in addressing flooding impacts on community design, ecosystem restoration, housing, and infrastructural development.
The goals of the symposium are:
• Share project findings and learn how they address flooding impacts
• Share successful approaches and lessons learned from a community perspective
• Promote interdisciplinary exchange of ideas
During this conference, teams representing site-specific projects from across Florida’s diverse landscape will share their work, process, experiences, and results. In addition to providing participants with opportunities to cultivate new partnerships, this exchange of knowledge will result in the publication of an edited volume of case studies spotlighting solutions to flooding in Florida. A call for presentations will be forthcoming in the next few weeks.
www.conference.ifas.ufl.edu/flooding/
THE 29TH FLORIDA REMEDIATION CONFERENCE
When: Nov. 4-6, 2024
Where: Rosen Centre Hotel, Orlando
The Florida Remediation Conference (FRC) is one of the premier soil, air and water remediation conferences in the industry. FRC attracts over 400 attendees comprised of a mix of industry representatives, developers, consultants and contractors, and over 70 exhibitors and sponsors from across the country. It is far from just being a Florida event.
www.floridaremediationconference.org/
Dividing for Success: Strategic Planning Basins Promote Project Development and Efficiency
By DANIELLE FITZPATRICK
Spanning nearly 13,000 square miles over 18 counties, the St. Johns River Water Management District has taken a unique approach to protecting and managing the water resources within their jurisdiction – its new Basin Management Program.
The program splits this vast area into four strategic planning basins, allowing for customized approaches tailored to meet the needs of each specific location. Each basin is overseen by a dedicated manager to develop actionable initiatives to ensure the environment is protected and the community's needs are met.
“Dividing the District into these four planning basins results in reasonably sized areas for each Basin Manager to oversee the assessment of the basin’s resources, the definition of the regions specific needs, and the development of project options to address them,” said St. Johns River Water Management District Executive Director Mike Register. “With these Basin Management Plans, we will be able to more effectively create work plans to tackle challenges unique to each area while remaining dedicated to our overarching core missions that aren’t regionally specific.”
Drawing upon research, science, data and modeling, and local stakeholder input, the program will actively engage in collaborative efforts with local and state partners to clearly identify and implement project opportunities.
“Although the implementation of this program has just begun, projects within these basins are already underway,” Register says. “The Basin Management Program will build on these initiatives and really propel further progress throughout the entire District.”
The Upper St. Johns River and Indian Riv-
intake location through the microtunnel.
er Lagoon both present unique resource challenges but are inextricably connected by historical drainage practices. Efforts to address nutrient loading to the lagoon by reversing some of these past drainage alterations have been ongoing. The Crane Creek/M-1 Canal Flow Restoration Project’s aim is to reduce nutrient loading to the Indian River Lagoon. When complete, the historic flow pattern of stormwater flowing toward the St. Johns River will be re-established but with water quality treatment, providing a more resilient alternative water supply and an ecological lift for both systems.
The Middle St. Johns River Basin is an area where the flow characteristics of the St. Johns River make maintenance of existing natural floodplain crucial; therefore, the District continues to identify priority lands to maintain floodwater storage An initiative to improve water quality within the basin will employ an innovative media-based nutrient removal system to reduce harmful nutrients in Lake Jesup, a nutrient-impaired water body.
The Ocklawaha River Basin contains Lake Apopka, headwaters to the Ocklawaha chain of lakes, which was once plagued by degraded water quality. It now stands as a testament to the nearly three decades of improvement efforts. The lake’s phosphorus concentrations have declined by 69 percent, accompanied by a 93 percent increase in water clarity by the end of 2023. These accomplishments spurred the natural regrowth of previously absent submerged aquatic vegetation, with 96 percent of the lake’s shoreline now adorned with native plants.
The District remains steadfast in its dedication to restoration efforts with work to accelerate the re-growth of vegetation through plantings.
The Lower St. Johns River Basin, which includes Flagler, St. Johns, Clay, Duval, Putnam, Baker and Nassau counties, is one of the fastest growing areas in the state. The Black Creek Water Resource Development Project will help meet future water supply demands while protecting
natural resources. This regionally beneficial water resource development project will utilize environmentally sustainable flows from Black Creek to recharge the Upper Floridian aquifer and increase water availability.
Once all three construction components – a surface water intake and pump station, pipeline and treatment system – are complete, up to 10 million gallons per day could be pumped to the treatment system from the South Fork of Black Creek prior to discharging to Alligator Creek and eventually Lake Brooklyn.
“The Basin Management Program will increase collaborative efforts and facilitate bringing stakeholder groups together to address water resource challenges within each basin,” said the District’s Director of the Division of Basin Management and Modeling Michelle Brown. “Our goal is to maximize water resource benefits, adding to the quality of life for all residents who live throughout the District.” ●
Danielle FitzPatrick is a Public Communications Coordinator at the St. Johns River Water Management District
Utilities Face Continual Cyber Threats, Warnings
By STAFF REPORTS
Federal officials continue sounding the alarm over potential cyber attacks and vulnerabilities around the country’s water utility systems, with another round of warnings coming in recent weeks.
In late May, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency warned that attacks against utilities are becoming more frequent and more severe, prompting the agency to urge systems to take protections to ensure drinking water is protected.
“In many cases, systems are not doing what they are supposed to be doing, which is to have completed a risk assessment of their vulnerabilities that includes cybersecurity and to make sure that plan is available and informing the way they do business,” said EPA Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe, according to the Associated Press.
According to news reports, roughly 70 percent of water utilities inspected by federal officials violated standards designed to protect systems from hackers, according to the EPA. Russian- and Iranian-affiliated groups have been targeting smaller communities to gain access and disrupt operations.
Utilities are often not taking basic cyber-
security actions, such as changing default passwords and cutting off system access to former employees, leading to increased vulnerabilities. As utilities modernize the software used to monitor and protect drinking water sources, practices must also modernize.
The Specifier reported in January that an Iranian-linked group called Cyber Av3ngers specifically targeted water utilities that were using Israel-made devices following war between Israel and Hamas.
News outlets late last year reported that fewer than 10 utilities were affected, with one in Pennsylvania identified as having been impacted.
The Associated Press also noted that a Russian-linked “hactivist” attempted to disrupt several Texas utilities’ operations, causing the system to overflow in small towns in the Texas Panhandle. Hale Center, population 2,000, and Muleshoe, population 5,000 water systems both were hit with attacks that caused water systems to overflow, according to the AP.
Marjorie Craig, Chair of the Florida Section of the American Water Works Association, told the Specifier in January that Florida’s water utilities have made cybersecurity planning a priority in recent
years, and utilities vary in their reliance on operational technologies.
The Association in 2021 created a separate cybersecurity committee, the members of which share best practices, meet monthly to share relevant data, disseminate information about potential funding sources, and bring in experts to discuss legislation and trends on the topic.
Florida utility directors regularly seek out state and federal funding sources and encourage utilities of all sizes to seek out free training available through CyberFlorida, the U.S. Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, and other resources.
EPA Administrator Michael Regan and White House National Security Advisor
Jake Sullivan wrote a letter to state governors asking them to come up with a plan to combat cyberattacks on drinking water systems.
“Drinking water and wastewater systems are an attractive target for cyberattacks because they are a lifeline critical infrastructure sector but often lack the resources and technical capacity to adopt rigorous cybersecurity practices,” they wrote. “We need your support to ensure that all water systems in your state comprehensively assess their current cybersecurity practices to identify any significant vulnerabilities, deploy practices and controls to reduce cybersecurity risks where needed, and exercise plans to prepare for, respond to, and recover from a cyber incident.”
Work continues on the pump station at the Black Creek Water Resource Development project as the contractor backfills the coffer-dammed area following the successful connection to the
STAFF & WIRE REPORTS
Indian River Lagoon Restoration Showing Progress
The St. Johns River Water Management District is actively monitoring restoration efforts to reestablish seagrass abundance within Florida’s Indian River Lagoon (IRL). The IRL has experienced significant seagrass loss from degraded water quality and recurring harmful algal blooms, according to the District. Recent observations show there is cause for hope.
The District conducts biannual visual assessments and official mapping of seagrass growth. According to data collected in the summer of 2023, the extent of seagrass increased since last measured in 2021. The greatest improvement was observed in the northern IRL and southern Mosquito Lagoon, while seagrass in the southern IRL experienced a slight decline. The increase in seagrass is being attributed to improved water clarity, the absence of major bloom events, and years of collaborative efforts implementing projects along the lagoon’s coast.
Roughly $390 million has been spent over the last five years to enhance water quality in the region. Funding has been leveraged by incorporating contributions from local, regional, and state partners. Nearly 70 water quality improvement projects are underway in varying stages of progress along the lagoon. Restoration initiatives vary from connection of septic tanks to central sewer systems to improvement of wastewater treatment facilities all with the common goal of reducing the influx of harmful nutrients into the waterway.
The District urges residents to contribute to the IRL’s preservation by adopting environmentally friendly practices, such as Florida-Friendly Landscaping principles. These include using native plants, water conservation, responsible fertilization, and reducing stormwater runoff. ●
SFWMD and USACE Celebrate Major Milestone for Key Everglades Restoration Project in Southwest Florida
The South Florida Water Management District and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers along with state officials and stakeholders recently celebrated another milestone, the completion of plugging of Faka Union Canal, a major canal and important component in the Picayune Strand Restoration Project in Southwest Florida.
"The Picayune Strand Restoration Project has been many years in the making, and the plugging of this canal marks a significant milestone for this massive project. Under the direction of Gov. Ron DeSantis to expedite Everglades restoration, the water management district continues to work with its partner, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to accelerate the filling of canals," said Charlette Roman, SFWMD Governing Board Member.
The plugging of the Faka Union Canal marks one of the final components needed to accomplish the Picayune Strand Restoration Project's goal of restoring the natural hydrology of more than 55,000 acres of native wetlands and uplands in Florida Southwest. Three out of the four canals to be disabled are now plugged. The District anticipates the restoration project will result in improved flows of water into Collier Seminole State Park, Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge and the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve.
Environmental benefits of the project include restoration of wetlands, reduced drainage of adjacent sensitive ecosystems, restoration and enhancement of habitat for fish and wildlife including the Florida Panther, improved aquifer recharge to protect underground water supplies and prevent saltwater intrusion and reduced freshwater releases/improved health of downstream estuaries. ●
Florida State Parks Recognized on Dr. Beach's 2024
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection recently announced two Florida State Parks are listed among the best beaches in the nation on Dr. Beach's Top 10 Beach List for 2024. Dr. Beach, Stephen P. Leatherman, is a professor at Florida International University who has ranked the top beaches in the United States each year since 1991. This year Dr. Beach ranked Caladesi Island State Park in Dunedin No. 4 and Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park in Naples No. 8.
Both parks provide white sand beaches, opportunities to spot local wildlife, and state-of-the-art amenities for visitors and families to enjoy.
“Caladesi Island and Delnor-Wiggins Pass state parks offer a look at some of the finest natural resources in the world,” said Florida State Parks Director Chuck Hatcher. “We take great pride in our efforts to preserve and protect these gorgeous beaches for everyone to enjoy.”
Caladesi Island State Park is located on an offshore island near Dunedin along Florida’s Gulf Coast. The park is accessible only by ferry or private boat. Swimmers, sunbathers and beachcombers can enjoy the softness of white crystalline quartz sand, while a bayside mangrove forest provides a shaded paddling opportunity. The park’s main historical attraction, Scharrer Homestead, is located in the interior of the island among live oaks. The park also boasts a 3-mile nature trail, surf-fishing and boating.
Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park in Naples is home to numerous shorebirds and wildlife. Visitor activities include snorkeling on the reef, hiking, birdwatching, fishing, picnicking and paddling. Kayaking or paddleboarding the Wiggins Pass into the Gulf of Mexico is considered a wonderful way to spend an afternoon at sea.
Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park took first place in 2023, while
Grayton Beach State Park was the top spot in 2020. ●
SJRWMD Invests in Sustainable Agriculture Initiatives in the Lower St. Johns River Basin
The St. Johns River Water Management District recently executed three contracts totaling nearly $190,000 for projects designed to demonstrate proactive efforts to safeguard the long-term sustainability of agriculture within the Lower St. Johns River Basin.
The sustainable agriculture initiative is a collaborative effort of multiple agencies, including the Florida Department of Environmental Protection , the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and the District. The selected projects represent a strategic investment in the future of agriculture, with a focus on implementing targeted solutions to address key challenges faced by local growers.
The project at L&M Farms of North Florida in Putnam County will undertake land leveling and pipe installation over 831 acres to optimize water distribution and enhance irrigation efficiency. DeLee Produce LLC in St. Johns County is adopting GPS driven precision fertilizer application technology, enabling more accurate placement and adjustable-rate application to reduce fertilizer usage on row crops, according to the District.
The Ben Wells Produce LLC in St. Johns County will deploy precision land leveling equipment to optimize land surface topography, promote efficient water utilization and enhance farm productivity.
Projects are eligible for funding up to 75 percent of engineering, design and construction costs under the District’s cost-share program. Award recipients commit to covering maintenance expenses throughout the project’s lifecycle. Additionally, where applicable, they must modify consumptive use permits to reflect the water savings achieved through District funding, reducing the amount of water they are eligible to withdraw. ●
The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Elects Officers for 20242025 Term
The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board recently elected officers for the 2024-2025 term.
Governing Board members are unpaid, citizen volunteers who are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Florida Senate. The Governing Board sets policy for the District, whose mission is to protect water resources, minimize flood risks, and ensure the public’s water needs are met.
• Michelle Williamson was elected chair of the Governing Board. Williamson represents Hillsborough County and is the operations manager of G&F Farms. Williamson was appointed to the Governing Board in August 2016 and reappointed in December 2020.
• John Mitten was elected vice chair of the Governing Board. Mitten represents Hernando and Marion counties and is the franchise owner of Chick-fil-A in Spring Hill. Mitten was appointed to the Governing Board in October 2020.
• Jack Bispham was elected secretary of the Governing Board. Bispham
represents Manatee County and is the owner and operator of Red Bluff Plantation. Bispham was appointed to the Governing Board in November 2019 and was reappointed in May 2021.
• Ashley Bell Barnett was elected treasurer of the Governing Board. Bell Barnett represents Polk County and is a former educator and community advocate. Bell Barnett was appointed to the Governing Board in December 2020 and was reappointed in August 2023.
The officers will assume their positions for the 2024-2025 term 24 hours before the June Governing Board meeting. ●
The University of Florida will offer a new fully online major for Entomology & Nematology starting in fall 2024 as a part of its larger push to increase access for students in high-demand fields and better meet the needs of Florida’s workforce.
Entomology & Nematology, to be offered by the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, delves into the world of insects and nematodes and prepares students for careers in academia, private industry, government, and beyond. Online students will be able to choose between two Biological Science of Insects or Urban Pest Management and will have opportunities to engage in undergraduate research or industry internships.
Students will engage in courses covering topics such as ecology, animal behavior, physiology, evolution, biodiversity conservation, pest management, and research according to their chosen specialty. The University notes that the skills gained through these courses and other experiences will open doors to a variety of impactful and rewarding careers. ●
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection purchased a 4,808-acre conservation easement in Leon County within the Red Hills Conservation Florida Forever Project. The acquisition extends from Lake Iamonia to Old Centerville Road. The newly acquired property will protect surface waters and wetlands, support groundwater recharge functions and provide wildlife habitat and sustainable forestry for the region.
The additional property contains half of Foshalee Slough, which is important to regulating overflow during flooding events for Lake Iamonia and the Ochlocknee River. It is also within the Florida Wildlife Corridor and the Northwest Florida Sentinel Landscape.
“These types of acquisitions are essential to further conserve our water, our wildlife and the unique natural landscapes people associate with our state,” said DEP Secretary Shawn Hamilton.
The Red Hills Conservation Florida For-
DEP Acquires 4,808 Acres in the Red Hills Region
UF Online Launches New Biology Major for Fall 2024
Two
ever Project includes five tracts of land in Jefferson and Leon counties. Following the successful conservation easement acquisition over the Norias Tract in 2022, Cherokee Tract marks the next step in safeguarding undeveloped land in a region highly susceptible to development pressures. This move not only protects regional biodiversity but also ensures the resilience of natural systems. ●
Eight Area Projects Recommended for Springs Funding by SRWMD Governing Board
The Suwannee River Water Management District (District) Governing Board recommended eight projects to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for funding.
The projects include four local government projects and four projects to a non-profit organization for a total of more than $66 million. The funding request is part of DEP’s springs and watershed restoration program that provides funding for projects that improve the quality and quantity of the state’s water resources. DEP works with the water management districts, local governments, and other stakeholders to identify and implement springs projects that achieve the program’s goals.
"For our small communities and cooperators, this funding is often key to whether a project moves forward or not. Without it, our area would struggle to implement critical water supply, water quality and land conservation projects, causing our natural resources to suffer and growth to stall," said District Executive Director Hugh Thomas.
This year’s recommendations include:
• City of Newberry Regional Water Quality Improvements – Alachua County – This $49 million project will allow the City of Newberry to remove septic tanks and upgrade to advanced wastewater treatment systems to meet
required compliance limits.
• Trenton Alternative Water Treatment Wastewater Treatment Facility Improvements – Gilchrist County – This multi-year project will expand the current wastewater treatment facility and reduce 5,411 pounds of total nitrogen per year to the groundwater. The Town of Trenton requested $2.3 million for the first year of the project.
• Bronson Septic Tank Phase Out Project, Phase 3 – Levy County – This multi-year project will remove 270 septic systems, which will be converted to central sewer. The project will reduce 1,611 pounds of total nitrogen per year to the groundwater in the Silver River and Upper Silver River/ Rainbow Spring Group and Rainbow River BMAP. Bronson has requested $1.2 million for the first year.
• Bascom Norris / 100A Septic to Sewer Project – Columbia County – As part of this multi-year $9.3 million funding request, 119 septic systems will be converted to central sewer to reduce more than 1,100 pounds of total nitrogen per year in the Ichetucknee Springs Priority Focus Area. Completion of this project will also prevent the installation of up to 79 new septic systems.
• Ladson Tract Conservation Easement – Jefferson and Taylor counties – This $1.6 million project includes purchase of a conservation easement on the Ladson Tract to protect surface water critical to Nuttall Rise, a first-magnitude spring, as well as the Wacissa and Aucilla rivers. This match funding request was made by Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy.
• Eikel Farm Ichetucknee – Columbia County – Alachua Conservation Trust will apply the proposed $402,750 and matching funds from the NRCS cost-share program for the acquisition of 179 acres in the Ichetucknee Springs Priority Focus Area to protect and manage private land to benefit water and wildlife.
• Evergreen Ponds – Columbia County – This $721,502, 451-acre land con-
servation easement is a 50% match for NRCS funds providing water resource protection in the Ichetucknee Springs Priority Focus Area. This funding request was made by Alachua Conservation Trust.
• Devil’s Ear Recharge – Gilchrist County – A request for $660,000 by Alachua Conservation Trust will provide a match to the NRCS funds for the conservation easement of 355 acres of high recharge soils and managed pasture in the Devil’s Ear Priority Focus Area for water resource protection. ●
US DOT Releases Guide to Resiliency Planning
The USDOT (DOT), Federal Transit Administration Office of Environmental Policy and Programs (FTA) has released a comprehensive guide to assist transit agencies, local governments, metropolitan planning organizations, and other entities responsible for planning, funding, operating, or coordinating with transit agencies to anticipate, adapt to, and recover from service disruptions caused by extreme weather events, natural disasters, and climate change impacts.
The FTA crafted the Transit Resilience Guidebook (Guidebook) to provide recommendations and examples of how to identify and address climate vulnerabilities and risks and build resilience into transit assets while ensuring priority is given to protecting vulnerable populations.
FTA notes the American public depends on public transportation to access critical services whether located in communities that are large or small, urban, or rural. The Guidebook recognizes the threat
the increasing frequency and intensity of weather events and climate hazards represent to transit and the probability these events will undermine the reliability, safety, and efficiency of public transportation systems. FTA characterizes the effects of transit system interruption as being particularly acute for vulnerable or transit-reliant populations.
Full text of the Guidebook is available at https://www.transit.dot.gov/research-innovation/ftas-transit-resilience-guidebook ●
DEP’s Deepwater Horizon Program Helps Fund Carrabelle Septic to Sewer Project
The Florida Trustee Implementation Group has approved use of Natural Resources Damage Assessment funds for the City of Carrabelle’s Lighthouse Estates Septic Tank Abatement-Phase II Project in its Restoration Plan 1: Habitat Projects on Federally Managed Lands for nutrient reduction, water quality, and provision and enhancement of recreational opportunities.
DEP executed an agreement with the Northwest Florida Water Management District in March 2019 to oversee the Trustee’s designated work. The District funded Phase I of septic tank abatement and executed an agreement with the city who contracted the work.
DEP is providing approximately $3.2 million to improve water quality in watersheds injured by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The project improves water quality and will help to reduce the potential for beach closures, restrictions on shellfish harvesting, and human health impacts from microbial pathogens. Additionally, nitrogen loading to St. George Sound and Apalachicola Bay from the Lighthouse Estates area will be reduced due to the significantly improved water quality treatment achieved by the city’s wastewater plant as compared with that provided by the individual septic systems. ●
Wastewater: The Unlikely Ally in Public Health Surveillance
By LINA ALFIERI STERN
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kenneth "Bud" Howard, the Director of Information Services for the Loxahatchee River District, was tasked with monitoring key water data collected from a wastewater treatment system that served 100,000 people in Florida’s northern Palm Beach and southern Martin counties.
As a scientist and trained ecologist, Howard was well-equipped to analyze the data, and he soon discovered that wastewater testing for COVID-19 was a valuable tool for tracking infectious diseases. Howard first became aware of wastewater monitoring during the early stages of the pandemic, when he saw news articles about the practice being used in Europe. He immediately recognized the potential value of wastewater testing for COVID-19 and began working with WastewaterSCAN and the CDC's National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS) to collect and analyze wastewater data. Currently, the partnership allows the Loxahatchee River District to monitor wastewater for more than 10 infectious diseases, including influenza, RSV, and norovirus.
“From the very beginning, we felt compelled to provide this information to our community in digestible ways,” Howard said. “We really worked hard to make sure
to present our findings to the public in an easy, understandable format.”
The result is a comprehensive dashboard on the LRD website that provides real-time data to not only the public health and scientific communities but also the citizens of the District.
As public health crises can spread rapidly, it is crucial to have advanced surveillance systems in place to detect potential threats before they become widespread. One unlikely ally in this effort is wastewater from municipal sewer systems. Wastewater includes both blackwater from toilets and graywater from sinks and appliances, as well as clean untreated water from rains and other runoff.
Wastewater monitoring involves collecting samples from sewage treatment plants and testing them for traces of genetic material from pathogens. Samples are sent to environmental or public health laboratories for testing and the results are analyzed and reported to health departments and the public. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS) offers a comprehensive public framework for monitoring infectious diseases through wastewater.
With 1,213 sites reporting to the system,
the monitoring is implemented in all 50 states, three territories, and five tribal organizations. In addition, there are several other major information hubs that collect and analyze both national and world data. The WastewaterSCAN Dashboard provides current and historical data on 11 different pathogens. COVIDPoops provides worldwide data on 72 countries for the COVID virus, while Biobot Analytics tracks COVID-19, influenza A and B, and
RSV.
Monitoring initiatives can be tailored to specific needs. For example, back in 2020, the University of Florida implemented a wastewater surveillance system called GatorWATCH to detect COVID-19 infections on campus. The system monitored wastewater from 28 residence halls, apartment complexes, and fraternity/
Florida Assoc. of Mitigation Bankers- 116 Freese & Nichols- 414
Geosyntec Consultants- 207 GHD- 423
Great American Insurance Company- 500 Green Source Env. Professionals, Inc.- 320
Greenberg Traurig, P.A.- 202
Greyter Water Systems USA- 109
Gulf Coast Underground, LLC- 213
Gunster- 528
Halff Associates, Inc.- 120
Holland & Knight LLP- 526
Hulls Environmental Services, Inc.- 413 ICF- 403
Inwood Consulting Engineers- 203
Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson, Inc.- 206
JSA- 511
Kimley-Horn- 408
Kleinfelder- 223 Langan- 518
Lewis, Longman & Walker, P.A.- 401
Live Wildly- 402
Manson Bolves Donaldson Tanner- 300 Miller Legg- 209
Mitigation Marketing, LLC- 200 Mitigation Resources of North America- 115
Modica & Associates- 417
Moffatt & Nichol- 106
Monarch Ecology Group, LC- 215
Nason Yeager Gerson Harris & Fumero- 523
NorthStar- 302
OnSyte- 505
Opti- 405
Pace- 107
Partner Engineering and Science, Inc.-
104
Passarella & Associates, Inc.- 520
Petrotech Southeast, Inc.- 316
Phillips and Jordan, Inc- 400
Pond & Co.- 416
Progressive Water Resources/RESPEC- 412
Pure Polymer Solutions, LLC - 214
R.H. Moore & Associates- 504
RES- 308
SCS Engineers- 110
Sea & Shoreline Aquatic Restoration- 521
Sea & Shoreline Aquatic Restoration- 522
SEARCH- 301
SGS North America- 100
Shutts & Bowen LLP- 124
Smart-Sciences Environmental Consulting529
Southern States Land & Timber, LLC.- 516
Southern Waste Information Exchange- 508
Stantec - 212
Stearns Weaver Miller Weissler Alhadeff & Sitterson, P.A.- 101
Sundt Construction, Inc.- 220
SurvTech Solutions, Inc.- 122
Sustainable Water Infrastructure Group- 513
SWCA Environmental Consultants- 303
Taylor Engineering, Inc.- 118
TECO- 407
Terracon- 222
The Wetlandsbank Company- 315
Trinity Consultants- 309
Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.- 221
Verdantas- 317
Westervelt Ecological Services- 527
WSP- 525
Great thought is given to ensure that no topic is left on the sideline and we’ve certainly seen wide sweeping changes to: land use/growth management laws; state and federal battles on numeric nutrient criteria and the 404 program; the creation of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP); the evolution of private property rights; and the emergence of reclaimed water and expanded uses of stormwater; and of course, emerging contaminants such as PFOS and PFOA. The list of topics is vast and too many to name here, but each one of these topics has been discussed at length in Marco Island.
Jeff Littlejohn and I have had hours of discussion centered around defining the “Marco experience,” and how we can continue to provide unique opportunities for speakers and attendees to engage and interact every July. Part of the evolution of the summer school has been the acquisi-
tion of the Florida Specifier and starting the Florida Specifier podcast, which aim to give subscribers and advertisers a connection that can follow them once our time in Marco comes to an end each year.
We hope that attendees continue to find significant value in your attendance of the Environmental Permitting Summer School, and we hope that they continue to consider it a family event. I‘ll never not enjoy the common refrain I hear in Tallahassee as the legislature is concluding their work; “see you in Marco.”
To our advertisers, attendees, speakers, and guests, thank you for your ongoing support and we’re thrilled to welcome you to another year in paradise. ●
Ryan Matthews is a Shareholder at the Gray Robinson law firm and helps organize the Environmental Permitting Summer School
DEP Secretary Shawn Hamilton to Keynote 2024 EPSS
ShawnHamilton has worked at the Florida Department of Environmental Protection since 2007, rising through the agency’s northwest office to the headquarters in 2020 before being named Secretary in 2021.
He served as ombudsman and public affairs manager in DEP’s Northwest District Office at the beginning of his career and was promoted to assistant district director in 2010. He was appointed director in 2011. In that office, he was responsible for regulatory matters within the district’s 16-county jurisdiction.
In 2020, Hamilton was promoted to interim deputy secretary of Land and Recreation, moving into leadership at DEP’s headquarters in Tallahassee. He was formally appointed as deputy secretary in 2021. In that role, he oversaw operations of the state’s award-winning Florida State Parks system as well as the state’s Florida Forever land buying program and other programs.
Gov. Ron DeSantis named Hamilton Secretary in August 2021, after he held the role as interim beginning that summer. He has since been subsequently confirmed by the Florida Senate as Secretary.
As Secretary, Hamilton has overseen billions in funding to work on Everglades restoration, springs protection, land buying, parks operations, water quality and quantity projects, environmental research programs, and other priorities as the head of the state’s environmental protection agency.
Hamilton has 20 years of experience in the public and private sectors, where he has proven to be an effective and driven leader with the ability to influence and build trusted and constructive connections with community stakeholders, elected and appointed municipal officials, and organi-
Course Schedule
zational
He served as the agency’s environmental justice coordinator with responsibility for providing statewide guidance on sensitive environmental justice issues and was appointed as the principal state liaison for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Environmental Justice.
Hamilton has provided effective leadership, incident command, and focused recovery during multiple large-scale natural and industrial emergencies to include Deepwater Horizon oil spill, International Paper Mill explosion, and hurricanes Irma and Michael.
He also led the creation and execution of reoccurring partnership meetings with the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, Gulf Power, Emerald Coast Utilities and Escambia County. Hamilton has a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Troy State University with a minor in business.
The Secretary is responsible for more than 2,900 full-time and 1,300 part-time employees in protecting Florida's water and natural resources. ●
team members, according to his DEP biography.
Environmental professionals hear from a speaker during the 2023 Environmental Permitting Summer School
Technology in Agriculture Making a Difference in Water Quality
By STAFF REPORTS
AGilchrist County dairy farm is tasking itself with not only production of high-quality dairy products, and supporting its employees and cows, but also the mission of being good environmental stewards and maintaining a sustainable business structure, in partnership with the Suwannee River Water Management District.
“If we want Florida to be able to sustain agriculture and support its urban areas, we need water management practices that allow us to continue to farm while preserving natural resources,” said Jan Henderson, CEO and farm manager of Alliance Dairies in Trenton. “We need to do more with less.”
Alliance Dairies is considered a large employer in North Florida with 220 employees. It operates with 7,600 milking cows, 2,000 dry cows, and another 4,000 young stock. The dairy site is more than 2,100 acres, with an additional 5,000 acres owned and rented for replacement heifers and crops. Along with milk production, they grow three crops a year – known as triple cropping – thanks to the climate of North Florida. They support this sustainably, using their own organic, cow manure as fertilizer, rather than buying commercial fertilizer.
In keeping with their mission, Alliance Dairies is the ultimate recycler – manure is put through a methane digester and a gas generator, before being sent out to a center irrigation pivot that waters crops, and the crops feed the cows. During the process they capture the solids, and later sell some of them as a soil amendment.
“We are firm believers in renewable resources,” Alliance Dairies states on
FROM WASTEWATER PAGE 9
sorority houses and alerted the UF Health Screen, Test & Protect initiative when the virus was detected. The team behind GatorWATCH, led by Dr. Joe Bisesi of UF’s Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, includes public health, microbiology, and environmental toxicology experts, partnered with medical and facilities personnel. GatorWATCH continues to research and track pathogens and toxins through funded grants and other partnerships. Of note, a partnership with the National Institute on Drug Abuse is funding their work on the National Drug Early Warning System, a national wastewater monitoring initiative designed to analyze illicit drug usage patterns across the country.
“We believe wastewater-based epidemiology is a crucial tool to supplement and enhance ongoing public health surveillance efforts that drive interventions to reduce the burden of disease among our populations,” Bisesi said.
Meanwhile, across the Gulf of Mexico, a team at the Texas Epidemic Public Health Institute (TEPHI) is getting more granular in its analyses and is monitoring wastewater for H5N1, a type of influenza A virus, that can help detect specific mutations that could indicate adaptation to humans. The team uses virome sequencing, which can identify the entire genome of H5N1 strains, and has detected H5N1 in wastewater in nine Texas cities.
Wastewater monitoring provides early detection of increasing cases of infectious diseases, and the data can show changes
its website. “Why waste something you already have at your fingertips?”
Alliance Dairies is mindful of its connection to the Floridan Aquifer, which is an 82,000-square-mile reservoir holding billions of gallons of the state’s fresh drinking water. Groundwater in the Floridan Aquifer is the source of more than 1,000 springs in North and Central Florida and provides water for more than 90 percent of its residents.
To make sure they were not over-fertilizing their crops – which could add too many nitrates to the aquifer and be a waste of their resources – Alliance Dairies participated in a cost-sharing program with the District that enables them to use technology that better informs their use of resources. Alliance Dairies is in its third year with the district doing tissue samples and soil samples on a five-acre grid pattern.
When crops are actively growing, work-
in disease trends before they are seen in clinical cases. This can allow healthcare providers and hospital systems to prepare for upcoming increases in visits and hospitalizations. Wastewater monitoring is independent from medical systems and can detect infection in a community regardless of whether people have symptoms or access to healthcare. And wastewater monitoring is fast and efficient, with results available within five to seven days.
ers test plant tissue samples to see which fertilizer or nutrients are needed to grow the best crop. They also take soil samples to compare with the tissue samples and adjust fertilizing as needed, a practice called “variable-rate nutrition application.” Samples are sent to a lab and the results come back within a turnaround time that allows Alliance Dairies to make the right choices.
While many farms test their plants to see if they are not growing well, Alliance Dairies is tissue testing proactively, giving their crops the right amount of nutrients at the right time and keeping extra fertilizer out of the aquifer.
“Necessity often breeds innovation and Florida’s dairy industry is on the forefront of agricultural conservation practices to support not only the longevity of their businesses but in support of natural resource protection as well,” said District Executive Director Hugh Thomas. Working with the District, Alliance
Furthermore, wastewater monitoring can also provide insights into community health beyond infectious diseases. For example, monitoring can detect the presence of chemicals and pollutants in wastewater, which can indicate potential environmental health hazards. This information can be used to inform policies and regulations aimed at protecting public health and the environment.
Dairies has also installed shallow wells throughout two of their fields for watering crops – water is first pumped through a bioreactor to decrease any nitrates to acceptable levels. These shallow wells reduce ground water usage.
In partnership with the District, they also installed low-pressure drop water nozzles that give them more uniform water application on crops, while losing less water into the atmosphere. Soil moisture probes tell them when they need to water and when they can stop watering. Depending on the location of the fields, each field can be different, and they might not get the same amount of rain. This helps Alliance hone in on what each individual field needs versus the whole farm and that also reduces water usage.
With agriculture such a large part of North Florida, Henderson said her team enjoys working closely with District staff and sharing a good working relationship. They continue to work together on new projects, including a Dairy Farm Pilot Pollution project, which is expected to develop farm-specific sustainability plans to meet Basin Management Action Plan targets and conserve natural resources.
“Agriculture is so visual,” added Henderson. “You see what you do: you see that you’ve plowed that field. It’s a sense of accomplishment for us to roll onto our dairy farm and pass a milk truck that’s hauling milk down the road. I am most proud of the teamwork that goes on every day here within and across departments and with projects like these within our community.”●
For more information on this and other projects, visit MySuwanneeRiver.com.
By leveraging this technology, health officials and policymakers can gain valuable insights into community health, detect infectious diseases early, track the effectiveness of interventions, and protect the environment. As technology continues to advance, its potential applications will only continue to grow, making it an increasingly important tool in the efforts to promote public health and safety. ●
Jan Henderson, CEO and farm manager of Alliance Dairies in Trenton
Orlando, Florida Cities Raise Stormwater Fees
By BLANCHE HARDY
The City of Orlando joined other Florida cities by recently approving an increase in its stormwater utility (SWU) fees. Hollywood, Port Orange, and Pinellas County also recently raised rates, and Deltona City Commissioners are discussing the potential of raising stormwater rates by $42 annually.
The most recent publicly available biannual Florida Stormwater Association (FSA) Stormwater Utility Report in 2022 notes there are 170 local governments that have established stormwater fees within the state. The FSA report indicates SWU fees vary, though the average fee is $8.05 per month, or $96.60 per year. In 2020, FSA reported the average fee was $7.84 a month.
Numerous factors, including fuel rates, infrastructure costs, staffing costs, National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit compliance, flood abatement, and a myriad of other expenses come into play. For Orlando, failing and new infrastructure, operation, and maintenance costs were prominent.
The City of Orlando first established a stormwater utility fee in 1989. The stormwater utility fee funds the operation, construction, and maintenance of stormwater devices that help reduce the amount of pollution that reaches surface waters; stormwater system planning including stormwater pipes, canals, and retention ponds; and lake management including water quality and aquatic plantings. Orlando’s rate had remained constant since 2008; the rate increase measure passed the City Council 5 to1 during a May Council meeting.
Upon approval of the rate increase, Orlando’s Mayor Buddy Dyer noted hurricane season and population growth were factors in the need to increase the fee.
“We continue to see tremendous growth across our community. With the start of hurricane season just weeks away, unprecedented rainfall and historic flooding from storm events and the continued growth we’re seeing continue to put a significant
demand on our stormwater infrastructure,” he said. “As a city, maintaining these operations and planning for future needs is a critical function of our Public Works Department and Streets and Stormwater Division. Our Public Works staff has been working to educate our residents on what they can expect and what infrastructure projects are on the horizon.”
The city’s fee increase was informed by a January 2024 study conducted by Raftelis Financial Consultants, Inc. on behalf of the city. The City of Orlando Stormwater Management Program Financial Plan and Rate Study recommended stepped increases escalating from $83.94 in 2024 to $127.45 in 2028 per 1,000 square feet of residential impervious surface, an increase of $43.41.
The stormwater utility fee is billed annually in the fall as a non-ad valorem assessment on the Orange County property tax bill and is collected through the Orange County Tax Collector Office. Non-ad valorem charges are those not based on the value of the property.
Separate fees are recommended for residential, commercial, and undeveloped
land uses.
As the diagram from the report shows, the current fee was inadequate to cover the revenues needed to continue to operate. Corey Knight, Public Works Director, told Councilmembers the city, “had to borrow $17 million just to fund our stormwater program.”
Currently, the city’s stormwater utility fee is imposed on a parcel basis. The annual SWU fee for developed property is based on the overall impervious square footage within a parcel per equivalent residential unit. The proposed rate adjustment will continue to be calculated using an annual fee per square foot of impervious surface area, or any surface area that does not allow water to infiltrate into the soil, for all developed properties.
Impervious surface area is used to determine how much runoff a parcel contributes to the system. In the city’s case and in general it is frequently difficult for the public to understand when assessing a fee increase that the square footage of their dwelling may not represent their property’s impervious surface area. ●
Multitrophic Benefits of Combining Gray and Green Infrastructure Solutions
By NICHOLAS MUZIA, P.E.
What comes to mind when you hear the term ‘nature-based solution’? Do you envision a stormwater pond with a thriving littoral vegetation buffer, urban trees providing shade for walkways, or a living shoreline?
Nature-based solutions (NBS) or “green solutions” can take on different forms. A true nature-based solution is a natural feature included in an engineering plan that provides a specific benefit for a community. Sometimes this can also be considered Natural Infrastructure. These types of natural solutions were forged by nature to solve problems (e.g. water quality or resiliency) and have existed for eons, long before humans arrived and disrupted the balance.
There’s a different term “Multitrophic” that is relevant to the discussion. A trophic level is the group of organisms within an ecosystem that occupy the same level in a food chain. Each level depends on the adjacent levels around it to survive. This can be compared to building a house. A strong foundation will allow a house to support a roof, and under that roof, rooms can be built with nice furnishings. Can you visualize a house without a roof? The rooms would be exposed to the elements and would therefore no longer have nice furnishings. And without a strong foundation, the house would have neither a roof nor walls.
Civilization has mastered the art of building houses to withstand serious storms, but how have we done with building ecosystems? It’s generally been the opposite when it comes to infrastructure projects.
Nature can be complex. Like the home analogy, there are many interconnected dependencies between species and their environments. Studies have shown that multitrophic richness has stronger positive effects on ecosystem services than richness in any individual trophic group. By strategically choosing solutions across multiple habitats, projects can realize synergistic ecosystem benefits.
A project worth watching is the Titusville Causeway Multi-Trophic Restoration And Living Shoreline Resiliency Action Project in Brevard County, which incorporates green and gray solutions at multiple trophic levels to create a unique interdependent set of resiliency and habitat restoration solutions that could be the model for how coastal projects should look in the future.
To restore aquatic and upland habitats and address a severely eroded shoreline that protects the Causeway’s roadway, Sea & Shoreline is installing a breakwater of Wave Attenuation Devices (WADs) to reduce wave energy on the shoreline. The reduced wave energy will support improved seagrass habitat that further reduces wave energy at the shoreline. The seagrass will then support clams that will provide water quality services. Enhanced water quality and seagrass beds will provide food, protection and habitat for fish, manatees, and other species.
Additionally, the devices will accrete sand shoreward, rebuilding the shoreline naturally. The renourished sandy shoreline will then foster a beneficial environment for horseshoe crab spawning, and serve as the foundation for a thriving shoreline of upland plants and trees that will improve shorebird nesting and enhance the local blue economy by providing expanded shoreline access and shade for thousands of residents and tourists who visit the Causeway annually to view rocket launches. As the devices are partially submerged reefs, they will create essential fish habitat. In similar projects, oysters have also naturally attached themselves to the devices, filtering millions of gallons of water daily, thereby improving water quality. These solutions together will produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects.
Conventional gray infrastructure alone is predictable. We know how it performs and that it generally doesn’t change after we construct it, however, over time, it begins to age and can eventually fail. The rapid development of Florida has led to waves of gray infrastructure construction, and now
we have waves of infrastructure collapse as seen in our roadways, coastlines, sewer lines, etc. Conversely, the unique quality of natural infrastructure is that it has the potential to enhance itself over time. Natural infrastructure can build upon ecosystem services to be better tomorrow than it is today. It is a living, breathing, adaptive set of solutions.
As the threats of coastal erosion, environmental degradation, and failing infrastruc-
ture increase, we need dynamic and intelligent solutions. Combining green and gray solutions can create long-term successful projects, especially when incorporating multitrophic principles. ●
Nicholas Muzia is Principal Engineer & Design Build Manager for Sea & Shoreline
Eroding Beaches and an Eroding Federal Partnership
By PEPPER UCHINO
Of all Florida’s natural wonders, there is nothing quite like stepping onto a stretch of white sand beach and gazing at the beckoning azure waters beyond. In fact, Florida’s identity as a worldwide destination is inseparable from our famous beaches.
From Pensacola to Fernandina Beach, our peninsula boasts 825 miles of sandy beaches – more than any other state. With consistent top-10 rankings, our beaches drive our state and local economies, but are also critical habitats for endangered species, such as sea turtles and shore birds. For the state’s resilience strategies, beaches and dunes are critical components of the state’s coastal defenses, often serving as the last line of defense against storm surge and flooding. They truly are one of Florida’s most valuable natural resources.
There is some bad news, however. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) has designated 432.5 miles of beaches, critically eroded from acute storm events and commonly a chronic condition due to inlets interrupting the flow of sand. Eroded beaches can no longer provide the same benefits to nature, infrastructure protection, or local
economies as healthy beach and dune systems do. That is why it has been the declared policy of the state since 1986 with the passage of the Dennis L. Jones Beach and Shore Preservation Act (as amended) that restoration and nourishment are the most efficient methods to combat erosion. But even with decades of active management, including partnership with the federal government since the 1960s, our beaches are still in trouble and may get worse.
Recently, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) reinterpreted the laws governing nationwide beach nourishment and storm damage recovery efforts, which has caused nearly 20 of Florida’s federal beach projects to be deemed non-policy compliant, halting the federal government’s participation in those projects. To put that in perspective, there are 253 miles of managed beaches in Florida, and 146.5 miles are federal projects.
What’s the problem? Easements, specifically perpetual easements. Section 103(d) of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 1986 prohibits federal funding of benefits to privately-owned shores where use is limited to private interests. To be clear, the state fully supports public use and access on publicly funded beach restorations and nourishments. It is enshrined in Florida statute through the erosion control line, enacted in 1970, which delineates public and private property rights before a beach can be restored, and was further reinforced in 1986 (Ch. 161, F.S.), which requires adequate public access to a
project for eligibility for state funds. On the federal side, in order to comply with Section 103(d), USACE issued guidance in the mid-1990s for federal beach projects indicating that the minimum estate necessary for those projects is the perpetual easement. Even though Congress authorizes each project for only 50 years, USACE’s interpretation is that projects remain authorized, at least for storm damage recovery, in perpetuity unless deauthorized by Congress. In other words, still not perpetual, but it does require an act of Congress.
There are many problems with the current USACE policies, but two are seminal. The first is that property owners in Florida are being asked to give the federal government a perpetual property right for a non-perpetual benefit. Property owners should not be subject to hypotheticals as a basis in law to obtain their easements. The second is that USACE requires the securing of 100 percent of the perpetual easements before commencing a project and does not allow the state or local government to pay for sand placement on any parcel not subject to an easement. Even one holdout can derail miles of beach nourishments.
Congress has taken notice, and WRDA 2022 required USACE to analyze and provide recommendations on easements to congressional committees by the end of 2023. The report was transmitted in late April of this year and indicated USACE recommends no changes to its policies even though it recognizes significant issues in Florida. To further confuse the situa-
tion, on May 13, the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works (ASACW) sent a memorandum to the USACE Commanding General directing him to allow for flexibility in the application of easement policies in Florida; however, there appears to be significant disagreement within USACE itself on how to implement such flexibility. We need Congress to act.
To this end, our association and other coastal stakeholders are urging Congress to include language in WRDA 2024 that will grandfather Florida’s existing projects. USACE and the ASACW, through their reports and memos, have indicated this is a Florida-specific problem, so we are seeking a Florida-specific solution. In a rare sign of the times and further evidence of the gravity of this problem, just this June letters were sent to the chairs and ranking members of the Senate and House committees developing WRDA 2024 containing the signatures of every member of the Florida delegation in support of a fix for Florida.
Having just entered what is predicted to be an active hurricane season, further delay is irresponsible and unnecessarily risks lives, property, and critical habitat. If you want to help, please contact your representative and tell them you support their efforts to include a fix for Florida in WRDA 2024. ●
Pepper Uchino is the president of the Florida Shore & Beach Preservation Association, whose mission is preserving Florida’s world-renowned beaches.
“Second Kick of the Mule” Awaits Feds, Ignoring WOTUS Decision
By HERSCHEL T. VINYARD
Mark Twain once said, “there is nothing to be learned from the second kick of a mule.”
Unfortunately, the Washington D.C. policymakers for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) are leading their troops into the barn for a second kick.
The recent decision in Sackett v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 598 U.S. 651 (2023), found that Congress limits the jurisdictional reach of the Clean Water Act (CWA) to only those wetlands that are “indistinguishable” from other regulated waters. The decision elaborates on the term “indistinguishable,” finding wetlands are jurisdictional only if they have a “continuous surface connection” to a regulated water such that there is “no clear demarcation between” the wetland and the regulated water, making it “difficult to determine where the ‘water’ ends, and the ‘wetland’ begins.”
Sackett emphasizes “indistinguishable” as a relevant requirement for jurisdictional determinations under the CWA. The word “indistinguishable” appears four times in the Sackett majority’s opinion, including in the Court’s final holding when applying the standard to the Sacketts’ lot. The Court states:
In sum, we hold that the CWA extends
to only those “wetlands with a continuous surface connection to bodies that are ‘waters of the United States’ in their own right,” so that they are “indistinguishable” from those waters.
Thus, any plain reading of Sackett would lead one to think that the government’s jurisdiction under the CWA has been vastly limited. However, much like the agencies flouted the Court’s holding in Solid Waste Agency of N. Cook Cnty. v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, they are also ignoring Sackett’s command. Not a single EPA or USACE ruling, guidance memo, or jurisdictional determination has even mentioned the word “indistinguishable.” In fact, in their September 2023 Joint Coordination Memorandum, the USACE and the EPA determined that jurisdiction is established over a wetland when it shares a “continuous surface connection” with a regulated body of water, conspicuously omitting any requirement for the wetland to be “indistinguishable” from the regulated body of water it abuts.
The EPA and the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works in Washington D.C. recently returned a draft jurisdictional determination to the USACE’s Omaha District Office because the wetlands in question might, in their opinion, continue to be jurisdictional under Sackett. In that draft jurisdictional determination, the wetland at issue was separated by “a dirt track road and a seasonally plowed field” from a jurisdictional wetland. The USACE District Office concluded that the wetland at issue had no surface connection to otherwise jurisdictional waters and even the dirt road lacked any wetland indicators and was thus
non-jurisdictional. Nevertheless, without any discussion of the fact that the dirt road and plowed field made the two areas clearly distinguishable from one another, the agencies returned the draft jurisdictional determination to the USACE District office to “re-evaluate.”
Federal courts are now beginning to reject the agencies’ claims of jurisdiction based on non-jurisdictional ditches, pipes, and culverts, and claims of jurisdiction over distinguishable wetlands. At the time of writing this article, the only Court of Appeals decision regarding jurisdictional wetlands following Sackett is Lewis v. United States, 88 F.4th 1073 (5th Cir. 2023).
There, the Fifth Circuit spent six paragraphs outlining the torture and legal runaround visited upon a landowner, Mr. Lewis, by the USACE. The Court, in a PG13 manner that surely caused pearl-clutching throughout the 5th Circuit’s jurisdiction, sympathetically characterized Mr. Lewis’s position, stating, “Lewis’s position on appeal is simple: he wishes to be set free of further intercourse with the USACE[.]”
The Court flatly concluded that a wetland connected to a permanent body of water through roadside ditches, a culvert, and a non-relatively permanent tributary failed to meet the Sackett requirement of indistinguishability. The 5th Circuit reiterated the Supreme Court’s holding in Sackett, finding the Clean Water Act “extends only to those wetlands with a continuous surface connection to bodies that are waters of the United States in their own right, so that they are indistinguishable from those
waters.” The Court further explained: this requires the party asserting jurisdiction over adjacent wetlands to establish “first, that the adjacent [body of water constitutes]…’water[s] of the United States,’ (i.e., a relatively permanent body of water connected to traditional interstate navigable waters); and second, that the wetland has a continuous surface connection with that water, making it difficult to determine where the ‘water’ ends and the ‘wetland’ begins.” This formulation represents the Sackett “adjacency” test. From a legal standpoint, this test significantly tightens the definition of federally regulable wetlands, as compared with the “significant nexus” test and interim administrative regulations.
The 5th Circuit found that Sackett clearly barred the United States from asserting jurisdiction over Mr. Lewis’s land. The Court found there was “no factual basis as a matter of law for federal Clean Water Regulation of these tracts.” In doing so, it also held something even more obvious: Sackett means what it says. Agencies must show that a subject wetland is indistinguishable from another regulable water to be jurisdictional.
A Georgia Federal District Court reached the same conclusion as to what are regulated wetlands under Sackett in a Clean Water Act citizen suit. In Glynn Environmental Coalition, Inc. v. Sea Island Acquisition, LLC, 2024 WL 1088585 (S.D. Ga. 2024), a citizen organization attempted to plead a jurisdictional wetlands violation
It is an intricate dance between economic development and environmental protection. We must balance both as best as possible; and we are constantly learning as we go. However, when regulations and policies change unexpectedly, it puts industry in disarray.
There are thousands of projects – from residential developments to environmental restoration endeavors – that are experiencing significant federal permitting delays due to a recent unforeseen change; with a huge threat of starting the entire permitting process over.
case. The plaintiff alleged that the subject wetlands were connected to a ‘water of the United States’ via culverts and pipes and were thus jurisdictional under the CWA. The Court restated the Sackett test as, “The CWA only extends to wetlands that are indistinguishable from ‘waters of the United States’ as a practical matter.”
The Court determined that even though the wetland at issue and a nearby saltmarsh were directly connected via culverts and pipes, this was not enough to fall under the jurisdiction of the CWA. The Court dismissed the complaint after Plaintiffs:
failed to allege facts indicating the Subject Property is adjacent to the [known jurisdictional waters] and has such a continuous surface connection to it that it is “indistinguishable” from it, Plaintiffs fail to meet the Sackett test for whether a parcel is a “wetland,” and thus “waters of the United States,” under the CWA. Furthermore, the images attached to Plaintiff’s amended complaint indicate there is a clear demarcation between [jurisdictional waters] and the Subject Property.
Two more cases are likely to result in further kicks by the mule.
In White v. United States Environmental Protection Agency, et al., Case No. 2:2024cv-00013 (E.D. N.C. 2024), a landowner, White, is seeking a preliminary injunction against the EPA’s enforcement of the CWA against his allegedly jurisdictional wetlands. The EPA has argued that Sackett does not hold “indistinguishability” to be a necessary condition for wetlands to fall under the CWA’s jurisdiction; instead, it argues that a “continuous surface connection” is sufficient for a wetland to be jurisdictional. This connection need not be water on the surface, but may be via “channel, ditch, swale, pipe, or culvert.” As for “indistinguishability,” the EPA argues it is not even a separate element of “adjacency” within the meaning of Sackett. Instead, “indistinguishability” flows as a necessary consequence of the presence of a continuous surface connection.
In response, White argues that the EPA is blatantly ignoring Sackett. As White wrote in a memorandum supporting his motion
In 2020, when the State of Florida officially assumed the responsibilities of implementing the Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (CWA) from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE); which handles the regulation and permitting of Waters of the United States (WOTUS), we were hopeful that this change was good for the industry.
For several years, companies spent time and money, held and attended workshops and prepared to transition the program from USACE to FDEP. Four years later, when a court sided with environmental groups, removed it from state and sent jurisdiction back to the federal government, it took industry leaders by surprise, delayed permitting for projects, and effectively led to a waste of that prior time and effort.
Now, we have time-sensitive projects, such as Everglades Restoration, new schools, affordable housing, fire stations, roads,
for a preliminary injunction, “To render ‘indistinguishability’ merely the logical outcome of the operative test – as opposed to an integral component of it – makes a wash of Sackett’s central holding.” White also argues it strains credulity to suggest that two bodies of water are “indistinguishable” simply because they share any continuous surface connection. While the case is yet to be decided, White will win on the issue if the Court chooses to adopt the interpretation of Sackett propounded in Lewis.
Another kick is upcoming in United States v. Ace Black Ranches, LLP, Case No. 1:24cv00113 (D. Idaho 2024), where the government is facing a similar argument. The Defendant landowner, Ace, is seeking to dismiss the government’s suit for its failure to adequately plead that the landowner’s wetlands were “indistinguishable” from the waters of the United States they allegedly abut. Instead, the government again implies that the mere presence of a “continuous surface connection” is sufficient, irrespective of any demarcation that may distinguish the subject wetlands from the traditional “waters.” Again, should the Court choose to follow the command of
bridges, commercial construction and residential housing that are now in limbo, since the regulatory agency for CWA permitting has suddenly changed. What many may not appreciate is the businesses involved in these critical projects have spent a significant amount of time and money in the permitting process with FDEP and now must start the process all over again with the USACE!
Businesses like mine and yours are negatively impacted by this uncertainty and significant time delay. It appears from the surface that the environmental permitting and economic development may be in jeopardy. Constant regulation changes, politics changes, and policy changes disturb the economic climate in Florida. It hurts small businesses, like mine, in the wetland mitigation industry. Many projects are stalled due to this change, and further delays in permitting means more delays in selling mitigation credits.
Sackett, as the 5th Circuit did in Lewis, this case will be decided in favor of the landowner.
I have a number of friends at EPA and USACE. They work hard for the mission. I encourage them to demand that their D.C. leadership get them out of the barn before they get kicked again. ●
As efforts to address this regulatory upheaval continue, one thing remains clear: the importance of ongoing collaboration between state and federal entities in navigating the complex landscape of environmental regulations. Balancing the need for economic development with the imperative of environmental stewardship requires a delicate touch and a commitment to finding common ground.
Despite the current disruption, the State of Florida's 404 Program remains essential for maintaining environmental integrity and facilitating sustainable development. As stakeholders work tirelessly to resolve this crisis, let us not lose sight of the ultimate goal: preserving our natural resources for future generations while fostering responsible growth and prosperity. ●
Victoria K. Bruce is the CEO of The Mitigation Banking Group, Inc., a full-service wetland mitigation credit company
Herschel Vinyard is Partner in Charge of the Jacksonville office of the Adams and Reese law firm. James Tison, law student at the University of Florida Levin College of Law (Class of 2025) and Adams and Reese summer associate, contributed to this article
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John Fumero Susan Roeder Martin Stephen Conteaguero Alicia Lewis Gray Crow Gregory Hyden
Solving Florida's Septic Tank Problem with Zero Upfront Costs
By SEAN PARKS
Many of Florida’s lakes, rivers, springs, and estuaries are overloaded with nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus. This condition accelerates algal growth and lowers dissolved oxygen levels, a condition known as eutrophication.
Septic tanks and similar on-site sewage treatment systems are known contributors to the problem. Conventional septic tanks are not designed to remove nutrients. Their effluent is released into underground drain fields, where soil filters the water back into the groundwater. Florida’s rapid population growth in recent decades has led to higher densities of septic tanks than the soil and ground water can assimilate. When this occurs near local surface waters and shallow aquifers, the excess nutrients contained in the effluent make their way into the water and cause algal blooms that grow out of control. The algae release toxins that can make water unsafe for plants, wildlife, and humans. The water, loaded with algae, also becomes unsightly, decreasing its value to real estate and tourism.
Florida has more than 2.6 million onsite septic tanks in use, serving about 30 percent of the state’s population. Florida has 12 percent of the septic systems in the U.S. The issue of nutrient pollution has been known for decades, but the transition from septic tanks to municipal sewers or other treatment methods has been slow, largely because it is expensive, both for communities and homeowners. Municipal
sewage collection and treatment facilities cost millions of dollars to develop and can take years to install. Many on-site treatment alternatives are likewise costly for homeowners and require upkeep and maintenance.
Federal and state authorities have issued regulations to address the sewage pollution problem (The Clean Water Act of 1972; the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Impaired Waters Rule in 2009, Florida’s Executive Order 23-06 in 2023, et al.), but it remains incumbent on local governing bodies to develop programs to fix these issues. Cost-effective solutions are hard to find.
Like many Florida counties, Lake County is known for its natural water resources. Located in central Florida, Lake County has more than 1,000 lakes and rivers over its 1,157 square miles. It also has experienced significant population growth in recent years, from 300,000 to 400,000 between 2010 and 2022.
Many people in Lake County use septic tanks for sewer treatment. Septic tanks are effective when they have appropriate maintenance and sufficient spacing between drain fields and water bodies, but the county’s rapidly expanding population has created higher concentrations of septic tanks in many areas. Excess nutrients have made many local lakes polluted and unsightly.
Lake County commissioners were faced with the dilemma common to governing bodies across Florida – finding an effective and affordable solution to septic tank pollution. Creating a countywide wastewater treatment utility was not an option. The cost of installing collection lines, pumping stations, and a treatment plant were far beyond their budget. Replacing old septic
tanks with newer septic tank technology also is expensive and lacks the long-term reliability of a centrally managed solution.
The County Commission’s research eventually led them to an innovative alternative – Distributed Wastewater Treatment (DWT). The technology uses a wastewater treatment process very similar to municipal treatment plants. The effluent released into the environment from a DWT unit is much cleaner than that released from septic tanks. Scientific testing of a DWT unit in Polk County in 2021 revealed the technology removes 88 percent of total nitrogen. It likewise removed 92 percent of fecal coliforms and 96 percent of suspended solids during the study.
A further benefit to DWT systems is that individual treatment units are centrally monitored by state-licensed, professional wastewater technicians. Should a problem occur, the monitoring system will alert maintenance personnel who will address it quickly and without homeowner involvement. In that sense, it is like having a dedicated wastewater utility to handle the community’s sewer service.
Lake County’s funding mechanism can be an example for other governing bodies dealing with surface water pollution. Because DWT technology is proven to be environmentally sound, federal and state funds were made available to homeowners to cover 100 percent of the cost of transitioning from existing septic tanks to new DWT units. Lake County was awarded $1 million by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in 2022. In December 2022, county commissioners, utilizing an existing Florida statute, established a Municipal Service Benefit Unit (MSBU) to provide ongoing funds to service and maintain DWT units in the county. The MSBU costs are included in
the annual property tax assessments of participating homeowners, so the fee is covered within their mortgage escrow.
Notably, the septic tank conversion program is a voluntary program. Eligible homeowners sign up for the program on a dedicated website, and the County’s contractor performs the work of removing their existing septic tank and installing the new DWT unit. Once completed, the homeowner becomes part of the County’s Distributed Wastewater Treatment MSBU, and the costs to maintain the unit are collected annually with their property taxes. The homeowner has no other out-of-pocket expenses or responsibilities.
Lake County’s infrastructure initiative could have a significant impact on Florida’s future. Local governing communities, both large and small, can now address their septic tank challenges with DWT programs. Thanks to generous grant programs for septic tank impacted areas, these DWT programs can be offered on a voluntary basis, potentially with zero upfront costs to homeowners. Long-term maintenance is provided by the participating homeowners through an MSBU, which is collected annually with their property taxes.
The most significant impact, however, is hope for Florida’s lakes, rivers, springs, and estuaries. As they become cleaner and healthier, future generations will continue to enjoy the state’s abundant natural resources.
To find out more about Lake County or Distributed Wastewater Treatment, go to https://lakecountysepticprogram.org/. ●
Sean Parks is a small business owner and Commissioner in Lake County.
Experts Predicting an Active 2024 Hurricane Season
By PATRICK GILLESPIE
June1 officially started the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, with experts – once again – predicting a busier-than-normal season, putting Florida in the crosshairs for activity.
In 2023, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted a “normal” hurricane season with 12 to 17 named storms and 1-4 Category 3 to 5 storms. Hurricane Idalia that battered the Big Bend area of Florida before moving inland was the only U.S. landfalling hurricane last year, peaking as a Category 4 hurricane.
For 2024, NOAA is forecasting 17 to 25 named storms with eight to 13 forecast to become hurricanes. Additionally, NOAA experts believe the season will produce four to seven major hurricanes, which are categorized as 3, 4, or 5, with winds of 111 mph or higher.
“The upcoming Atlantic hurricane season is expected to have above-normal activity due to a confluence of factors, including near-record warm ocean temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean, development of La Nina conditions in the Pacific, reduced Atlantic trade winds and less wind shear, all of which tend to favor tropical storm formation,” NOAA stated in news release in May.
Not only can hurricanes create significant concern for residents as they prepare for
impacts, but storms have environmental impacts as well. The strong force of winds and storm surge can destroy buildings and release pollutants into the ground, beaches can be impacted, and wildlife habitat destroyed. Hurricane Idalia, for instance, created 8 to 12 feet of storm surge and did considerable damage to farming operations throughout much of the area, affecting livestock, aquaculture, and farm equipment.
On June 1, the City of Tampa kicked off the season with its 2nd Annual Hurricane Preparedness Expo, where city and state officials, businesses, and organizations provided information and tips for preparedness, from pet care to drinking water.
The state started the first of two sales tax holidays designed to encourage Floridians
to buy goods to get them ready. The first holiday was June 1-14 and the second will be Aug. 24 to Sept. 6.
Items include manual can openers, pet supplies, batteries, fire extinguishers and smoke alarms to portable generators that cost $3,000 or less. An analysis by legislative staff estimates that $80 million in tax revenue will be saved through the disaster preparedness holidays.
“I want to thank the Governor and the Florida Legislature for continuously taking action to support Floridians and providing them with cost-effective ways to be prepared,” said Kevin Guthrie, Florida Division of Emergency Management Executive Director. “I urge all residents to prioritize preparedness during these tax-free holidays and make any necessary updates to
their disaster supply kit and plans.”
The Division’s annual hurricane guide provides information about common storm terminology, including definitions of hurricane categories, food safety after loss of power, generator safety tips, floodwater danger, and other key information. The guide is available at https://www. floridadisaster.org/globalassets/fdem-hurricane-guide-2024.pdf
Find these tips and more in the Florida Division of Emergency Management’s 2024 Hurricane Guide ●
Tips for Hurricane Season
• Know Your Zone to understand evacuation zones, whether flooding is a threat, and where you may be able to evacuate to, if needed
• Prepare an emergency kit with supplies for you and your pets, including medicine, medical ID badges, and other key items
• Have enough food and water for a week
• Know how to shut off electricity, gas, and water, if needed
• Know where important documentation is for quick access
Graphic courtesy of the Florida Division of Emergency Management
New Technology is Removing Pollution from the St. Johns
By PATRICK GILLESPIE
Aprojectfive years in the works is bringing in results to Clay County, as the St. Johns River Water Management District, County, and Sustainable Water Infrastructure Group, LLC are realizing the results of removing residual phosphorus from treated wastewater effluent with their Doctors Lake Phosphorus Elimination System (PES).
In September 2018, The District sought proposals to remove phosphorus from the lake, which is in the Lower St. Johns River system, with funding appropriated by the Florida Legislature. Sustainable Water Infrastructure Group, or SWIG, was awarded the contract. To-date, the company reports that more than 6,400 pounds of phosphorus has been removed using their technology. In addition, the project has resulted in nearly 54 percent of total nitrogen being removed.
"The District and our partners have been actively working to improve water quality in the Doctors Lake Basin, and the Doctors Lake Advanced Effluent Treatment Project is a part of that effort,” said St. Johns River Water Management District Supervising Professional Engineer Marc Van Heden. “Since its inception, the project has effectively removed 6,400 pounds of phosphorus, efficiently delivering excellent water quality results."
The contract was designed as a “Pay for Performance” contract whereby phosphorus removal from treated wastewater effluent was independently measured, prior to reclaimed water reuse or discharge into the river.
The PES distributes wastewater inflow over an innovative passive bio-filtration media designed to capture phosphorus through an adsorption process and water is then returned for chlorination and either used as reclaimed water or discharged into the St. Johns River. The system works as a “bolt-on” system to the Clay County Utility Authority Fleming Island Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant. SWIG permitted and constructed its facility within nine months during the COVID 19 pandemic.
Water from the PES is sampled daily, which allows for constant data and adjustments as needed. SWIG’s permitting and construction in a short timeframe is a result of simple construction methods that can be easily replicated, according to SWIG COO Mark Merkelbach. The company has a second project with the District for the Black Creek Water Resource Development Project, which is designed to remove tannins before recharging the Upper Floridan Aquifer. This PES variant treats up to 10 million gallons of water per day to restore historically low water levels in the lakes in Keystone Heights.
“The system’s flexible modular design and simple construction allows it to be easily scaled to meet project treatment needs from rural to dense urban applications,” he said.
How Does the Doctors Lake PES System Work
The system contains multiple treatment cells that are dosed using a simple water distribution system and gravity underdrain. Pumps are used to distribute and return treated water back to the wastewater treatment plant.
November 2019 – Project ribbon cutting ceremony with the District and SWIG, obtain ERP. Replace project contractor and SWIG to become the general contractor.
December 2019 – PES Media preparation offsite and site utility survey. Confirm media infiltration rate and media P removal rate.
January 2020 – Site grading and transport media to the project site.
February 2020 – Constructed the gravel underdrain and media bed. Install wetland vegetation. Rinsed PES with plant water to remove fines and sample results confirm 93% removal.
March 2020- Finalize pump station installation and electrical controls
April 2020 - System operations and monthly invoices to SJRWMD.
January 2026 – Funding extension date.
cake, where the PES media is laid on top of the gravel underdrain and is set at an elevation to typically match the existing ground surface elevation, according to SWIG. It comprises roughly 1 acre and treats an average of 1.4 million gallons per day.
Keeping the system low to the ground keeps it from being susceptible to wind damage during hurricanes. The facility is planted with wetland plants, the roots of which create macropores in the media which in turn help to maintain high infiltrations rates. The fully automated system is capable of sustaining infiltration rates of over 6 inches per hour which results in treating 5 to 6 feet of water in a 24-hour period.
The SWIG PES requires much less space than treatment wetlands, which typically treat inches per day. This results in a smaller footprint to achieve similar pollut-
ant loads. Furthermore, SWIG reports that its system tolerates dry periods when no water is available, curbing nutrient release, unlike treatment wetlands and stormwater treatment areas. Media is replaced when the media has fully adsorbed phosphorus, and the spent media is recycled as an agricultural soil amendment.
What’s Next
Merkelbach said SWIG technology is simple to construct and operate and can be easily scaled, which allows it to be replicated elsewhere in Florida, where the company has operated since 2017.
With no chemical additives and producing no waste, it is applicable in both urban and rural settings. With recent regulations passed by the Florida Legislature, the technology could also apply to stormwater systems to provide enhance treatment to meet new standards.
“SWIG is uniquely positioned to provide custom nutrient removal products and systems throughout Florida to meet new water quality rules and the continued impacts of rapid population growth.” ●
Overview of SWIG phosphorus removal process at Doctors Lake, courtesy of SWIG
Treatment Cells After Recent Annual Vegetation Harvest, courtesy of SWIG
Hurricane Preparedness – Your Questions Answered
By JERRY L. MALLAMS
Q: What does the District do to prepare for hurricane season?
A: Year-round, the Southwest Florida Water Management District operates 84 water control structures in its 16-county area. These structures assist with flood protection, manage lake water levels and prevent saltwater from flowing up freshwater streams and creeks. To prepare for hurricane season, staff conduct annual hurricane readiness checks of all the District’s structures to ensure they are working properly. This includes making certain all structure gates are functioning correctly and that each emergency generator is working and fully fueled.
Q:
What is a critical structure?
A: Some of our flood control structures are considered critical structures, such as the structures associated with the Tampa Bypass Canal System.
This system routes flood water from the Hillsborough River around the cities of Tampa and Temple Terrace, providing protection from river flooding. Used in 2017 during Hurricane Irma, the canal system was moving up to 3 billion gallons of flood water a day, sparing homes and businesses along the lower Hillsborough River from flooding. Due to their important flood protection role, these structures are considered critical structures.
nal and are safely diverted to McKay Bay, protecting the cities of Temple Terrace and Tampa from river flooding. The Tampa Bypass Canal System was constructed in response to massive flooding caused by Hurricane Donna in 1960..
Q: How are the structures operated?
storm threat?
Q:
What is the largest flood control system in the District?
A:
The Tampa Bypass Canal System is the largest flood control system in the District. It is made up of nine flood control structures, a 6.5-mile earthen dam, and 15.7 miles of canals, and impounds flood waters from the Hillsborough River into the 16,000-acre Lower Hillsborough Flood Detention Area. As the detention area fills with water from the river and the surrounding 450-square-mile watershed, the flows then enter the Tampa Bypass Ca-
A: All the Tampa Bypass Canal structures, along with many other District structures, can be operated remotely or manually. All the District’s mission-critical water control structures, including the 17 flood control structures, are operated remotely by staff using a computer. This allows staff to operate structures 24 hours a day, seven days a week from any location. Approximately half of the District’s water control structures must be manually operated, with staff having to be physically present at the location to operate the structure.
Q: What actions does the District take during an active
A: During an active storm threat, District officials activate its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to monitor tropical storms and hurricanes. Depending on the level of activation, the District will mobilize appropriate emergency personnel to report to the EOC for extended shifts. Staff will monitor and document water levels and operate water control structures on water bodies throughout the District's 16-county area as needed. EOC officials will maintain direct communications with the state and affected county EOCs and distribute information to the media, the public and District employees. ●
How to Establish a Recycling Program at Work
By KEYNA CORY
Hopefully you are recycling at home. After all, most local governments make it easy by providing bins or carts for the recyclable materials you generate at home. But what about your workplace? What does your recycling program look like at your job location? Maybe you do not have a recycling program and would like to implement one.
First, select a Recycling Champion at your office. Trust me, there is one in every office! This is the person who will be the point person for the program.
Next you will need a waste audit to determine what is in your waste stream and what can be recycled or reused. Your local solid waste hauler and/or recycling collection company can help.
Local governments determine which items are going to be recycled in your area so check to see what materials they include in their recycling program. Common materials include plastic bottles, tubs and jugs; aluminum and steel cans; and mixed paper and cardboard. I bet these items are being used in your office too.
Now you need to determine what types of recycling bins you will need. Small offices need just a few recycling bins strategically placed next to trash cans making sure that it is just as easy to recycle as it is to throw something away.
Consistent signage reminds people how to quickly sort their recycling, reduces contamination, and increases recycling rates. Signage alleviates confusion which is one of the largest issues with recycling.
Contaminated material can send an entire load of recyclables to landfills and renders them non-recyclable. Strategically placing signage near or on receptacles can mitigate confusion. If you need help with signage, go to www.WM/recycleright for samples that you can download and use.
Education is the best way to encourage employees to recycle. Use signs, displays, email announcements, and/or text messages to teach them:
• WHY they should recycle
• WHAT they should recycle
• WHERE they can recycle
Make sure that all employees, including the C-Suite, know about your recycling program. If you are in a larger office complex, make sure janitorial staff is aware of the program so they can collect recyclables separately from the trash.
Establish a recycling collection service and the proper recycling only dumpster separate from your trash dumpster.
The key is to start small. Do not make extensive changes all at once. Establish attainable goals that you can implement over time.
Create a recycling culture! Motivate and encourage employees, business partners, and consumers to build and establish a culture of recycling. Without stakeholder buy-in, a recycling program would just be
a “waste.” Know your audience and make sure you keep them informed and up to date about your recycling program.
Want to learn more?
The Florida Recycling Partnership Foundation and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection are holding a Business Recycling Webinar from 10-11 a.m. on July 11. Mark your calendar to learn more about how you can implement
a successful recycling program in your workplace.
Join us to learn more about business recycling. www.flrecycling.org ●
Keyna Cory is the Executive Director for the Florida Recycling Partnership Foundation
Jerry Mallams is the Operations Bureau Chief for the Southwest Florida Water Management District.
DEP RECOGNIZES 2024 EARTH DAY POSTER CONTEST WINNERS
To celebrate Earth Day 2024, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) hosted a poster contest for students in the 4th through 12th grades. Students were invited to design a poster that encourages environmental awareness using DEP’s Earth Day theme, "Clean is Green: Preserving Florida’s Future."
A finalist in each age group (4th - 5th grades, 6th - 8th grades, and 9th - 12th grades) was selected from each of DEP’s six district offices, and the finalists' art was sent to the Tallahassee office where DEP staff selected a state winner for each age group.
“Congratulations to this year's Earth Day poster contest winners and all the participants,” said DEP Secretary Shawn Hamilton. “I am impressed by participating students' environmental awareness. They understand that protecting Florida's natural resources is a collective responsibility that can be realized through active participation.”
Grades 4th - 5th State Winner
Salet, 5th Grade, Bay Crest Elementary School "Make the World Better"
While much of the world celebrates Earth Day on April 22, DEP works every day to protect Florida’s air, water and land as the state’s lead agency for environmental management and stewardship.
At DEP, every day is Earth Day. Visit DEP’s Earth Day 2024 webpage for inspiration on how to celebrate Florida’s environment year-round and for steps to protect our valuable natural resources.
SRWMD BOARD RECOMMENDS $130 MILLION IN ALTERNATIVE WATER SUPPLY FUNDING
Five alternative water supply (AWS) projects were recommended for funding in mid-May by the Suwannee River Water Management District (District) Governing Board.
The five North Florida projects – three District projects, one local government project, and one water and wastewater cooperative – will total more than $130 million if approved by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP).
These projects are part of an effort to reduce water use from the Floridan Aquifer or to develop region-specific water sources that offer an alternative to traditional ground and surface water sources. Alternative water sources, such as reclaimed or recycled water, saltwater or brackish water, and storm water, also help make communities less susceptible to drought. These water sources also diversify Florida’s water supply while reducing its dependence on freshwater resources.
“Maximizing the use of alternative water sources is vital to ensuring smart, sustainable growth in North Florida. We appreciate that our Governor and Legislature help advance projects like these to strengthen Florida’s water resources to continue to meet the demands of our citizens,” said Hugh Thomas, executive director of the District.
Projects include:
• Santa Fe Basin Land Acquisition and Recharge – SRWMD – $3 million –This land acquisition project would provide storage and recharge for the MFLs of the Lower Santa Fe and Ichetucknee rivers through the diversion of excess water flows.
• Groundwater Augmentation through surficial features – SRWMD –
$500,000 – This project will provide recharge to the Upper Floridan Aquifer to benefit the MFLs across the District, with priority focus on the Lower Santa Fe and Ichetucknee rivers and regional water supply planning areas. This includes, but is not limited to, debris removal from karst features, enhanced capacity of surface water features, and management of stormwater and other high flow events.
• Public Supply Efficiencies Phase 2 –SRWMD – $2 million – This project would develop infrastructure and conservation improvements to reduce water loss based on water audits information or conservation measures across the District.
• W3C Regional Water and Wastewater System – The Waccasassa Water and Wastewater Cooperative – $120 million – Funding for this project would develop regional potable water and wastewater facilities to meet the needs of Cedar Key, Otter Creek, Bronson, and unserved areas of Levy County.
• Wastewater Reuse, Nutrient Force
Main – City of Jasper – $4.5 million
– This project would remove Jaspers’
wastewater treatment facility effluent disposal from Baisden Swamp to provide both an alternative water supply for irrigation and supplement water storage in the Nutrient settling ponds.
The mission of the Suwannee River Water Management District is to protect and manage water resources using science-based solutions to support natural systems and the needs of the public. Headquartered in Live Oak, Florida, the District serves 15 surrounding north-central Florida counties.
NORTH FLORIDA LAND TRUST FACILITATES THE PRESERVATION OF MORE THAN 855 ACRES IN PUT-
NAM COUNTY
More than 855 acres of land in a critical wildlife corridor in Putnam County will now be preserved forever in an agreement brokered by North Florida Land Trust (NFLT) and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). The organizations worked together to purchase the 855.35-acre conservation easement on family-owned land in the Ocala to Osceola Wildlife Corridor, or O2O. The conservation easement was acquired for $2.1 million funded through the Florida Forever program.
NFLT approached the O’Connor family heirs who own the land to discuss the possibility of conservation for the property which has been in the family for almost a century. The land, an important linkage property within the O2O, is adjacent to Cross Florida Greenway conservation land and includes significant frontage on Rodman Lake. The property was the only land along the lake that was not yet protected. NFLT was able to facilitate the preservation of the property by connecting the family to the state program that could make the acquisition possible.
“Protecting this property through the conservation easement agreement is a great way to make sure this wonderful piece of property, which is bordered by conservation lands and waterways, remains natural forever,” said Allison DeFoor, president of NFLT. “We are grateful to the family and the FDEP, our partners in preservation, for helping us preserve another piece of real Florida.”
The property is a mosaic of pine flatwoods, mixed pine-hardwood hammocks and forests, and sandy pine uplands that were historically longleaf pine sandhill and sand pine scrub. The property encompasses shoreline and submerged areas under the bottom of the Rodman Reservoir including the inundated Ocklawaha River channel and is important for the protection of the Orange Creek and lower Ocklawaha River watersheds. It adds tremendous value for wildlife due to the diversity of the habitat for many species including the alligator, white-tail deer, turkey, red shoulder hawk, Florida Black Bear, indigo snake and gopher tortoise.
Landowner Carolyn Marlowe, speaking on behalf of the family, said, "Our property has been in the family for nearly 100 years. We desire to protect and preserve the wildlife, freshwater ecosystem, and woodlands to be enjoyed by us and future generations of our family."
The conservation easement agreement allows the family to continue to use the land for recreation, hunting, and timber production. It also allows the family to construct no more than three residential homesites on the property which is within the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway Florida Forever project boundary. FDEP will own, manage and monitor the conservation easement. ●
Grades 6th - 8th State Winner
Phoebe, 8th Grade, Sarasota School of Arts and Sciences "Earth Needs Our Help"
Grades 9th - 12th State Winner
Katarina, 10th grade, William T. Dwyer High School "Preserve Florida's Beauty"
