Notice of Proposed Rule

WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS
St. Johns River Water Management District
Rule No.: RULE TITLE
40C-40.011: Policy and Purpose
40C-40.302: Conditions for Issuance of Permits
PURPOSE AND EFFECT: The purpose and effect of this proposed rule is to delete from Chapter 40C-40, F.A.C., the delegations to District staff to issue standard environmental resource permits (ERP) because amendments to Sections 373.083(5) and 373.118(5), F.S., enacted in 2010, provide that delegations are not subject to rulemaking. Regulatory delegations regarding ERPs will be described solely in the Statement of Agency Organization and Operation available on the District’s website at floridaswater.com. This proposed rule also proposes to delete reference to the Governing Board in the ERP rule addressing standard permits for incidental site activities because the District staff, not the Board, approves ERP applications as a result of the 2009 and 2010 amendments to Section 373.079(4), F.S.
SUMMARY: The proposed rule removes from Rule 40C-40.011, F.A.C., the delegation of authority to District staff to issue standard ERPs and deletes reference to the Governing Board in paragraph 40C-40.302(6)(b), F.A.C.
SUMMARY OF STATEMENT OF ESTIMATED REGULATORY COSTS: No Statement of Estimated Regulatory Cost was prepared.
Any person who wishes to provide information regarding a statement of estimated regulatory costs, or provide a proposal for a lower cost regulatory alternative must do so in writing within 21 days of this notice.
SPECIFIC AUTHORITY: 373.044, 373.113 FS.
LAW IMPLEMENTED: 373.079, 373.083, 373.413, 373.416, 373.426 FS.
IF REQUESTED WITHIN 21 DAYS OF THE DATE OF THIS NOTICE, A HEARING WILL BE HELD AT THE DATE,TIME AND PLACE SHOWN BELOW(IF NOT REQUESTED, THIS HEARING WILL NOT BE HELD):
DATE AND TIME: Following the regularly scheduled Governing Board Meeting on November 9, 2010, which begins at 1:00 p.m.
PLACE: St. Johns River Water Management District Headquarters, Executive Building, 4049 Reid Street, Palatka, Florida 32177
THE PERSON TO BE CONTACTED REGARDING THE PROPOSED RULE IS: Wendy Gaylord, Rules Coordinator, Office of General Counsel, St. Johns River Water Management District, 4049 Reid Street, Palatka, Florida 32177-2529, (386)326-3026, email wgaylord@sjrwmd.com

THE FULL TEXT OF THE PROPOSED RULE IS:

40C-40.011 Policy and Purpose.

(1) This chapter grants standard environmental resource permits for certain specified surface water management systems which have been determined to be not harmful to the water resources of the District and to be not inconsistent with the objectives of the District. This chapter sets forth the requirements for qualifying for a standard permit and the conditions under which it may be exercised. Surface water management systems which are non-exempt, which do not qualify for a noticed general environmental resource permit pursuant to Chapter 40C-400, F.A.C., and which do not qualify for a standard permit under this chapter, are required to obtain individual permits under the provisions of Chapter 40C-4, F.A.C. The District may require an individual permit application for any surface water management system for which an application has been filed under this chapter which may not conform to the provisions of this chapter, or Chapter 373, F.S., or for which a substantial objection has been received.

(2) For applications for standard permits which are received and reviewed by a permitting office, the Governing Board appoints the Directors and Assistant Directors of the permitting offices as its agents for the purposes of reviewing and issuing these permits. Any individual listed in subsection 40C-40.011(3), F.A.C., can act on behalf of the Director or Assistant Director of a permitting office.

(3) For applications for standard permits which are received and reviewed by the Headquarters office, the Governing Board appoints the Executive Director, Assistant Executive Director, Deputy Assistant Executive Director, Director of the Department of Water Resources, and the Assistant Directors of the Department of Water Resource as its agents for the purposes of reviewing and issuing these permits.

Rulemaking Specific Authority 373.044, 373.113 FS. Law Implemented 373.083, 373.413, 373.416, 373.426 FS. History–New 12-7-83, Amended 2-27-94, 10-3-95, 1-4-96, 10-11-01,________.

 

40C-40.302 Conditions for Issuance of Permits.

To qualify for a standard permit under this chapter, the permittee must give reasonable assurances that the surface water management system meets subsection (1) and all of the threshold conditions of subsection (2).

(1) through (5) No change.

(6) Notwithstanding the threshold conditions of subsection (2), a standard permit shall be authorized for incidental site activities which are in connection with the work set forth in an individual environmental resource permit application, provided:

(a) The applicant has submitted a complete individual environmental resource permit application for the project area that is the subject of the proposed incidental site activities, and there are no existing unpermitted or unauthorized impacts to wetlands or other surface waters, within the project area of the individual environmental resource permit application, which require a District permit.

1. through 2. No change.

(b) The District staff has reviewed the individual environmental resource permit application and is recommending approval of the individual permit. For the purpose of this section, District staff have recommended approval of the individual permit when the Department Director or Assistant Department Director of the Department of Water Resources has signed the technical staff report recommending approval of the application or the Department Director, Assistant Department Director or Service Center Director of the Department of Water Resources have issued a letter to the applicant stating that the application is complete and the staff will be recommending approval of the application to the Governing Board;

(c) through (g) No change.

Rulemaking Specific Authority 373.044, 373.113, 373.406, 373.414, 373.418 FS. Law Implemented 373.083, 373.413, 373.414, 373.416, 373.418, 373.426 FS. History–New 12-7-83, Amended 9-25-91, 1-6-93, 2-27-94, 10-3-95, 1-11-99, 10-11-01, 2-1-05,_________.


NAME OF PERSON ORIGINATING PROPOSED RULE: Kathryn Mennella, Director, Office of General Counsel, St. Johns River Water Management District, 4049 Reid Street, Palatka, Florida 32177-2529, (386)329-4215
NAME OF AGENCY HEAD WHO APPROVED THE PROPOSED RULE: Governing Board of the St. Johns River Water Management District
DATE PROPOSED RULE APPROVED BY AGENCY HEAD: August 10, 2010
DATE NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULE DEVELOPMENT PUBLISHED IN FAW: August 27, 2010