PSC delays action on contested utilities' conservation plans

The Florida Public Service Commission on Tuesday agreed to delay action until September on energy conservation plans proposed by six utilities.

The PSC adopted conservation goals in January for the state's five largest electric utilities and two city-owned utilities. They are subject to the Florida Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act (FEECA), adopted by the Legislature in 2008.

In March, those utilities submitted 10-year plans outlining the cost of the PSC conservation goals.

But PSC staff says the plans submitted by Florida Power & Light, Progress Energy and Gulf Power failed to meet the conservation goals established by the commission. As requested by staff, the commission agreed Tuesday to delay consideration for those three utilities in addition to Tampa Electric Co., the Florida Public Utilities Co. and JEA, formerly Jacksonville Electric Authority, so that additional calculations related to the plans could be performed.

The commission approved the conservation plan for the Orlando Utilities Commission as recommended by PSC staff.

The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy has intervened in the cases, saying that Progress Energy is exaggerating costs of conservation. A Progress Energy spokesman responded Tuesday that the that utility relied on the Itron consulting firm from Oakland, California to develop a conservation plan that protects customers from increased costs for conservation in the first years.

Progress Energy proposed increasing the cost from the current $3.24 per month to $6.38 the first year and eventually to $30.17 in year 10. The average monthly cost would be $16.76. The company says the cost would jump to $14.08 the first year without the more gradual approach and that the 10-year average would be about the same.

"We believe that the best way to achieve the aggressive goals mandated by the Florida Public Service Commission is to do it in a way that limits the price impact on customers in today's economy," said Tim Leljedal, a Progress Energy spokesman. "That's why we propose a gradual approach, but doing it in a way that we can still achieve the overall goal within 10 years."

In comparison, Florida Power & Light said in March that energy conservation would vary between $2.83 and $4.32 per month, compared to $2.26 now. The PSC set a lower conservation goal for FP&L than for Progress Energy.

Photo by Integrated Building and Construction Solutions. Story provided by the Florida Tribune. Story copyrighted by Bruce Ritchie and FloridaEnvironments.com. Do not copy or redistribute without permission, which can be obtained by contacting brucebritchie@gmail.com.)

State wildlife agency may stop deciding which animals are endangered

State wildlife officials say they will get out of the business of determining whether species should be listed as endangered under a proposed new classification process. Environmental and some recreational groups say they support the proposed changes.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has been wrangling for the past decade with the contentious issue of whether it should list species as endangered, threatened or a "species of special concern." The commission holds a three-day meeting beginning Wednesday in Pensacola Beach where it will discuss the new rules.

A commission representative said the new process will allow wildlife officials to focus on developing plans for protecting all listed species, including some that are not on the federal list. There now are 64 endangered or threatened species on the state list and 43 that are listed as "species of special concern."

"We don't want to have these arguments about what category a species should be listed in," said Elsa Haubold, section leader for species conservation planning at FWC. "We want to say, 'This species is listed, now what do we do about it?' "

Representatives of Audubon of Florida, Save the Manatee Club, the Boat Owners Association of America (BoatUS) and the Florida Airboat Association said they support the proposal.

The issue came to a head most recently in 2007 when the commission was set to move the manatee from the endangered to the threatened category. The agency halted action at the request of Gov. Charlie Crist and convened meetings of environmental groups, landowners and recreational interests who were concerned about the listing process.

Under the proposal, which will be considered Wednesday, any species on the federal endangered and threatened species list will be included automatically on the state list with those federal designations. Any species now listed by the state as endangered or threatened that are not on the federal list will be placed automatically on the state "threatened" list. Any species of special concern will remain in that category until it can be evaluated by the commission within the coming year to determine if it should be placed on the state threatened list or removed altogether.

Audubon of Florida is supporting the proposal but has concerns, said Julie Wraithmell, the group's wildlife policy coordinator. Audubon will be closely watching the evaluation process in the next three years to determine whether shorebirds now listed as species of special concern are dropped from the list. The group also is concerned about a portion of the rule that would protect boating, hunting and other recreation activities from infringement by the rule.

"We know people are going to use that to bully land managers," Wraithmell said.

But Bonnie H. Basham, who represents BoatUS and the Florida Airboat Association, said disturbances caused by recreational activities should be allowed as long as people are not intentionally trying to harm endangered and threatened species. She also said boaters are giving up their fight over the listing of manatees to allow other threatened species to receive protection.

"I don't think it was appropriate for all the other species that need protection (to) wait until the day we all agree on manatees because I don't think that day will ever come," she said.

(U.S. Government photo via Wikipedia Commons. Story provided by the Florida Tribune. Story copyrighted by Bruce Ritchie and FloridaEnvironments.com. Do not copy or redistribute without permission, which can be obtained by contacting brucebritchie@gmail.com.)

Judge strikes down controversial 2009 growth management changes

A Leon County circuit judge on Thursday struck down a controversial measure that dropped a requirement in state law that developers pay for new roads and schools in many areas.

SB 360 was one of the most controversial bills of the 2009 legislative session. The measure lifted transportation "concurrency" requirements for new roads in designated "dense urban land areas." State oversight of "developments of regional impact" also was removed in those areas.

Supporters, including, the Florida Chamber of Commerce and the Florida Home Builders Association, said the bill would help the depressed housing industry and encourage development where it's needed. But Chief Circuit Judge Charles A. Francis said in his final summary judgment that the bill represented an "unfunded mandate" on cities and counties as prohibited by the Florida Constitution.

Sen. Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton and sponsor of SB 360, said Thursday he expects the Legislature to fix state law in response to the judge's ruling either in a special session or in the 2011 regular session.

"There's no panic because there's no growth to manage [right now]," said Bennett, who is also chairman of the Senate Committee on Community Affairs.

More than half of Florida's 411 cities and eight of its most populated counties qualified under the law as "transportation concurrency exception areas," according to the Florida Department of Community Affairs. (Click here to view the list.)

Environmental groups, the Florida League of Cities and the Florida Association of Counties asked Gov. Charlie Crist to veto the bill in 2009. They said the bill would encourage urban sprawl by lifting requirement for roads and removing state oversight of developments of regional impact (DRIs) in vast rural areas.

When he signed the bill, Crist said he was trying to encourage job-growth during in response to the economic downturn.

In July 2009, the cities of Weston, Miami Gardens, Fruitland Park, Parkland, Key Biscayne and Cutler Beach along with Lee County sued Crist and legislative leaders. They said the bill violated the constitution by dealing with more than a single subject and by creating an unfunded mandate for cities and counties.

Bennett said DCA Secretary Tom Pelham created difficulties for the bill by "changing his story all the time" but he did not elaborate. Pelham said in 2009 the bill does not apply to growth rules adopted as part of city and county comprehensive plans.

A DCA spokesman said the department was analyzing the ruling and would have no further comment.

Representatives of the Florida Home Builders Association and the Florida Chamber of Commerce said they were disappointed by the ruling.

Rebecca O'Hara, legislative director for the Florida League of Cities, said it was unfortunate so much time and money was spent on adopting the bill and then challenging it in court. She said the state offered little defense against the argument that the bill represented an unfunded mandate.

"I think there are going to be a lot of cities and counties and other entities that have to sit down and figure out what that means to them," she said.

(Story provided by the Florida Tribune. Story copyrighted by Bruce Ritchie and FloridaEnvironments.com. Do not copy or redistribute without permission, which can be obtained by contacting brucebritchie@gmail.com.)

Rod Smith, Florida Wildlife Federation support Gainesville biomass plant

Conceptual rendering of American Renewables proposed plant in Gainesville

Former Sen. Rod Smith of Gainesville and the Florida Wildlife Federation are among the individuals and groups voicing their support for a proposed biomass energy plant in Alachua County in advance of a hearing this week.

CFO Alex Sink, who is running for governor with Smith on the ticket as lieutenant governor, supports biomass energy along with Gov. Charlie Crist and Agriculture Commissioner Charles H. Bronson and some environmental groups. Biomass electric plants have faced local opposition in some areas but have begun to make gains in recent months.

American Renewables LLC received preliminary approval in July from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to build a 100-megawatt power plant in Alachua County. The City of Gainesville and the company say the plant will create jobs and convert waste wood into renewable energy.

But former Gainesville Mayor Thomas Bussing has challenged the DEP's site certification for the plant. He and four other Alachua County residents also have filed a legal challenge to DEP's proposed air pollution permit, alleging possible health threats posed by the plant.

A hearing on the site certification began Monday in Gainesville after Smith and Manley Fuller, president of the Florida Wildlife Federation, wrote separately last week to Administrative Law Judge Robert E. Meale offering their support for the project.

"In sum, Gainesville wants and needs the GREC project," Smith wrote. "It is environmentally and fiscally sound and is a prudent choice for the people of Gainesville."

Meale placed the letter on the record, noting that such ex parte communications with a hearing officer are prohibited. Supporters speaking at the hearing this week included representatives of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy and the Florida Municipal Electric Association. The Florida Medical Association has asked the state to "minimize" approval of new biomass incinerators.

(Some story content provided by The Florida Tribune. Story copyrighted by Bruce Ritchie and FloridaEnvironments.com. Do not copy or redistribute without permission, which can be obtained by contacting brucebritchie@gmail.com.)

Florida DEP moving forward on waterways nutrient limits

Florida is moving ahead with adopting its own rules to measure the health of estuaries despite its opposition to a federal proposal to do the same for lakes and rivers, Department of Environmental Protection officials said Tuesday.

Department officials on Tuesday held a hearing in Tallahassee on proposed numeric nutrient criteria, which are specific limits for nitrogen, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a, in estuaries. They replace a narrative criteria in state rules that some environmentalists said were too vague. A representative of one statewide environmental network sharply criticized DEP's proposals for estuaries along the Florida Panhandle.

DEP and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in January 2009 agreed that numeric criteria were needed and the state proposed them for lakes and streams, but then the federal agency later that year agreed with environmental groups to set its own standards. DEP along with utilities, agriculture and industry groups have waged an opposition campaign this year against the federal proposals.

At the Tuesday hearing, Daryll Joyner, DEP's chief of the Bureau of Assessment and Restoration Support, said the department hopes EPA will adopt the criteria for estuaries that the state approves or signal its support to Florida ahead of time.

"Our goal is to reach agreement with EPA on the criteria," Joyner said. "I do want to acknowledge that was our goal [in 2009] on the freshwater criteria, too."

He told the Florida Tribune during a break that DEP can work more closely with affected stakeholders in Florida than the federal agency.

Rod Reardon, of Carollo Engineers, said the state should use a "rational basis" to approach the issue and develop criteria that are "scientifically defensible." His firm produced a report for the Florida Water Environment Association Utility Council last year saying that the proposed freshwater nutrient criteria would cost $700 per household, an estimate that environmentalists dispute.

Linda Young, director of the Clean Water Network of Florida, accused the department during the hearing of painting a false picture of the health of Pensacola Bay and Perdido Bay by saying that existing nitrogen and phosphorus levels protect those waterways. Although DEP scientists said those bays have suffered from fish kills, loss of sea grasses and are lacking other key aquatic life, they said industrial pollution has been reduced and the remaining problems are not caused by nutrient pollution.

"They [DEP officials] will see me in court," Young said during a break in the hearing. "And they're going to hear from the people of Pensacola about it because I'm going to spend the next 10 years of my life going around explaining to people why we are suing the crap out of them and why they need to be pissed off."

Jerry Brooks, director of DEP's Division of Environmental Assessment and Restoration, told the Florida Tribune that the purpose of the hearing was to receive comments such as those from Young. The department also holds hearings in West Palm Beach on Thursday, and in Bunnell and Pinellas Park next week. For the schedule, click here.

(Story provided by the Florida Tribune. Story and photo copyrighted by Bruce Ritchie and FloridaEnvironments.com. Do not copy or redistribute without permission, which can be obtained by contacting brucebritchie@gmail.com.)

New recycling law allows counties to claim more than 100 percent recycling

Bay County could claim that its recycling rate has more than doubled, from 19 to 44 percent, because it burns its waste to produce electricity.

Six Florida counties could claim that they're currently recycling more than 100 percent of their waste under a bill signed into law by Gov. Charlie Crist in May. But the Florida Department of Environmental Protection says it would reject any such claim.

HB 7243 allows counties whose waste is burned to produce electricity to claim recycling credits that could exceed 100 percent, according to a DEP analysis. Because of the change in state law, the state's overall recycling rate could jump from 28 percent to 52 percent.

Supporters said the bill would help the state meet its 75-percent recycling goal as established by the Legislature in a 2008, but they say they didn't know it could allow for such inflated recycling claims. DEP says it won't accept the higher claims until the Legislature has a chance to fix the law.

"You get some absolutely crazy numbers," said Mary Jean Yon, director of DEP's Division of Waste Management.

No Florida county now recycles more than 43 percent of its waste. But eight could claim to be recycling above the 75-percent goal under the new law, according to DEP.

Associated Industries of Florida supported the bill and its waste-to-energy provisions during the legislative session. AIF senior lobbyist Keyna Cory said some tweaking of the state law now is needed.

"It was never our goal to have anything go over 100 percent," Cory said.


Read more at:
http://fltrib.com/articles/counties-could-claim-crazy-recycling-rates-above-100-percent-under-new-law

(Story provided by the Florida Tribune. Story and photo copyrighted by Bruce Ritchie and FloridaEnvironments.com. Do not copy or redistribute without permission, which can be obtained by contacting brucebritchie@gmail.com.)

Crist, Georgia governor flirt with meeting on river dispute

Gov. Charlie Crist says he would be pleased to meet again with the governors of Alabama and Georgia to discuss a water dispute -- after negotiators from the states meet to work on finalizing proposals.

The three states have been battling over water from the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River since 1990. Alabama and Georgia want water for industry and recreation, while Florida wants it to support fish and wildlife in the Apalachicola River and the seafood industry in Apalachicola Bay.

In July 2009, a federal judge told Georgia that he will virtually cut off water supplies to cities around Lake Lanier if Congress does not authorize the use of water from the huge federal reservoir north of Atlanta. The three states agreed in January to a confidentiality agreement that covers their negotiations.

In an e-mail to ACF stakeholders on Monday, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection highlighted portions of U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson's follow-up ruling on July 21, which faulted the Corps of Engineers for not producing an environmental impact statement for its reservoir operations. The judge also denied Florida's claims that endangered and threatened mussels and sturgeon in the Apalachicola River were being harmed.

DEP, in its email update, also mentioned an exchange of letters between Crist and Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue, who wrote on Aug. 2 to Crist and Alabama Gov. Bob Riley to urge that they meet.

"While all three of us are nearing the end of our terms, I firmly believe we can still reach an agreement that would take our predecessors years to accomplish," Perdue wrote. (Click here to download the letter.)

In an Aug. 17 response letter, Crist wrote that he was open to meeting if the negotiating teams "engage in a science-based dialogue with a view toward finding a long-term solution that focuses on conservation of water in both the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers, and ultimately meets the needs of all three states."

"They should work towards finalizing proposals for our review," Crist said.

(Story provided by the Florida Tribune. Story copyrighted by Bruce Ritchie and FloridaEnvironments.com. Do not copy or redistribute without permission, which can be obtained by contacting brucebritchie@gmail.com.)

FSU professor challenges oil spill estimates before Congress

Florida State University oceanography professor Ian MacDonald during testimony before Congress on Thursday challenged federal estimates of the amount of oil spilled by BP into the Gulf of Mexico.

A federal science team earlier this month estimated that 205 million gallons of oil gushed from the BP's Macondo well between April 20 and July 15. The team said 26 percent remained in the environment while another 25 percent had evaporated or been dissolved, another 25 percent had been collected or burned and 24 percent was dispersed either naturally or with chemicals.

NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco told reporters that more than half the oil was "completely gone." But critics say the report underestimates the damage caused by the spill to the Gulf of Mexico.

In his prepared remarks, MacDonald said the report is "misleading and raises more questions than it answers." He said a pie chart that explains the report mixes different categories together and makes sweeping and largely unsupported arguments about the fate of oil in each category.

Earlier in the hearing, a federal official defended the report but said the background data and formulas used in creating the "oil budget" would not be released now. "We're hoping to get it out within two months," said Bill Lehr, a senior scientist NOAA.

But Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass. and chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment, said the public has a right to know right to know the information now.

"If your numbers are wrong, two months from now could be too late for the remedial recommendations that are made to the public," Markey said.

(Story provided by the Florida Tribune. Story copyrighted by Bruce Ritchie and FloridaEnvironments.com. Do not copy or redistribute without permission, which can be obtained by contacting brucebritchie@gmail.com.)

Energy group urges PSC to put off nuclear charges

An environmental group is calling again on the Florida Public Service Commission to reject requests by utilities to charge customers now for proposed nuclear power plants.

The PSC has scheduled a week-long hearing next week on requests from Florida Power & Light Co. and Progress Energy under a 2006 state law that allows utilities to charge in advance for nuclear plants even if they are never built.

FP&L is requesting 33 cents for nuclear development in 2011, down from 67 cents this year, company spokesman Mayco Villafana said. Progress Energy is requesting $5.53 per month, a decrease of $1.46 per month now, Progress spokeswoman Cherie Jacobs said.

Stephen Smith, executive director of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, said Thursday the PSC should delay action for several years because the planned reactors are uncertain as the nuclear industry gets "cold feet" over building new plants. He said the group gave similar testimony in 2009 and 2010 but the PSC rejected it.

"That would be one thing if FP&L and Progress Energy were paying the bill for these four new reactors," Smith told reporters during a conference call. "But they aren't. Because of bad legislation passed several years ago in the Florida state Legislature, it's the Florida consumers who are on the hook."

FP&L is planning two new nuclear units at its Turkey Point power plant to open in 2022 and 2023, Villafana said. He disputed a news report suggesting that the utility is unsure whether it will build the new units and he defended the state's nuclear cost recovery rule.

"Once the permits are obtained, a decision to begin construction will be carefully reviewed," he said in an e-mail. "This approach is the best way for FPL to deliver clean, cost-effective nuclear generation to its customers."

Progress Energy has proposed building a new nuclear plant in Levy County and the first units could be in service in 2021 if federal licensing remains on track, Jacobs said in an e-mail.

"The advanced nuclear cost-recovery legislation in place in Florida makes it possible for our company to pursue the kinds of capital-intensive projects that will help ensure clean and reliable power for our customers, both now and in the future," she said.

(Photo of Turkey Point power plant provided by Florida Power & Light Co.. Story provided by the Florida Tribune. Story copyrighted by Bruce Ritchie and FloridaEnvironments.com. Do not copy or redistribute without permission, which can be obtained by contacting brucebritchie@gmail.com.)

Sen. Constantine, Bane among Florida PSC nominees

Sen. Lee Constantine, R-Altamonte Springs, and former Public Service Commission Executive Director Mary Bane were among seven candidates recommended Thursday to the governor for two upcoming vacancies on the PSC.

The PSC Nominating Council on June 30 passed over commissioners Nancy Argenziano and Nathan A. Skop for reappointment, as some council members cited discord at the commission. Argenziano and Skop said they were ousted because they challenged the control that utilities have had over the commission.

Four of the seven nominated on Thursday also were nominated earlier in June for two other PSC vacancies, but were not picked by Crist. They are Constantine, Bane, former Missouri Public Service Commission member Connie Murray and Florida legislative analyst Kevin Wiehle.

The other three are Eduardo Enrique Balbis, James Baumstark and Julie Imanuel Brown. Balbis is assistant city administrator overseeing utilities in West Palm Beach. Baumstark is a retired vice president of central engineering at the ConEdison electric utility in New York. Brown is vice president and senior legal counsel at First American Corp. in Largo.

In June, Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, said he objected to Bane being considered for the PSC because of text-messaging between agency staff and utility representatives during a Florida Power & Light hearing on a rate hike request. Bane, who left in 2009 after 23 years with the PSC, said the agency took action when she became aware of the problem.

The governor has 30 days to make the appointments but he fails to make a choice then the selection will be made by the nominating council. The job pays $133,036 per year.

New commissioners will take office in January.

(Story provided by the Florida Tribune. Story copyrighted by Bruce Ritchie and FloridaEnvironments.com. Do not copy or redistribute without permission, which can be obtained by contacting brucebritchie@gmail.com.)

Opponents tout survey opposition to federal water quality standards

Critics of proposed federal water quality standards in Florida on Wednesday pointed to new survey results suggesting that a majority of residents oppose them and would vote against candidates who support them. But the question is based on the presumption that the regulations will cost as much as the utilities who are opposing them say they will.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency earlier this year proposed specific numeric limits for nitrogen and phosphorus in Florida waterways. The EPA said Florida waterways have become choked with weeds and algae because the state's narrative standard was too vague. But opponents, including the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, agriculture, utilities and industry groups, say the federal proposal will cost too much and may be impossible to meet.

In a 2009 report for the Florida Water Environment Association Utility Council, Carollo Engineers estimated the proposal could cost sewer utilities up to $50 billion in capital costs and that customers would pay between $673 and $726 more per year. EPA, however, estimated the cost at $130 million -- far less than the utilities estimate.

Results from a Mason-Dixon poll released Wednesday showed that 61 percent of Florida residents were against the regulations if they cost more than $700 per year. "The poll shows supporting these regulations is a loser for anyone trying to get elected or reelected,” Brad Coker, managing director of Mason-Dixon Polling & Research, said in a statement released by opponents.

Sen. Chris Smith, D-Oakland Park, and Rep. Trudi Williams, R-Fort Myers, also were quoted as opposing the placing of additional regulatory costs on residents during these tough economic times.

David Guest, managing attorney in Florida for the nonprofit Earthjustice environmental law firm, responded that he is surprised that not more than 39 percent of those surveyed were either undecided or not opposed. He said households would pay $4 to $5 per month, according to the EPA estimates, for utilities to install the best available technology.

"I think the right poll question is, 'Are you willing to pay $4 or $5 a month to prevent the rivers and lakes around you from turning into toxic, stinking slime with dead fish on top of it?' " he said. "I think you will get [support] better than the 61 percent opposed to it [in the Mason-Dixon survey]."

The EPA issued a statement saying that the state's $57 billion annual tourism industry is at risk because of the environmental threat and that residents "want solutions, not more scare tactics from defenders of the status quo."

(Story provided by the Florida Tribune. Story copyrighted by Bruce Ritchie and FloridaEnvironments.com. Do not copy or redistribute without permission, which can be obtained by contacting brucebritchie@gmail.com.)

Researchers say Gulf oil spill remains long-term threat

University of South Florida scientists said Tuesday they've found oil spread across the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, backing suggestions from scientists that dispersed oil from the BP spill remains an environmental threat.

A federal science team earlier this month issued a report saying that 74 percent of 205 million gallons of leaked oil had been collected or burned, dispersed, evaporated or dissolved. That left more than 50 million gallons that had washed ashore and been collected or remained in the sand and waters.

USF announced Tuesday that scientists aboard the Weatherbird II research vessel this month found oil in water and sediments on the top edge of the DeSoto Canyon about 40 miles southwest of Panama City Beach. That means deep clouds of oil and chemical dispersants from the spill site off Louisiana could be moving up towards the shallower continental shelf along the Panhandle and Florida's west coast where it can affect bottom-dwelling sea creatures, the researchers said. Furthermore, tests suggests that phytoplankton and bacteria were being harmed by the oil spill. The findings suggest that the spill could play a role in the food chain and Gulf ecosystem for years to come.

"We realize the obvious surface oil is gone but that doesn't mean that small droplets of oil don't exist beneath the surface," chemical oceanographer David Hollander said. USF officials said the findings show the need for a coordinated and comprehensive approach for studying the effects of the Gulf spill.

Likewise, the University of Georgia and Georgia Sea Grant on Tuesday released a report stating that up to 79 percent of the oil released during the spill has not been recovered and remains a threat in the Gulf ecosystem.

(Story provided by the Florida Tribune. Story copyrighted by Bruce Ritchie and FloridaEnvironments.com. Do not copy or redistribute without permission, which can be obtained by contacting brucebritchie@gmail.com.)

PSC members continue sparring despite new blood

Two outgoing members of the Florida Public Service Commission on Tuesday accused the remaining PSC veteran of stirring up trouble as two new commissioners watched in silence.

Commission Chairwoman Nancy Argenziano and Commissioner Nathan A. Skop were passed over for reappointment in July as some members of the PSC Nominating Council cited discord on the panel. On Tuesday, the PSC voted to delay action on a request by Florida Power & Light Co. to reconsider the company's rate hike request that was first rejected months ago. But the PSC did vote 2-1 to reject one issue that was part of the request: How much the company has to pay back customers for overestimating fuel costs.

Commissioner Lisa Edgar at one point took the unusual step during the hearing of refusing to accept the gavel from Skop as he sought to second a motion by Argenziano to deny the repayment issue. Skop took a shot at Edgar by saying her refusal reflected the commission's problems as discussed by the PSC Nominating Council.

Edgar said she received a notice from the chairman that action was being delayed. She also said Skop had raised some issues that needed further consideration. Edgar eventually took the gavel and ran the meeting until the FP&L matter was resolved, and she cast the only vote against the motion.

Later, during an internal affairs meeting, Edgar said she now understood that deferral notices from the chairman should be considered "meaningless" if the matters still could be voted on. That prompted an eight-minute rebuttal from Argenziano and Skop as Edgar and new commissioners Art Graham and Ronald Brisé listened.

"It's nothing more than a ruse to create problems at the PSC," said Argenziano, who joined the meeting by telephone. "If that's what commissioner Edgar wants to do, that's fine -- but I'm not going to sit back and be quiet."

Skop brought up past memos written by Edgar and her refusal that morning to accept the gavel. "The pettiness here has to stop," Skop said. "I'm sorry to my new commissioners this has degraded into what it was."

Edgar said after the meeting she was simply questioning the procedure for voting on the FP&L matter earlier in the day. "The ruse was the chairman's office notifying me that the item would be deferred and not voted on, then calling for a vote in front of the camera," Edgar said.

Earlier in the day, Brisé publicly took the oath of office as commissioner although both he and Graham were officially sworn in more than two weeks ago. The commission also agreed to a $25 million cash refund to customers of Tampa Electric Co.'s retail customers. The PSC also agreed to increase cash rebates for customers of the state's seven investor-owned natural gas utilities.

(Story provided by the Florida Tribune. Story copyrighted by Bruce Ritchie and FloridaEnvironments.com. Do not copy or redistribute without permission, which can be obtained by contacting brucebritchie@gmail.com.)

Most oil spill advisories lifted at Florida beaches

State and local officials are asserting that most of the waters off the Panhandle are now safe for swimming.

A number of counties have lifted swimming advisories that had been put in place following the devastating Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

The BP oil spill sent waves of oil onto beaches near Pensacola in July, causing local health officials to issue advisories against swimming in Escambia, Okaloosa and Walton counties. But the gushing well off the Louisiana coast was capped July 15 and state officials say no significant amounts of oil have washed ashore since then.

On Friday, the county health departments in Okaloosa and Walton counties lifted their remaining advisories against swimming. That left Escambia County with the only advisories in place on Monday. Advisories were being lifted on Monday at Pensacola Beach but they were expected to remain for some beaches on Perdido Key in Escambia County, according to the local Health Department.

In lifting the advisories, the local health departments cited studies by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection of water quality and oil in beach sand that apparently indicated swimming is safe. For beaches that were reopened, local health officials cautioned swimmers to be aware that scattered tar balls could continue to wash ashore.

Advisories were never issued for Santa Rosa County beaches because there were only scattered tar balls, said Bill Sirmans, the county's environmental health director.

(Story provided by the Florida Tribune. Story copyrighted by Bruce Ritchie and FloridaEnvironments.com. Do not copy or redistribute without permission, which can be obtained by contacting brucebritchie@gmail.com.)

State finds some money for $52-million solar rebate backlog

A solar energy representative on Monday welcomed state action to pay some of the more than 15,000 in applications that have been filed for solar energy rebates.

The Florida Solar Energy Incentives Program, which began in 2006, paid up to $20,000 for solar electric panels on Florida homes. But the program has received no money from the Legislature since 2008 and expired under state law on June 30. The backlog of $52 million in requested rebates continues to increase as applications for work done before June 30 are received.

On Friday, the Florida Energy and Climate Commission agreed to use $13.9 million in federal stimulus dollars to pay for some of that backlog. The U.S. Department of Energy approved using the federal stimulus money, said Rob Vickers, director of the Governor's Energy Office.

The DOE inspector general in July criticized the federal agency for approving Florida's use of stimulus dollars for work done before Congress approved the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in February 2009. Those applications that will be paid with the new money were received after June 2009.

Vickers said his office would continue to seek additional funding for the rebate program as it becomes available. Some solar energy advocates say the state owes money to those who paid for solar devices and then applied for the rebates, but the state says the payments depended on the availability of money for the program.

Using the $13.9 million is a good start towards paying down the rebate backlog, said Bruce Kershner, executive director of the Florida Solar Energy Industries Association. "I think people made the commitment to renewable energy and the state needs to figure out a way to pay them," he said.

(Story provided by the Florida Tribune. Story and photo copyrighted by Bruce Ritchie and FloridaEnvironments.com. Do not copy or redistribute without permission, which can be obtained by contacting brucebritchie@gmail.com.)

Historical resources director wants Florida Forever to protect historic sites

The state Division of Historical Resources is urging the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to revise its criteria for purchasing conservation lands to help protect threatened historic sites. Florida Forever is the largest land-buying program in the nation though its funding has been sharply cut during the past two years.

Earlier this year, the state Acquisition and Restoration Council established a new state purchase list with five categories, following the requirements of a 2008 state law. At a meeting Friday, Division of Historical Resources Director Scott M. Stroh told fellow council members that none of the five categories is targeted towards protecting historic and cultural sites.

He cited as an example of the problem the Windover Archaeological Site in Brevard County containing graves and artifacts dating to 6000 BC. The 80-acre site lacks ecological significance, Stroh said, but is internationally important as a prehistoric archaeological site.

"These [historic and cultural] sites are places that are not only important culturally but are potentially of great benefit for heritage tourism [and] public education," Stroh said.

ARC Chairman Lane Green said the council agreed to move forward with creating a new category for those sites. "For them to compete on a level playing field they have to have their own category because the others don't fit," Green said.

Also Friday, the council voted to reduce several proposed purchase projects by 7,500 acres and declined to further consider a 3,272-acre proposed new purchase area in St. Johns County.

(Story provided by the Florida Tribune. Story copyrighted by Bruce Ritchie and FloridaEnvironments.com. Do not copy or redistribute without permission, which can be obtained by contacting brucebritchie@gmail.com.)

State panel considers trimming more than 7,500 acres from purchase list

A state panel on Friday will consider removing 7,577 acres from the state conservation lands purchase list because the land has been developed or otherwise is no longer considered desirable.

The Florida Forever conservation land-buying program is the largest in the nation but its funding has been sharply cut the last two years.

Some Republican and Democratic members of the House Natural Resources Appropriations Committee earlier this year criticized the state for buying conservation land that the members said wasn't needed. But the Florida Department of Environmental Protection says it routinely examines proposed projects to determine if all the land on the list still is needed.

Since June 2009, DEP has identified 28,886 acres for removal from the state purchase list, Jennifer Stan Diaz, a DEP spokeswoman, said in an e-mail. Richard Hilsenbeck, director of conservation projects at The Nature Conservancy, said the reductions were OK.

On Friday, the state Acquisition and Restoration Council will vote on removing 3,612 acres at Deland Ridge in Volusia County and Ross Prairie in Marion County. They are part of Longleaf Pine Ecosystem project, which would still would have half of the 23,188 acres remaining left to be purchased.

In Alachua and Levy counties, DEP identified 3,125 acres around Watermelon Pond that have been developed and should be removed from the purchase list. About half of the 12,083-acre purchase area has been acquired by the state. ARC also will consider reductions totaling 981 acres at three other purchase projects around the state.

The council also will receive public testimony on proposed new projects: A 54,126-acre conservation easement in Dixie County along the lower Suwannee River and the Gulf of Mexico, a 16,510-acre conservation easement at Horse Creek Ranch in Desoto and Hardee counties, and 3,272 acres in St. Johns County near Interstate 95 and State Road 206. The meeting will be held at DEP's Marjory Stoneman Douglas Building, 3900 Commonwealth Boulevard.

(Story provided by the Florida Tribune. Story copyrighted by Bruce Ritchie and FloridaEnvironments.com. Do not copy or redistribute without permission, which can be obtained by contacting brucebritchie@gmail.com.)

First family to visit PC Beach; Oil spill research grants awarded

The White House on Thursday gave more details about the pending visit of President Barack Obama and his family to Panama City Beach.

The president and First Lady Michelle Obama will travel to Panama City Beach on Saturday and will join area small business owners, elected officials and Navy Secretary Ray Mabus for a roundtable discussion on the BP oil spill recovery. The family will leave on Sunday.

Area officials say tourism has suffered because of negative images of oil washing ashore from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The first lady visited Panama City Beach on July 13 and urged Americans to visit the Gulf to support struggling businesses.

Also Thursday, the Florida Institute of Oceanography awarded 27 grants from $10 million provided by BP for research into effects of the oil spill, which began in April. FIO is a consortium of public and private marine science centers and institutes in Florida.

Researchers will examine the effects of the oil and dispersants on reefs, corals and salt marshes along with examining how coastal and marine food webs, from plankton to sharks, have fared in the disaster, according to a statement from FIO.

Other research efforts will focus on oyster habitats, the impact on the bottlenose dolphin population in Panhandle waters and the status of diatoms and nanoplankton which make up the base of the Gulf food web. One joint project by the University of South Florida, Florida State University and the University of Miami will seek to establish a coordinated approach to oil spill tracking.

(Story provided by the Florida Tribune. Story copyrighted by Bruce Ritchie and FloridaEnvironments.com. Do not copy or redistribute without permission, which can be obtained by contacting brucebritchie@gmail.com.)

Feds open more Gulf waters off Florida to fishing

Florida officials on Tuesday welcomed the reopening of 5,144 square miles of federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico that had been closed to fishing because of the BP oil spill.

Federal waters are beyond state waters, which extend 10.36 miles into the Gulf. The re-opened area, which is almost the size of Connecticut, extends from Cape San Blas west to East Bay near Pensacola. (View the map at http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/deepwater_horizon_oil_spill.htm )

"The federal waters off beautiful Northwest Florida are once again open for fishing, and Florida’s commercial and recreational fishermen are eager to get back to work," Gov. Charlie Crist said in a written statement. "I join them in celebrating this much-needed boost to our economy and quality of life."

The area was reopened based on tests of fish collected between June 27 and July 20, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Federal waters off about 40 miles of the coast to the Alabama state line remain closed.

Earlier in the day, Agriculture Commissioner Charles H. Bronson kept up his blame of the news media for harming the safety reputation of Gulf seafood.

ABC News on Monday featured a shrimper in Louisiana who said he wouldn't sell shrimp that he caught from an area that had been reopened because he said they have oil on them. NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco told reporters during a conference call she was not familiar with the report. "As far as I'm aware, areas we have re-opened are safe," she said.

Referring to the ABC News report during a Cabinet meeting, Bronson said, "I can tell you what they did for the industry was terrible." He said there had been no incidents of contaminated seafood in Florida. And he said he hopes the national media would be selective in not "reporting the whole Gulf of Mexico as having a problem -- as they did early on." Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Michael Sole also called the ABC report "unfortunate."

The remaining federal waters off Florida's coast could be reopened in a few weeks if test results show the fish is safe to eat, said Roy Crabtree, southeast regional administrator of the NOAA Fisheries Service.

(Story provided by the Florida Tribune. Story copyrighted by Bruce Ritchie and FloridaEnvironments.com. Do not copy or redistribute without permission, which can be obtained by contacting brucebritchie@gmail.com.)

Senate Democratic leader opposes septic tank inspections

Sen. Al Lawson, D-Tallahassee, voted for SB 550 in a committee and on the Senate floor. But on Tuesday, he released a statement saying that during the upcoming special session he wants lawmakers to remove the bill's requirement that septic tanks be inspected once every five years.

The bill resulted from hearings held across the state by the Senate Select Committee on Florida's Inland Waters. Senators on the committee, including Lawson, heard concerns about how springs and waterways were becoming choked with weeds and algae because of phosphorus and nitrogen in wastewater and stormwater runoff.

SB 550 by Sen. Lee Constantine, R-Altamonte Springs, was amended by the Senate Policy and Steering Committee on Ways and Means on April 22 to require septic tank inspections statewide every five years. Lawson voted for the bill in the committee and on the 34-4 final passage in the Senate on April 29.

Lawson, who is challenging U. S. Rep. Allen Boyd in the Democratic primary for Congress, said Tuesday in a written statement that the inspections could cost $500 per household. “As a long time advocate for environmental preservation, the protection of the springs is critically important to me," Lawson said. "But so too is the protection of our families and their ability to stay afloat in conditions teetering perilously close to the Great Depression.”

He later told the Florida Tribune that he had asked Constantine whether there were any mandates on homeowners in the bill and had been told there were none.

Sam Averett of the Florida Onsite Wastewater Association Inc., a group of septic tank installers, said he expects inspections to cost between $200 and $350.

And Constantine said the bill was openly amended and debated -- and he expects the price of inspections to go down further. "Al Lawson is a good friend of mine," Constantine said on Tuesday. "I'm not going to get into a disagreement with him over this. I understand he is in a tough political race."

(Story provided by the Florida Tribune. Story copyrighted by Bruce Ritchie and FloridaEnvironments.com. Do not copy or redistribute without permission, which can be obtained by contacting brucebritchie@gmail.com.)

Park visits drop after fee increases

Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park

Did a 60-percent entrance fee increase at some of Florida's most popular state parks turn some visitors away last year?

The number of park visitors decreased from 21.4 million in fiscal year 2008-09 to 20.1 million in 2009-10, according to parks data requested by the Florida Tribune. The 6-percent decline followed entrance fee increases from $5 to $8 per carload at some popular state parks.

And while there were fewer visitors this past year, the park system collected more revenue than the year before in part because of those increases -- $52.7 million compared to $43.6 million in 2008-09.

Park officials last year described the entrance fee increases as "modest." This year, they said a combination of factors -- including a cold winter and short spring -- could have turned some people away.

"You know, it's really hard to tell," said Donald V. Forgione, director of the Florida Park Service.

Park officials also noted that attendance had broken records in the three previous years.

Last year, Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Michael Sole said the fee increase was needed to allow park visitors to pay more of the cost for operating state parks.

Rep. Ralph Poppell, chairman of the House Natural Resources Appropriations Committee, said he agrees with that strategy. But he also said the down economy could be affecting visitation.

"If in fact it looks as though some of the actions taken last year are not working exactly, then we should take another look at it," said Poppell, R-Vero Beach.

More than half of the drop in visitation occurred at eight of the state's 10 most visited parks.

Seven of those popular parks had their entrance fees increased to $8. But they also could have been most affected by the cold weather this past winter because they are beaches.

The largest decreases in monthly attendance statewide occurred December through March.

Top 10 state parks: (FY2009-10 visitors) (change from 08-09)
Honeymoon Island 1,119,837 (-13.6%)
St. Andrews 809,986 (-11.3%)
Cape Florida 766,384 (-15.6%)
Gasparilla Island 734,113 (-13.3%)
Pennekamp Coral Reef 721,091 (-9.3%)
Lover's Key 742,643 (-0.1%)
Anastasia 602,093 (+0.1%)
Bahia Honda 484,070 (-6.7%)
Stump Pass Beach 471,305 (-8.7%)
Delnor-Wiggins Pass 403,183 (-18%)

(Photo courtesy of the state Division of Parks and Recreation. Story provided by the Florida Tribune. Story copyrighted by Bruce Ritchie and FloridaEnvironments.com. Do not copy or redistribute without permission, which can be obtained by contacting brucebritchie@gmail.com.)

State panel wants answers from BP on $20-billion escrow

Members of an oil spill task force appointed by Gov. Charlie Crist grilled a BP representative Monday about how claims would be paid from the $20 billion escrow account established by the company.

BP reached an agreement with President Barack Obama in June to establish the account to pay claims arising from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The company announced Monday that it had formally established the account and made a $3 billion initial deposit into it. Associate U.S. Attorney General Tom Perrelli said Monday the company still needs to ensure that necessary funds will be available if something happens to the BP subsidiary that established the trust fund.

Members of the BP Claims Process Working Group of the Oil Spill Economic Recovery Task Force echoed concerns of speakers that local governments and commercial fishermen along with hotel and restaurant workers affected by the spill would have to compete for money from the fund.

Florida also may find itself competing against Louisiana and other Gulf Coast states for a share of the $20 billion, said Sen. Al Lawson, D-Tallahassee.

BP Deputy Incident Commander Mary Shafer-Maliki said she needs find out if the $20 billion will provide only for private sector claims or if it will also pay for the government oil spill response costs. She also said the $20 billion isn't a limit of how much the company will pay -- just an initial deposit.

But Lawson said Florida needs to know how much money could be set aside for Florida. "I would like to see Florida get its fair share of the $20 billion," he said.

Monroe County Commissioner Mario Di Gennaro said the panel wants answers from BP to questions that have been asked at recent meetings. "We want to have solid answers -- yes or no, very cut and dry," he said. "Not, 'We're still working on it' and so forth.' "

(Story provided by the Florida Tribune. Story copyrighted by Bruce Ritchie and FloridaEnvironments.com. Do not copy or redistribute without permission, which can be obtained by contacting brucebritchie@gmail.com.)

Study finds Florida, Alabama beach cleanups are "superficial"

A University of South Florida study on Thursday described the cleanup of oiled beaches on the Florida Panhandle and Alabama as "superficial" because oil remains buried within sand.

The BP oil well in the Gulf of Mexico pushed mats of oil onto Escambia beaches in early July and scattered reports of tar balls continue. On Thursday, BP announced it had completed pouring cement into the well, which has been temporarily capped since July 15.

With less oil in the water, state officials announced Thursday they are going from full activation of the state Emergency Operations Center to partial activation.

USF researchers have been studying the beach cleanup since tar balls began washing ashore in Florida in early June. Researchers found that oil remained beneath the surface layer of sand even on those beaches that had been cleaned. They also found ground up pieces of hardened oil on some of those beaches.

Unless further cleanup is conducted, it may take years for the beaches to return to their former pristine conditions, USF beach geologist Ping Wang said. "What is really their goal to clean up?" he said. "They can't tell us their goal is to clean the beach up to pristine. If that is their goal they failed miserably."

BP and federal agencies now are developing a plan for returning to those beaches for a deeper cleaning, which could include washing sand to remove oil, said Christine Beekman, lead public information officer at the BP-federal Joint Information Center in Mobile, Ala.

"In this case only superficially clean is not necessarily a bad thing," she said. "There were private landowners as well as federal land agencies that needed that quick cleanup of the surface." A BP spokeswoman said the company is committed to cleaning up the beaches.

(Story provided by the Florida Tribune. Story copyrighted by Bruce Ritchie and FloridaEnvironments.com. Do not copy or redistribute without permission, which can be obtained by contacting brucebritchie@gmail.com.)

Oil spill lessons include benefit of dispersants, Florida DEP chief says

The use of chemical dispersants against the oil spill was a benefit to Florida with no drawbacks, Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Michael Sole told a House work group on Wednesday.

House Speaker Larry Cretul appointed work groups last month to recommend possible legislation in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill off the Louisiana coast. Sole spoke Monday on a conference call with the group that is dealing with preparation for future disasters and is chaired by Rep. Trudi Williams, R-Fort Myers.

BP used nearly 2 million gallons of dispersants to help break up the oil spill since April 20 but none was sprayed off Florida, according to DEP. U.S. Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., said BP "often carpet-bombed the ocean with these chemicals" but the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says they were less toxic than the oil itself.

On the Wednesday conference call, Sole was asked by House members to discuss lessons learned from the federal and state response to the oil spill and he covered several topics. He said the use of dispersants helped prevent more oil from reaching Panhandle beaches from the spill site 120 miles away.

"We really didn't get any of the adverse impacts of dispersants," he said. "We just got all of the benefit."

Sole also credited Florida with not erecting barriers to protect the coast from oil. "There were a lot of really bad ideas implemented in other states just because of the fear," he said. "I hate to say it harshly, but it's true."

He was critical of the federal government for closing as much as one-third of the Gulf to fishing at one time and said areas were closed where there was no oil found, affecting the seafood industry in Florida. While he said the intent was to protect the reputation of Gulf seafood, he added that people nationwide are afraid now of eating it anyway. Williams chimed in, "It seems when they (federal officials) can use a fly swatter, they use a bomb. They are so far over-reaching in everything they do."

Sole also said the state should have pushed earlier for the Coast Guard and BP to open a Florida command office rather than relying the Mobile, Ala. district office to coordinate the oil spill response. And he said the federal government should have oil-skimming boats and protective boom in place in the state to deal with future oil spills even if Florida maintains its ban against drilling in state waters, which extend only 10.3 miles from shore.

"Why should the state of Florida take on that obligation?" he said.

(U.S. Air Force Photo by Tech. Sgt. Adrian Cadiz. Story provided by the Florida Tribune. Story copyrighted by Bruce Ritchie and FloridaEnvironments.com. Do not copy or redistribute without permission.)

Sole says leaving Florida DEP was a "tough choice"

Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Michael Sole said Wednesday that his absence from the department since the oil spill and the temporary capping of the well on July 15 hastened his departure from the agency.

Sole told Gov. Charlie Crist on Monday that he is leaving the department on Sept. 10 to seek other opportunities. Sole didn't discuss those opportunities during a conference call Wednesday with a House work group looking into the oil spill.

But he did note that he had spent more than 100 days at the state Emergency Operations Center since the spill began in April while Deputy Secretary Mimi Drew had been pretty much running the department. Crist named her to become interim secretary on Sept. 10.

With the leaking oil well increasingly under control, Sole said he made the decision to leave now rather than to go back to his "day job" at DEP for a couple more months until a new governor takes office. "It was a tough choice -- not an easy one for me having been there 20 years," he said. "Unfortunately I knew that day would come as soon I put my name in the hat for this job."

Replied, Rep. Trudi Williams, R-Fort Myers: "You're the best DEP secretary we've had in a long time. … I hate to see you go. Mimi is going to do a great job."

(Story provided by the Florida Tribune. Story copyrighted by Bruce Ritchie and FloridaEnvironments.com. Do not copy or redistribute without permission, which can be obtained by contacting brucebritchie@gmail.com.)

With 'static kill' working, feds report half of oil is gone

BP and the Coast Guard on Wednesday took another big step towards permanently sealing an oil well that gushed into the Gulf of Mexico from April 20 to July 15.

Meanwhile, a federal science team issued a report suggesting that about one-fourth of the 205 million gallons that leaked from the well had been collected or burned while another fourth had naturally evaporated or been absorbed.

BP and the Coast Guard said a "static kill" operation that was begun on Tuesday revealed that pumping mud into the capped well had eliminated pressure from the oil reservoir.

"Ding dong, the witch is dead," Florida emergency management director David Halstead said to applause during a morning briefing at the state Emergency Operations Center. "The well is killed. It's done. It's not coming back."

Actually, he acknowledged that BP and Coast Guard officials said the well would not be killed until relief wells are completed later this month. Halstead also staffing at the EOC may be reduced this weekend and that the emergency declaration could be revised soon to include only Panhandle counties.

The federal scientific team estimated that 25 percent of the 205 million gallons of oil spilled was collected by burning, skimming or direct pumping from the gushing wellhead. Another quarter naturally evaporated or dissolved.

Twenty-four percent has been converted into microscopic droplets either naturally or as a result of using chemical dispersants. Another 26 percent is on or below the Gulf surface as light sheen, has been washed up on shore and has been collected or has been buried in sediments, the report said.

The miscroscopic droplets of oil are undergoing "rapid degradation," NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco told reporters at the White House. She also said research vessels are trying to determine the locations of the oil. "We will be following the impacts of oil in the Gulf for years if not for decades," she said.

(Story provided by the Florida Tribune. Story copyrighted by Bruce Ritchie and FloridaEnvironments.com. Do not copy or redistribute without permission, which can be obtained by contacting brucebritchie@gmail.com.)

Florida's environmental chief says he's leaving for "other opportunities"

DEP's Mike Sole speaks to reporters on June 1 as Gov. Charlie Crist, right, looks on.

After working nearly 20 years rising through the ranks at the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Secretary Michael Sole told Gov. Charlie Crist on Monday he is leaving the department on Sept. 10 to pursue other opportunities.

Representatives of counties, regulated industries and some environmental groups praised Sole's tenure as head of the department since 2006. His departure isn't a complete surprise since Crist is seeking a U. S. Senate seat and is not seeking re-election as governor.

Sole, who has helped lead the state's response to the Gulf oil spill since the session ended in April, did not say where he was going after he leaves DEP. However, in his letter to Crist, he did cite the capping of the well.

"Now that the … well has been capped, and Florida is on the road to recovery, it is necessary for me to announce my departure date of Sept. 10, 2010," Sole said.

He was appointed DEP secretary by Crist in December 2006 after having served as deputy secretary for regulatory programs and energy, chief of staff and director of the Division of Waste Management.

In a news release, Crist said he's naming Mimi Drew as interim secretary beginning on Sept. 10. She has been DEP's director of regulatory programs.

The governor, in a written statement, praised Sole for work on behalf of Everglades restoration, climate change and energy conservation -- as well as the oil spill.

Read more at the Florida Tribune:
http://fltrib.com/articles/floridas-top-environmental-regulator-stepping-down

(Story provided by the Florida Tribune. Story and photo copyrighted by Bruce Ritchie and FloridaEnvironments.com. Do not copy or redistribute without permission, which can be obtained by contacting brucebritchie@gmail.com.)

Florida officials hope "static kill" can lead to reduced state response

Florida officials said Monday they were looking forward to BP's plans for a "static kill" operation to permanently seal the oil well that gushed from April 20 to July 15.

State and federal officials said they had reduced the number of workers cleaning up oil from beaches. Alabama lifted advisories against swimming on Friday, but beaches in Florida remained under advisories in Escambia, Okaloosa and Walton counties. BP expects to begin the "static kill" operation Tuesday and will determine whether to continue or instead use a relief well next week or use both approaches to permanently kill the well.

"So far every sign we have seen and heard is there is an expectation they will be successful -- so we go in with a very positive outlook," Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Michael Sole said.

During a morning briefing at the state Emergency Operations Center, Sole also said finding oil on the surface was increasingly difficult in the Gulf. He said there was "light" amount of tar balls washing ashore along Panhandle beaches.

State emergency management Director David Halstead said success at permanently killing the oil well could lead this week to rolling back the emergency declaration that now covers 24 counties or reducing the activation level at the state Emergency Operations Center.

(U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Sara Francis. Story provided by the Florida Tribune. Story copyrighted by Bruce Ritchie and FloridaEnvironments.com. Do not copy or redistribute without permission, which can be obtained by contacting brucebritchie@gmail.com.)