62-330.453. General Permit for Installation, Maintenance, Repair, and Removal of Underground Utility Lines

(1) A general permit is granted for the installation, maintenance, repair, and removal of underground utility lines, cable, conduit, or pipeline transmitting electricity, communication signals, potable water, raw water, reclaimed water, domestic wastewater, propane gas or natural gas.

(2) For the purposes of this general permit:

(a) “Directional drilling” means the linear or curvilinear excavation of a tunnel or conduit, in any direction, through the use of drilling equipment that can change direction during excavation; this also includes borehole reaming and pulling following primary drilling.

(b) “Jack-and-bore” means the linear, primarily lateral excavation of a tunnel, typically between excavated subgrade pits, through use of drilling equipment and encasement which is advanced under mechanical force, and includes similar methods commonly termed as “microtunneling.”

(c) “Frac-out” means any release of drilling fluid or slurry which results in above-grade discharge of drilling fluid or slurry or significant loss of such fluid or slurry into the surrounding parent material.

(3) This general permit is limited as follows:

(a) No work occurs within Outstanding Florida Waters, Aquatic Preserves, or Class I waters.

(b) The installation of conduit or pipeline to drain wetlands or other surface waters is not authorized.

(c) Prior to work, existing pipelines shall be evacuated of substances which, if released, could result in a violation of state water quality standards.

(d) The maximum width of the disturbed corridor in wetlands shall not exceed 30 feet.

(e) The total area of forested wetland disturbance shall not exceed 0.5 acre per ten miles of cable, conduit, or pipeline.

(f) Minor above-grade improvements may be constructed in uplands under this general permit, but shall be limited to vents, valves, meter assemblies, relays, junction boxes, pads or similar structures that are directly connected to the utility line, do not create discharges, and which cumulatively comprise no more than 100 square feet of impervious surfaces per mile of utility line.

(g) Installation, maintenance, repair, and removal activities performed via trenching or methods other than directional drilling or jack-and-bore, are subject to the following special conditions:

1. The maximum width of the excavated trench shall not exceed eight feet, with temporary spoil storage banks not to exceed ten feet in width;

2. For a trench with a top width greater than three feet in herbaceous wetlands, the upper layer of the soil horizon shall initially be scraped and segregated into a spoil bank that is separated from the spoil bank resulting from the excavation of the trench for the utility line. The upper layer of the soil horizon shall be replaced as the last step of restored grades to facilitate natural revegetation;

3. Trenching in surface waters shall be limited to wetlands, artificial waters, and residential canal systems; and

4. Temporary spoil banks shall contain breaches that prevent impoundment or restriction of surface water flows;

(h) Installation, maintenance, repair, and removal conducted using directional drilling or jack-and-bore methods are subject to the following special conditions:

1. The maximum outside diameter of the cable, conduit or pipeline, including encasement, shall not exceed 30 inches.

2. A minimum depth of cover, equal to the greater of either five feet, or five times the maximum encased diameter of the utility line to be installed, shall be maintained between the top of the utility line and casing and the soil surface or submerged bottom of any wetland or waterbody being crossed.

3. All work areas associated with directional drilling or jack-and-bore activities, including entrance and exit pits, drill rigs, tanks, pumps, drilling fluid mixing and settling pits, dewatering systems and staging areas for pipe, cables, and drill string, shall be located within uplands.

4. The use of drilling fluids shall not cause or contribute to a violation of state ground water quality criteria or standards, as defined in chapter 62-520, F.A.C.

5. The permittee shall, at least 48 hours prior to commencement of any directional drilling or jack-and-bore activities, submit to the agency the name, as registered with the Florida Department of State, and all-hours telephone contact information of all contractors responsible for drilling and for containment and cleanup in the event of a drilling fluid frac-out or spill.

6. The contractor shall, at all times during directional drilling activities, maintain appropriate equipment and materials in a readily-accessible location and condition, to effectively contain and clean up a drilling fluid frac-out or spill.

7. The permittee or the permittee’s contractor shall, at all times during directional drilling activities, ensure that appropriately-trained personnel monitor downhole equipment position, drilling fluid circulation and pressures, and actively monitor the entire utility line route for surface frac-out of drilling fluids.

8. Drilling activities shall be discontinued and the drilling fluid or slurry shall be contained using appropriate methods as soon as possible, in the event of a drilling fluid frac-out or spill. Removal of drilling fluid or slurry from wetlands and other surface waters shall be initiated and completed in the most expeditious manner practicable. Removed drilling fluid shall be contained or disposed of in an appropriate upland location. Any frac-out or spill of drilling fluid into wetlands or other surface waters shall be reported to Agency staff within 24 hours following detection of the spill or frac-out.

(i) Utilities must be located a minimum of 14 feet below the authorized depth of a federal navigation channel.

Rulemaking Authority 373.026(7), 373.043, 373.118(1), 373.406(5), 373.4131, 373.414(9), 373.418, 403.805(1) FS. Law Implemented 373.118(1), 373.406(5), 373.413, 373.4131, 373.414(9), 373.416, 373.418, 403.814(1) FS. History–New 10-3-95, Formerly 62-341.453, Amended 10-1-13, 6-1-18.