The Department is initiating rulemaking to establish Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for certain Florida surface waters, where those waters previously have been identified as impaired for specific pollutants and included ....

 

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

RULE NOS.:RULE TITLES:

62-304.100Scope and Intent

62-304.305Ochlockonee River Basin TMDLs

62-304.400 Upper Suwannee Basin TMDLs

62-304.415Lower St. Johns River Basin TMDLs

62-304.500Ocklawaha River Basin TMDLs

62-304.505Middle St. Johns River Basin TMDLs

62-304.515Kissimmee River Basin TMDLs

62-304.600Tampa Bay Basin TMDLs

62-304.625Peace River Basin TMDLs

62-304.640Withlacoochee River Basin TMDLs

62-304.810Everglades West Coast Basin TMDLs

PURPOSE AND EFFECT: The Department is initiating rulemaking to establish Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for certain Florida surface waters, where those waters previously have been identified as impaired for specific pollutants and included on the Department’s verified list of impaired waters. Pursuant to Section 403.067(6), F.S., TMDLs must be adopted in rule by the Secretary of the Department. Chapter 62-304, F.A.C., was established as the rule chapter within which rules adopting TMDLs shall reside. In accordance with paragraph 62-302.531(2)(a), F.A.C., any of these rules which establish nutrient TMDLs, if adopted, may constitute site specific numeric interpretations of the narrative nutrient criterion set forth in paragraph 62-302.530(48)(b), F.A.C., that will supersede the otherwise applicable numeric nutrient criteria in subsection 62-302.531(2), F.A.C., for the particular surface water segment.

SUBJECT AREA TO BE ADDRESSED: TMDLs and their allocations will be established for the pollutants identified in the Department’s verified list of impaired waters as causing the impairment for certain impaired waters in the above listed basin. The Department will hold at least one public workshop in the vicinity of each water body or water body segment for which a TMDL is being developed to be noticed at a later date.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY: 403.061, 403.067 FS.

LAW IMPLEMENTED: 403.061, 403.062, 403.067 FS.

THE PERSON TO BE CONTACTED REGARDING THE PROPOSED RULE DEVELOPMENT AND A COPY OF THE PRELIMINARY DRAFT, IF AVAILABLE, IS: Kevin O’Donnell, Division of Environmental Assessment and Restoration, Water Quality Evaluation and TMDL Program, Mail Station 3555, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, 2600 Blair Stone Road, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2400, telephone: [phone].

THE PRELIMINARY TEXT OF THE PROPOSED RULE DEVELOPMENT IS NOT AVAILABLE.