Notice of Development of Rulemaking

WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS
South Florida Water Management District
RULE NO: RULE TITLE
40E-4.041: Permits Required
40E-4.042: Formal Determination of Wetlands and Other Surface Waters
40E-4.051: Exemptions From Permitting
40E-4.301: Conditions for Issuance of Permits
40E-4.302: Additional Conditions for Issuance of Permits
40E-4.361: Conversion from Construction Phase to Operation Phase
PURPOSE AND EFFECT: To develop more specific Exemptions or Noticed General Permits or other rule or criteria revisions for Florida Department of Transportation Projects for adding paved shoulders to meet safety standards, extending existing culverts, in kind bridge replacements, addition of pedestrian or bicycle facilities, and other existing design criteria that are not necessarily appropriate for roadway projects. The proposed rule will also amend existing design criteria within the “Basis of Review for Environmental Resource Permit Applications Within the South Florida Water Management District” for roadway projects.
SUBJECT AREA TO BE ADDRESSED: Exemptions, Noticed and/or No Notice General Permits and existing design criteria within the “Basis of Review for Environmental Resource Permit Applications Within the South Florida Water Management District”.
SPECIFIC AUTHORITY: 373.043, 373.044, 373.113, 373.171, 373.406(5), 373.414(9), 373.421(2) FS.
LAW IMPLEMENTED: 373.042, 373.103, 373.406, 373.409, 373.413, 373.414, 373.416, 373.421(2), 373.426, 380.23, 403.813(2) FS.
A RULE DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP WILL BE HELD AT THE DATE, TIME AND PLACE SHOWN BELOW:
DATE AND TIME: March 27, 2007, 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
PLACE: South Florida Water Management District Headquarters, Bill Storch Conference Room, 3301 Gun Club Road, West Palm Beach, FL 33406
Pursuant to the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, any person requiring special accommodations to participate in this workshop/meeting is asked to advise the agency at least 5 days before the workshop/meeting by contacting: South Florida Water Management District Clerk’s Office, (800)432-2045, ext. 2087 or (561)682-2087. If you are hearing or speech impaired, please contact the agency using the Florida Relay Service, 1(800)955-8771 (TDD) or 1(800)955-8770 (Voice).
THE PERSON TO BE CONTACTED REGARDING THE PROPOSED RULE DEVELOPMENT AND A COPY OF THE PRELIMINARY DRAFT, IF AVAILABLE, IS: Damon Meiers, Deputy Director, Environmental Resource Regulation Department, South Florida Water Management District, P. O. Box 24680, West Palm Beach, FL 33416-4680, (800)432-2045, ext. 6876 or (561)682-6876, email: dmeiers@sfwmd.gov. For procedural questions, contact: Jan Sluth, Paralegal, South Florida Water Management District, P. O. Box 24680, West Palm Beach, FL 33416-4680, (800)432-2045, ext. 6299 or (561)682-6299, email: jsluth@sfwmd.gov

THE PRELIMINARY TEXT OF THE PROPOSED RULE DEVELOPMENT IS:

40E-4.041 Permits Required.

(1) through (3) No change.

(4) The District issues two types of mitigation bank environmental resource permits: conceptual approvals and individual permits, pursuant to Section 4.4 of the Basis of Review for Environmental Resource Permit Applications within the South Florida Water Management District”, incorporated by reference in Rule 40E-4.091, F.A.C November 1996. A conceptual approval does not authorize the establishment or operation of the mitigation bank. A mitigation bank individual permit authorizes the establishment and operation of a mitigation bank and constitutes authorization pursuant to Chapters 40E-4, 40E-40, or 40E-400, F.A.C., as applicable, to construct any surface water management system proposed as part of the mitigation bank.

Specific Authority 373.044, 373.113, 373.406(5) FS. Law Implemented 373.103, 373.413, 373.416, 373.426 FS. History–New 9-3-81, Amended 12-1-82, Formerly 16K-4.03(1), 16K-4.07(1), 16K-4.09(1), Amended 1-23-94, 4-20-94, 10-3-95, 4-1-96, 1-7-97,_________.

 

40E-4.042 Formal Determination of Wetlands and Other Surface Waters.

(1) through (2) No change.

(3) The process and procedures for filing a petition for a formal determination of wetlands and other surface waters are set forth in Section 4.5 of the Basis of Review for Environmental Resource Permit Applications Within the South Florida Water Management District August 1995”, and are incorporated by reference in Rule 40E-4.091, F.A.C. this rule.

(4) through (5) No change.

Specific Authority 373.043, 373.113, 373.421(2) FS. Law Implemented 373.421(2) FS. History–New 10-3-95, Amended _________.

 

40E-4.051 Exemptions from Permitting.

(1) through (10) No change.

(11) Minor Roadway Safety Projects.

The construction of the following minor roadway safety projects provided that the capacity of existing swales, ditches, or other stormwater management systems is not reduced; the projects are not located within wetlands or other surface waters; and the projects include best management practices during construction to prevent secondary impacts in adjacent wetlands or other surface waters due to erosion and sedimentation:

(a) Sidewalks that have a width of six feet or less,

(b) Turnlanes less than 0.25 miles in length and other intersection improvements,

(c) Road widening and shoulder paving projects which do not result in the creation of additional traffic lanes.

(12) Recreational Paths.

Recreational paths that are not located within wetlands or other surface waters; include best management practices during construction to prevent secondary impacts in adjacent wetlands or other surface waters due to erosion and sedimentation; that have a width of eight feet or less for unidirectional paths and twelve feet or less for bidirectional paths; and which do not allow motorized vehicles powered by internal combustion engines except for maintenance and emergency vehicles.

Specific Authority 373.044, 373.113, 373.171 FS. Law Implemented 373.406, 373.413, 373.416, 403.813(2) FS. History–New 9-3-81, Amended 1-31-82, 3-9-83, Formerly 16K-4.02, Amended 4-20-94, 10-3-95, 5-28-00, 9-2-01, 4-14-03,_________.

 

40E-4.301 Conditions for Issuance of Permits.

(1) No change.

(2) If the applicant is unable to meet water quality standards because existing ambient water quality does not meet standards, the applicant must comply with the requirements set forth in subsection 4.2.4.5 of the Basis of Review for Environmental Resource Permit Applications Within the South Florida Water Management District”, incorporated by reference in Rule 40E-4.091, F.A.C. November 1996

(3) The standards and criteria, including the mitigation provisions, and the provisions for elimination or reduction of impacts, contained in the Basis of Review for Environmental Resource Permit Applications Within the South Florida Water Management District, incorporated November 1996adopted by reference in Rule 40E-4.091, F.A.C., shall determine whether the reasonable assurances required by subsection 40E-4.301(1) and Rule 40E-4.302, F.A.C., have been provided.

(4) No change.

Specific Authority 373.044, 373.113 FS. Law Implemented 373.413, 373.416, 373.426 FS. History–New 9-3-81, Amended 1-31-82, 12-1-82, Formerly 16K-4.035(2), 16K-4.30, Amended 7-1-86, 3-24-87, 4-14-87, 7-9-87, 4-21-88, 4-20-94, 10-3-95, 4-1-96, 1-7-97, _________.

 

40E-4.302 Additional Conditions for Issuance of Permits.

(1) No change.

(a) Located in, on, or over wetlands or other surface waters will not be contrary to the public interest, or if such an activity significantly degrades or is within an Outstanding Florida Water, that the activity will be clearly in the public interest, as determined by balancing the following criteria as set forth in subsections 4.2.3. through 4.2.3.7 of the Basis of Review for Environmental Resource Permit Applications Within the South Florida Water Management District”, incorporated by reference in Rule 40E-4.091, F.A.C:

1. through 7. No change.

(b) Will not cause unacceptable cumulative impacts upon wetlands and other surface waters as set forth in subsections 4.2.8. through 4.2.8.2 of the Basis of Review for Environmental Resource Permit Applications Within the South Florida Water Management District”, incorporated by reference in Rule 40E-4.091, F.A.C.

(c) Located in, adjacent to or in close proximity to Class II waters or located in Class II waters or Class III waters classified by the Department as approved, restricted or conditionally restricted for shellfish harvesting as set forth and incorporated in Chapter 62R-7, F.A.C., will comply with the additional criteria in subsection 4.2.5 of the Basis of Review for Environmental Resource Permit Applications Within the South Florida Water Management District”, incorporated adopted by reference in Rule 40E-4.091, F.A.C.

(d) Which constitute vertical seawalls in estuaries or lagoons, will comply with the additional criteria provided in subsection 4.2.6 of the Basis of Review for Environmental Resource Permit Applications Within the South Florida Water Management District”, incorporated adopted by reference in Rule 40E-4.091, F.A.C.

(2) No change.

Specific Authority 373.044, 373.113, 373.171, 373.414(9) FS. Law Implemented 373.042, 373.409, 373.413, 373.414, 373.416, 373.426, 380.23 FS. History–New 10-3-95, Amended 1-7-97, 12-3-98, 5-28-00,_________.

 

40E-4.361 Conversion from Construction Phase to Operation Phase.

(1) No change.

(a) through (b) No change.

(2) No change.

(a) No change.

(b) The professional engineer or other individual authorized by law shall certify that:

1. The system has been constructed substantially in accordance with approved plans and specifications, or;

2. Any deviations from the approved plans and specifications will not prevent the system from functioning in compliance with the requirements of this rule and Section 10.0 of the “Basis of Review for Environmental Resource Permit Applications within the South Florida Water Management District April 2003., incorporated by reference in Rule 40E-4.091, F.A.C. The professional engineer or other individual authorized by law shall note and explain substantial deviations from the approved plans and specifications and provide two copies of as-built drawings to the District; and

(c) No change.

(3) A conversion to the operational phase shall not occur until a responsible entity meeting the requirements in Section 9.0, of the “Basis of Review for Environmental Resource Permit Applications within the South Florida Water Management District April 2003, incorporated by reference in Rule 40E-4.091, F.A.C., has been established to operate and maintain the system. The entity must be provided with sufficient ownership, legal or equitable interest so that it has control over all water management facilities authorized by the permit.

(4) No change.

Specific Authority 373.044, 373.113, 373.171 FS. Law Implemented 373.413, 373.416 FS. History–New 10-3-95, Amended 1-7-97, 4-14-03, 9-16-03,_________.