Environmental Protection Agency grants permit authority over to Florida state government

A new ruling from the Environmental Protection Agency is giving Florida a power it hasn't granted to any state in over 25 years.

COMMITMENT TO RAISINGAWARENESS OF THE ENVIRONMENTALISSUES YOU CARE ABOUT..

ISSUESTHAT INCLUDE FLORIDA'SWETLANDS AND WATERWAYS.

A NEWRULING FROM THE ENVIRONMENTALPROTECTION AGENCY IS NOWGIVING FLORIDA A POWER FEWSTATES HAVE.

AND AS DEREK LOWEREPORTS..

ITS CREATINGQUESTIONS ON JUST WHO SHOUMANAGE A KEY RESOURCE.<< 5:15 REP.

TOBY OVERDORF,DISTRICT 83 REP.

IT'S A HUGEDECISION, MONUMENTAL IN THATTHE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ISSAYING YES, YOU CAN OVERSEEOUR PROGRAM.

FOR THE FIRSTTIME IN A QUARTER CENTURY -THE THE ENVIRONMENTALPROTECTION AGENCY IS PASSINGDOWN A PERMITTING AUTHORITYUNDER THE CLEAN WATER ACT TOTHE STATE OF FLORIDA.

5:52TOBY IT GIVES US ANOPPORTUNITY AS THE STATE OFFLORIDA TO REALLY HAVE SOMEGREAT DIRECTION WHERE WEREALLY WANT OUR PERMITTING TOGO.

A MOVE LIKELY TO CREATEDEBATE ON JUST WHO SHOULD BEOVERSEEING A CRITICAL RESOURCEIN OUR STATE... OUR WATERWAYS.STATE REPRESENTATIVE TOBYOVERDORF SAYS THE E-P-A MOVEWILL BRING MORE EFFIENCY INISSUING PERMITS... ANDSTRINGENT REGULATIONS WIREMAIN IN PLACE.

18:29 EVESAMPLES, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,FRIENDS OF THE EVERGLADES ITHINK WE NEED TO CONSIDER THELONG- TERM IMPACTS... EVESAMPLES SAYS THIS DECISIONCOULD COME AT A COST..SAMPLES... THE EXECUTIVEDIRECTOR OF THE FRIENDS OF THEEVERGLADES ORGANIZATION BASEIN STUART... WORRIES WHAT ISNEXT.

26:26 EVE IF WE LOOKBACK TO 2018 AND 2016 OURWATERWAYS WERE LITERALLY GREENON THE TREASURE COAST.

SHESAYS DEVELOPED WETLANDS WILLREDUCE FLOOD CONTROL... 25:21EVE WE'RE CONCERNED THAT THEDEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTALPROTECTION WHICH WILL OVERSEETHIS NOW DOES NOT HAVEADEQUATE MANPOWER TO POLICETHE WETLANDS PERMIT ASRIGOROUSLY AS THE FEDERALGOVERNMENT DID.

AND THECOSYSTEMS COULD POTENTIALLYSUFFER.

7:58 TOBY TO THEDETRACTORS, I THINK IT'SSOMETHING THAT WE NEED.

WENEED PEOPLE THAT ARE SKEPTICALTHAT LOOK OVER THESE TYPES OFTHINGS AND SAY LOOK I'M NOTSURE ABOUT THIS... LL TAG: THEEPA'S DECISION NOW HAS OURSTATE JOINING MICHIGAN AND NEWJERSEY AS THE ONLY STATE IN THECOUNTRY WITH THIS AUTHORITY.