General News

The State of Florida’s Federal 404 of the Clean Water Act Program

May14

The State of Florida’s Federal 404 of the Clean Water Act Program The State of Florida’s Federal 404 of the Clean Water Act Program plays a vital role in overseeing dredge and fill activities within state waters, encompassing a wide range of projects from residential to environmental restoration endeavors. On February 15, 2024, a federal court order was issued for the temporary rescinding of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP)’s authority to issue Federal Section 404 permits. The State of Florida 404

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U.S. Army Corps Partners with Florida Power & Light to Enhance Permit Processing

May06

U.S. Army Corps Partners with Florida Power & Light to Enhance Permit Processing The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District is proposing to accept and expend funds from Florida Power & Light Company to expedite processing of their Department of the Army permit applications. The funds would be used to augment the budget of the Corps in accordance with the provisions of Section 214. The Corps Regulatory Program is funded as a Congressionally appropriated line item in the annual Federal budget. The

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Navigating the Waters: The Ongoing Saga of Florida’s State 404 Permitting Program

Apr23

Navigating the Waters: The Ongoing Saga of Florida’s State 404 Permitting Program In the ever-evolving landscape of environmental regulation, Florida’s State 404 Permitting Program has recently undergone significant judicial scrutiny. As the CEO of the Mitigation Banking Group, I’m here to provide a detailed update on the recent court rulings and subsequent actions that have substantial implications for wetland permitting in our state. On April 23rd, a pivotal decision was made by Federal District Court Judge Moss regarding Florida’s Clean Water Act

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New Water & Environmental Programs in Florida

Apr17

New Water & Environmental Programs in Florida Florida’s focus on water and environmental programs has increased recently, with the ratification of the statewide stormwater rule and the opening of Florida rules regarding Water Quality Credit Trading (WQCT) and Water Quality Enhancement Areas (WQEA). Learn more about this topic in Episode 12 of the Florida Specifier Podcast featuring the Editorial Board. Check it out here: https://floridaspecifier.com/podcast/episode-12-editorial-board/ WQCT and WQEA Rulemaking Update: https://floridadep.gov/water/engineering-hydrology-geology/documents/wqea-rule-draft-march-2024

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New EPA Drinking Regulations Proposed

Apr18

NEW EPA DRINKING REGULATIONS PROPOSED for Man-Made Chemicals PFAS (Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances)   There is currently no federal mandate to regulate public water systems to test for PFAS chemicals or take steps to filter them out of their supplies before it reaches consumers.   On March 14, 2023, EPA announced the proposed National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) for six PFAS including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA, commonly known as GenX Chemicals), perfluorohexane

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Connecting Wetland Mitigation Bank Buyers and sellers in Florida

Jun03

Victoria Bruce at The Mitigation Banking Group, Inc. links interested buyers and sellers of wetland mitigation banks throughout the state of Florida. Since 2004, Bruce has been in the mitigation banking industry and through this experience her network of mitigation bankers throughout the state of Florida connects mitigation bankers that want to sell wetland mitigation banks with mitigation bankers, investors, private equites, agriculture investors that want to purchase wetland mitigation banks. In 2019, Victoria Bruce connected the buyer and seller of two

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Wetland Delineation

Apr01

Back in February 2020, Bruce had the pleasure of going on a wetland delineation in Sanford, Florida with Bill Griffy of Ecological Consulting Solutions, Inc. The landowner was uncertain what he was able to do or not do with the property for development purposes. An environmental consultant, like Bill Griffy, can do a wetland delineation for your project to see where the wetland lines lay and also determine the quality of the wetland depending on the Location & Landscape, Water

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The Florida Association of Mitigation Bankers (FAMB) 2020 Annual Workshop

Jan10

Victoria Bruce is proud to be on the FAMB workshop committee for The Florida Association of Mitigation Bankers (FAMB) 2020 Annual Workshop! Please join us on Friday, February 27th- February 28th at the Omni Jacksonville. *Panelist discussions from: The Florida Department of Transportation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in addition to those from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, FDEP and Water Management Districts. A special session will

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Drainage Basin & Mitigation Bank Updates

Jul29

Updated: Florida Drainage Basins Watershed Map If you require wetland mitigation on land you are developing, you must purchase mitigation bank credits from the same drainage basin. Plot your project location to find out which drainage basin your project is located in. ACCESS MAP Florida Mitigation Banks & Service Areas Which mitigation banks service my project location? Each Mitigation Bank Permit identifies a geographic area served by the permitted mitigation

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