It is time to be vigiliant and watch your county government for land use code changes. Pasco County Florida has made a change to the land use code for wetland setbacks on what they define as significant wetlands (Category 1). Currently the wetland setback is 25 feet which is also a state criteria for wetland setbacks. Until the end of 2011 a variance...
Budget Reductions and The Impact on Environmental Permitting
As an environmental consultant, I have been involved in environmental permitting in the southeastern United States for 32 years. Over the years we have been through several downturns in the economy and changes in state and federal administrations. In all of these situations, I have heard the doomsday predictions for the future state of the environment....
Wastewater to the Tap
There was a fascinating story on “The Morning Edition” today (August 16, 2011) about the power of words. Water supply authorities and engineers are having a difficult time convincing citizens that it is safe to recycle the treated waste water into drinking water. The water supply developers in the Tampa Bay area have first-hand experience with...
US Fish and Wildlife Service Considering Listing the Gopher Tortoise in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama
The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced in July, 2011 that they intend to add the gopher tortoise to the list of 250 threatened or endangered species protected by the Endangered Species Act. The information was reported in a local Tampa newspaper and conservation groups welcomed this listing as “there is a lot of abuse on the state...
Solar Initiatives by Florida Power and Light
I want to applaud Florida Power and Light for their dedication to working with and implementing alternative energy solutions. They have three major projects on line at this time: Desoto Solar Energy Center, Martin Solar Energy Center and Space Coast Solar Energy Center. The three projects combined create 110 megawatts of energy for 4.5 million customers. The...
I Am Being Honored with AWRA Lifetime Membership!
I have been a member of the Florida Section of the American Water Resources Association (AWRA) since 1983. I am so pleased to tell you that I am being honored with an AWRA Lifetime Membership Award on August 29th in Key West. I am the sixth member to receive this award. I have served as Treasurer, Vice President, President and I have been the Chair of our...
