Environmental Permitting Summer School Short Course
This year’s Environmental Permitting Summer School marked the 21st year the conference was hosted by the Florida Chamber of Commerce. More than 800 people attended this year’s event held at the Marriot Resort on Marco Island.
Secretary Sole opened the three-day educational event sharing his beliefs of how honesty and integrity are qualities that are needed in managing and protecting Florida’s natural resources. He reiterated that no matter what actions occur during the course of building, clearing, digging or other instances, through honesty the matter could be negotiated and resolved.
Pleased with the efficiency of the Environmental Litigation Reform Act (ELRA) established in 2001 which addresses Florida’s less significant environmental crimes, Secretary Sole talked about the new Penalty Guidelines which will be used when up against the larger, more egregious violations.
“By increasing penalties and providing clearer guidelines, DEP is taking a tougher stance on infractions that, for example, involve hazardous waste and/or hazardous substance violations,” said Secretary Sole. “These would include those offenses which result in economic benefit to a company or individual, are intentional and/or habitual, cause significant harm to the environment and continue over an extended period of time.”
Several DEP leaders sat alongside engineers, contractors, attorneys, representatives from non-profit environmental organizations and other local and state government employees on panels in the more than 90 workshops that were offered to discuss environmental issues that Florida is and will to continue to face in the future.
Breakout session topics ranged from legislative updates, permitting regulations, mitigation and conservation banking, the need for a successor program to Florida Forever, climate change and alternative water supplies, protecting endangered and threatened species, stormwater and wastewater treatment and growth management – to name just a few. Most of the workshops were designed with audience participation in mind scheduling in Q & A periods to help provide maximum coverage.
A wealth of expertise and a broad variety of environmental exhibits helped attendees understand the many programs and initiatives the Florida Department of Environmental Protection oversees to preserve our state’s most precious natural resources.
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