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David Cullen

Long-awaited water policy bill passes House committee

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A House budget panel on agriculture and the environment passed an expansive water policy bill by Rep. Matt Caldwell Wednesday afternoon. The House Agriculture & Natural Resources Appropriations Committee approved HB 7005 by a vote of 11 to 1, with Democratic Rep. José Javier Rodríguez opposing. The state’s Department of Environmental Protection has signaled its approval for the bill, as did a number of business-backed groups such as Associated Industries of Florida and Florida Chamber of Commerce, while some environmentalists stay on the fence. Stephanie Kunkel, a lobbyist with the…

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Senate bill clears final committee stop despite concerns from counties, environmentalists

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A Senate water bill passed its final committee stop on Tuesday despite continuing concerns raised by counties and environmentalists. SB 918 replaces a Lake Okeechobee pollution permitting program with more reliance on water cleanup plans, sets deadlines for establishing minimum flow levels for springs, sets timelines for springs cleanup plans and creates a statewide advisory council to recommend funding for water projects. Sen. Charlie Dean, a Republican from Inverness who is bill sponsor, said SB 918 is close to matching…

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Bills for fracking regulation filed again after years of opposition

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Bills that would regulate hydraulic fracturing and restrict the public disclosure of chemicals used in the process have been filed again after similar bills died amid opposition in previous years. Hydraulic fracturing, also called fracking, is a process of using sand, water and chemicals under pressure to extract oil and gas. Critics say the practice represents a threat to groundwater and drinking water supplies but the energy industry says it is a safe method of producing domestic energy. Bills that…

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