Report for 01/28/2012
Senate Bill CS/SB 820 is on the Senate Health Care Committee Agenda
for Tuesday, January 31st.
Thanks to all who contacted Health Committee Chair, Senator
Garcia, to request that the bill be heard by the committee.
If you wish to communicate
your thanks to Sen. Garcia or voice your support for this important
bill, please call or e-mail the following committee members by no
later than Monday, January 30th:
Senate Health Committee
members, e-mail
addresses and phone numbers:
Senator Rene Garcia,
garcia.rene.web@flsenate.gov
850.487.5106
Senator Eleanor Sobel, Vice Chair
sobel.eleanor.web@flsenate.gov
850.487.5097
Senator Miguel Diaz de
la Portilla
portilla.miguel.web@flsenate.gov
850.487.5109
Senator Mike Fasano
Fasano.mike.web@flsenate.gov
850.487.5062
Senator Don Gaetz
gaetz.don.web@flsenate.gov
850.487.5009
Senator Dennis L. Jones
jones.dennis.web@flsenate.gov
850.487.5065
Senator Jim Norman
norman.jim.web@flsenate.gov
850.487.5068
SENATE BILL 820 AND HOUSE BILL 999 SUPPORTED BY LEGISLATORS:
Senator Andy Gardiner and Representative Bryan Nelson have published
important messages on Senate Bill CS/SB 820 sponsored by Senator
Charlie Dean and its companion bill, HB 999, sponsored by
Representative Chris Dorworth.
Please open the links to read their comments:
The Sludge Report will gladly receive and publish as space and time
allow any additional comments received by legislators and others.
Our goal is to address both support and concerns.
Legislative Calendar:
-
HB 999 passed the Economic Affairs Committee with minor amendments approved by various groups including TRI-County Association (www.tricountyassociation.org) . The bill now moves to the House Appropriations Committee.
-
SB CS/SB 820 will be heard in the Senate Health Committee on 1/31 and then passes to its final stop, the Senate Budget Committee.
HOUSE BUDGET COMMITTEE PUTS DOH Bureau of On-Site Sewage UNDER THE
MAGNIFYING GLASS:
An interesting turn of events!
In an article published by The Florida Current, eliminating
the position of Bureau Chief Gerald Briggs was the subject of
discussion among legislators as they seek ways to balance the
state’s budget. The link
to this article is published here, but read it a.s.a.p. as the
website content is only available for a short period of time.
Link to the Florida Current Article
EPA UPDATE:
Our thanks to Orange County Commissioner, Hon. Fred Brummer for
providing this summary of history and the current status of the
EPA’s imposition of Numeric Nutrient Criteria on the State of
Florida. (click
here to read Commissioner Brummer’s article)
The EPA has postponed imposing NNC rules, and instead monitoring
Florida Department of Environmental Protection and its progress
toward setting acceptable standards.
In the meantime, The same Earth Justice group of
environmentalists that originally sued the EPA demanding that
numeric nutrient standards be set for Florida, has recently sued
again to stop the State of Florida from setting its own standards.
We continue to monitor this and will keep you updated.