Looking back on 2009, and ahead to 2010

Here's a look at the Top 10 environmental stories from around Florida's Capitol in 2009 and a look at how those issues may play out in 2010:1. Oil drilling -- Drilling off Florida's coastline faced bipartisan opposition until 2008, when Gov. Charlie Crist said he was open to the idea at the time he was being considered as a running mate for Sen. John McCain, the Republican presidential nominee.

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Seminole withdraws proposed Putnam County coal plant

Environmental groups are applauding Seminole Electric Cooperative Inc.'s decision not to build a new coal-fired power unit at its generating in Putnam County.Seminole Electric, which doesn't have retail customers but sells electricity wholesale to other utilities across Florida, proposed building a third coal-fired unit at its Seminole Generating Station six miles north of Palatka. But the

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Groups threaten suit over panther habitat

Two environmental groups served notice today that they plan to sue federal officials for failing to take steps to protect the Florida panther.The only population of Florida panthers is located in Southwest Florida where they face loss of habitat from development and threats from traffic while crossing roads. Perhaps fewer than 120 exist there in the wild.The Sierra Club and the Conservancy of

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Crist meets with Ala., Ga. governors on water-sharing

By The News Service of FloridaMONTGOMERY, Ala. -- Gov. Charlie Crist met with his two neighboring governors today in Alabama to renew efforts to resolve a dispute over water usage and the three emerged confident they'll resolve the dispute rather than let a federal judge's solution stand. Gov. Bob Riley of Alabama and Gov. Sonny Perdue of Georgia, huddled with Crist in Montgomery hoping to get

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Governors to meet over tri-state water dispute

The governors of Alabama, Florida and Georgia likely won't have a proposed water-sharing agreement in hand next week when they meet to discuss the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint river system, a Florida official said today.The three states have been battling in federal court since 1990 over the river system, which is a source of drinking water for the metro Atlanta area. Florida depends on fresh

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Fla. delegation weighs in on EPA water standards

Twenty-five members of Florida's congressional delegation have signed a letter urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to work closely with state officials and industry in setting limits for nutrients in Florida waterways.Scientists say nitrogen and phosphorus feed algae that have choked springs, rivers and lakes and have contributed to red tide in coastal waters. Sources of nitrogen and

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Florida delegation going to Copenhagen amid climate warnings

A group of 25 business and government officials is going to the United Nations climate change conference in Denmark next week to push for green jobs for Florida.Meanwhile, a former U.S. climate negotiator told a Tallahassee audience on Tuesday that climate changes threatens the global economy and security. Florida State University scientists presented evidence that hurricanes are growing stronger

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DEP delays sewage sludge action after business complains

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection today delayed action on proposed stricter rules over the land disposal of sewage sludge after one disposal company said the changes could cost it more than $1,000 per day.DEP has been working since 2002 on proposed rule revisions in response to public complaints and environmental concerns about sewage sludge, which regulators call "biosolids."

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PSC picks chairman, adopts conservation goals

By The News Service of Floridaand FloridaEnvironments.comOn a busy day at the Florida Public Service Commission, the panel selected its chair for 2010-2012 and set energy conservation plan and fuel recovery costs for the investor-owned utilities. In a widely expected move, the PSC chose Commissioner Nancy Argenziano to lead the panel when beleaguered current PSC Chairman Matthew Carter is

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Florida commission considers sewage sludge rule changes

The Environmental Regulation Commission on Tuesday will consider changes to regulations dealing with "biosolids." That's the term used to describe the waste from sewage treatment plants, also called sewage sludge.Spreading biosolids or sewage sludge on land has raised health and safety concerns in some counties. The National Academy of Sciences says the use of biosolids on crops presents a "

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Florida planners face legislative scrutiny on growth

State planners say it would take 268 years of population growth to use up the new home lots that already are allowed in Tallahassee and Leon County.In DeSoto and Jackson counties, it would take even longer: DeSoto would require 328 years of growth and Jackson County would require 996 years.Despite -- or perhaps because of -- what the Florida Department of Community Affairs says is an

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Florida CFO Sink announces "paperless" initiative

Florida CFO Alex Sink says her department's efforts to reduce the use of paper and printing have saved state taxpayers $1 million since 2007.Sink, whose elected position places her in charge of the state Department of Financial Services, today announced a legislative proposal to require electronic payments from some vendors instead of processing paper warrants. She called it part of the "Going

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Industry reps slam DEP bag ban recommendation

Representatives of stores and packaging industries slammed the Department of Environmental Protection today for a draft report's recommendation to tax and then ban plastic and paper bags in Florida.DEP posted the draft report Oct. 15, then withdrew it two days later after criticism. Still, industry representatives said today they disagreed with the recommended tax and ban and said more regulation

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DEP meeting follows withdrawal of retail bags ban report

Following an uproar last month over a draft proposal to ban plastic and paper shopping bags, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection on Thursday holds another public workshop on whether to regulate bags.DEP last month withdrew a draft report that recommended taxing bags by up to 25 cents each and then banning them by 2015. The Legislature in 2008 adopted a bill prohibiting local

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Cabinet approves land-buying bonds, Keys oversight

Bald Point State Park, purchased by the state under the Florida Forever predecessor program.Gov. Charlie Crist and the Cabinet today approved a resolution issuing $250 million in bonds for buying conservation lands, representing the last money approved by the Legislature for the program.Florida Forever program is the largest land-buying program in the nation, having acquired more than 2 million

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Judge backs enviro groups, EPA settlement

U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle today said he will approve a legal settlement that calls for the federal government to set specific water quality standards for nutrients in Florida -- a move that industry groups and Agriculture Commissioner Charles H. Bronson have opposed.Florida now prohibits excessive nitrogen and phosphorus that cause an imbalance of fish and plants in waterways.

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FDA delays raw oyster ban, Florida reaction mixed

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today backed off a proposal to ban the sale of raw oysters from Gulf states during summer months by 2011.The federal agency instead says it plans to study the issue and work with industry to develop a new timetable for possibly requiring the treatment of raw oysters. The announcement was met with mixed reviews among seafood industry supporters.U.S. Rep. Allen

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Two Florida DEP heads join opposition to EPA standards

Virginia Wetherell, left, speaks to reporters while Colleen Castille waits to speak. Both are former Florida DEP secretaries.Opponents of federal water quality standards for nutrients in Florida waterways raised their level of opposition today, unveiling a Web site and two former state environmental chiefs who are on their side.Scientists say nutrients from a variety of sources, including farms,

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Florida PSC wants to consider new conservation goals

Saying that it wants more flexibility, the Florida Public Service Commission today unanimously directed its staff to develop new proposed conservation goals for seven utilities by Dec. 1.Environmental groups had objected to the PSC staff recommendations, which they said in some cases established weaker goals than the state's largest utilities had proposed. The commission, under fire from some

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Senate president calls for study of "complicated" drilling issue

Senate President Jeff Atwater today announced that Senate committee staff would conduct a detailed and comprehensive review of the implications of offshore drilling with no timeline for completion.The House earlier this year approved a bill to allow oil drilling in Florida's Gulf waters as close as three miles to the coast. But the Senate refused to act on the bill, which faced environmental

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Florida officials react to proposed federal oyster ban

Some Florida elected officials this week urged the U.S. Food and Drug Administration not to ban raw oysters from the Gulf of Mexico during warmer months.The FDA proposes banning the sale of raw oysters unless the shellfish are treated to destroy bacteria that are potentially deadly to certain risk groups. But Agriculture Commissioner Charles H. Bronson said treatment options are limited and some

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House members vent against EPA water standards

Members of a Florida House panel complained today about the potential cost of water quality standards that could be proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in January, agreeing with industry representatives who said businesses and households will be affected.Scientists say high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus are contributing to algal blooms in springs, rivers and beaches across

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Florida land-buying program absorbs more revenue

With the downturn in the state's economy, Florida's conservation land-buying program is sucking up an increasingly larger share of tax revenue from real estate transactions, a state finance official told House members today.Florida's land-buying program is the largest in the nation, having acquired more than 2 million acres since 1990. But the program received no new money this year for the first

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State's Babcock Ranch receives grazing award

Babcock Ranch has received an award for grazing practices at the 73,476-acre state preserve in Collier and Charlotte counties.The Florida Section of the Society for Range Management announced that Babcock Ranch, which is operated as a private ranch on state land, will receive the first Grazing Lands Stewardship Award, according to the state agriculture officials.This award, given jointly by the

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Effects of "Dead Zone" on Gulf shrimping studied

By Florida State University and FloridaEnvironments.comA team of researchers from Florida State University, Duke University and the National Marine Fisheries Service will study the environmental and economic impacts of the vast “dead zone” in the northern Gulf of Mexico on shrimping in the regionDead zones result from low oxygen caused by algal blooms that render waters inhospitable to animal

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Rivals for Florida governor endorse land-buying

By Michael PeltierNews Service of FloridaFor a mere $15 million, Florida lawmakers can secure $300 million for the state’s Florida Forever program, a bargain even during cash-strapped times, the top contenders to replace Gov. Charlie Crist said Tuesday in a bit of campaign camaraderie.Funding for the state’s premiere land-buying program is not a partisan issue, at least in the upcoming governor’s

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Cafe owner launches effort against offshore oil drilling

By John KennedyThe News Service of FloridaA Panhandle restaurateur said today he wants thousands of Floridians to hit the beaches to fight offshore oil-drilling along the state’s Gulf coast.Dave Rauschkolb, owner of Bud and Alley’s and two other beachside restaurants in the town of Seaside, has launched an effort dubbed Hands Across the Sand, which is emerging as the first grassroots opposition

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It's not the risk from oil drilling, it's the pipelines, DEP says

In what the House council chairman said will be the first of several meetings on oil drilling, Florida's environmental chief today said drilling accidents pose a low risk to the state but he said other competing uses for state waters must be considered.The House Select Council on Strategic and Economic Planning heard more than 4-1/2 hours of testimony on oil drilling as the Legislature is

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DEP's Sole says "lift the hood" on biomass projects

The governor says they could provide renewable energy for Florida, but Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Michael Sole says biomass electric plants also are being viewed by DEP the same as any other environmental permit applications.Some Tallahassee residents who fought a proposed biomass gas electric plant in Tallahassee earlier this year now are asking DEP to take a closer look at

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PSC approves nuke charges as members cite legal conflict

Florida law contains contradictions to guide the Public Service Commission on how much to allow companies to bill their customers for nuclear power plants that have not been completed, some PSC members said today.The PSC voted 3-1 to allow Florida's two largest utilities to bill customers for two proposed nuclear plants in advance of their construction. The requests faced opposition from some

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Florida oil drilling supporters, opponents post letters on issue

Florida oil drilling opponents today called on Gov. Charlie Crist to include more coastal protections to his criteria for allowing offshore drilling.Drilling supporters, meanwhile, touted support today for drilling from road and bridge builders -- although an endorsement letter from the group was issued more than a month ago.Supporters say drilling can reduce dependence on foreign oil and produce

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Bronson says water lawsuit threatens jobs, prescribed burning

Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson Tuesday warned other Cabinet members that setting specific pollution standards for nutrients in Florida waters could jeopardize prescribed burning efforts and the state's forest industry.The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has agreed to set numeric standards for nitrogen, phosphorus and other nutrients in Florida waterways, replacing the state's

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A short Q&A with Florida DEP on water quality

FloridaEnvironments.com asked the Florida Department of Environmental Protection about its role in the U.S. EPA setting numeric criteria for nutrients in Florida waterways. Here are questions and the answers provided by DEP Communications Director Nancy Blum:Does DEP have a view on the timetable for developing the criteria -- is Jan. 15 too soon?It is hard to predict the outcome of science. DEP

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Bio-energy, ethanol projects proposed across Florida

Artist's rendering of proposed BG&E plant in Gulf County.Nine bio-energy or ethanol projects are being proposed in Florida and at least five others are under discussion, according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.DEP is holding an informational meeting Wednesday in Port St. Joe on one of those projects proposed by Biomass Gas & Electric of Norcross, Ga. The company proposes a

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Enviros support new lands ranking process approved today

In a move that environmentalists said resolves their concerns, a state panel on Friday adopted a rule that would establish a new rankings process for determining which conservation lands should be bought.Florida's land-buying program is the largest in the nation, with 2.4 million acres having been purchased since 1990. But the Legislature earlier this year refused to provide any money in the

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Two senators want panel to explore oil drilling

Two Democratic senators today said they are proposing legislation to require creation of a new panel to look at the risks and benefits of drilling off of Florida's coastline.Sen. David Aronberg of Greenacres and Sen. Ted Deutch of Boca Raton said environmental and energy experts need more time to look into the drilling issue, which Gov. Charlie Crist suggests should be included in a special

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Dumpster-diver gets "Green Schools" award

TAMPA -- Matt Mooney, 16, says dumpster-diving for aluminum cans isn't easy, but it's worth it.During the past three years, Mooney, a Junior at Land O' Lakes High School, has collected 1.1 million cans, turning them into $15,000 cash. But he and his friends didn't keep the money -- it went to a local Habitat for Humanity program to build homes for needy families.For his efforts, Mooney tonight

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Some agreement, disagreement in House Dems oil debate

A discussion among Florida House Democrats on oil drilling today featured some sharp exchanges between a leading environmental opponent an attorney representing drilling supporters.House Republicans last April overwhelmingly supported HB 1219, which would have allowed drilling within three miles of the Gulf Coast. Democrats led the opposition in the 70-43 vote.But the bill was never heard in the

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Florida solar group criticized for oil drilling support

A solar energy group's support for offshore oil drilling is facing sharp criticism from environmentalists.Associated Industries of Florida, Associated Builders and Contractors and the Florida Petroleum Council are supporting offshore drilling, saying it would create jobs and royalties revenue for state coffers. Environmental groups say the claims are speculative and that drilling threatens the

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Bronson sides against EPA agreement on waterways

Agriculture Commissioner Charles H. Bronson says he is seeking to intervene against a proposed federal court settlement that would require the U.S. Environmental Protection agency to set stricter limits on nutrients in state water bodies.Environmental groups announced in August that they had reached a settlement that requires the EPA to set numeric limits on nutrients such as nitrogen and

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Legislature provides cash for possible sweetheart deal

It looks like a sweetheart deal, though it's not clear yet who in the Legislature helped set it up.A 436-acre parcel approved Tuesday by the Cabinet for purchase was the only one considered by the state under a $3.2-million special legislative appropriation for land acquisition.The governor and Cabinet without discussion agreed to pay $1,975,000 for a conservation easement on 436 acres owned by

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Top Florida wildlife officer takes over at Highway Safety

Jones, right, prepares to pose for a photo with Cabinet members today.Col. Julie Jones says there will continue to be a strong public safety "hook" as she leaves the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as its top law enforcement officer to take over as head of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.The governor and Cabinet voted unanimously today to appoint

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Ecologist Bruce Means honored, describes NW Fla. biodiversity

Northwest Florida is a biological hotspot because it stands in the crossroads of different ecological areas and because of the Apalachicola River, Ecologist Bruce Means told a packed auditorium last week.Means, president and executive director of the Coastal Plains Institute and an adjunct professor at Florida State University, was honored by the Tallahassee Scientific Society for his more than

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A big TV weekend with "Big Cypress" and "National Parks"

After they produced "Living Waters: Aquatic Preserves of Florida" in 2004, renowned nature photographer Clyde Butcher joked with cinematographer Elam Stoltzfus that next time, they'd have to film in Butcher's backyard.And they did just that, to produce "Big Cypress Swamp: The Western Everglades," which airs this weekend on PBS television stations across Florida. Check your local listings or

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Former Florida state forester is remembered

John M. Bethea, Florida's chief forester from 1970 until his retirement in 1987, was recognized for his contributions to forestry after his death this week.Bethea was an early advocate of the urban forest concept and led innovations in Florida's forest management, including the use of prescribed burning to improve forest ecology and wildlife habitat."Prescribed burning is front and center at the

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Florida rural lands rule withstands farm groups' challenge

Florida farm groups supported the Rural Land Stewardship Act in 2001 because they said it would preserve agriculture while helping the economies of rural communities.The bill created a pilot program that allowed landowners with between 50,000 and 250,000 acres to set aside land for conservation and agriculture in exchange for the ability to develop new towns consisting of homes, shopping centers,

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Enviro group joins in criticism of PSC

One of the most active environmental groups before the Florida Public Service Commission says recent controversies show the panel is overly influenced by utilities and lobbyists, including former PSC staff and commissioners.In the midst of electricity rate requests by Progress Energy Florida and Florida Power & LIght Co., three agency employees have been fired for exchanging text-messaging

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Group formed to help resolve tri-state water dispute

By Bruce Ritchie A diverse coalition of groups within Alabama, Florida and Georgia is trying to encourage a discussion of water issues that have divided residents of the three states in the past. The states have been fighting in federal court since 1990 over water from the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) river system. Alabama and Georgia want water held in reservoirs for cities,

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Four years after buying back oil lease, state considers allowing drilling

In 2005, Gov. Jeb Bush and members of the Cabinet proclaimed victory for Florida when they agreed to pay Coastal Petroleum Co. $12.5 million not to abandon its leases for drilling oil off the Gulf of Mexico.With Florida leaders now deciding whether to debate reopening state waters to drilling, some who were involved in the Coastal Petroleum issue say there are lessons from that dispute four years

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Free admission to Florida parks this weekend

Bill Baggs Cape Florida State ParkFlorida's 160 state parks are open free through Sunday to anyone with a library card, a library book or gently-used family book that they can donate.The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is offering the free entrance to celebrate September as "State Park Literary Month." DEP officials are encouraging people to combine reading with the beauty of the

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Senate President doubts special session for oil drilling

Senate President Jeff Atwater today said a special session of the Legislature in October is highly unlikely and he raised doubts about whether it should include consideration of lifting Florida's ban on offshore oil drilling.Gov. Charlie Crist last week said drilling should be included in a special session in October to take up an agreement on gambling revenues with the Seminole Tribe. But

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Progress, FP&L argue for nuke cost recovery

Witnesses for an environmental group and utilities wanting to build nuclear power plants sparred Tuesday before the Public Service Commission over the predicted costs of construction and how to pay for them.Florida Power & LIght and Progress Energy Florida each have proposed building new nuclear plants and are asking the PSC for approval to charge customers to recover those costs in advance of

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Associated Industries wants oil drilling on special session agenda

Florida's oldest business group today said it wants the Legislature to take up oil drilling during an expected special session this fall.Gov. Charlie Crist said Tuesday that he may call a special session in October to adopt a gambling revenues agreement with the Seminole Tribe and that he would like drilling to be on the agenda. Associated Industries of Florida today said oil drilling is an "

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Florida DEP, PEER tussle over carbon cap-and-trade

Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility says Gov. Charlie Crist has abandoned carbon emissions cap-and-trading in his quest for a U.S. Senate seat, but a state Department of Environmental Protection response suggests it's all untrue.PEER, a watchdog group of former government employees, says the state, under Crist, has decided to to drop its cap-and-trade rule under development and back

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Group gives Florida D+ on water quality

The Gulf Restoration Network today said Florida gets a D+ grade for its efforts to protect water quality, which was about the average grade for Gulf coast states.In a report card for the Gulf states, the group particularly faulted Florida for not setting specific limits for nitrogen and phosphorus in waterways, giving it an F in that category. Failure to set nutrients caused algal blooms and red

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Groups urge House speaker to support lands program

Environmentalists today met with House Speaker Larry Cretul to urge his support for Florida's conservation land-buying program, but the issue of using oil drilling revenue to buy land was not discussed.Supporters of offshore oil drilling in the Legislature continue to promote the idea of using oil revenue to pay for the land-buying program, which has been the largest in the nation. The

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Streams or ditches? DEP considers waterways reclassification

Few people who drive along Franklin Boulevard east of the state Capitol notice a ditch between the lanes of traffic or realize it may have historical significance.The ditch was once a stream called St. Augustine Branch that flowed towards a waterfall that became a landmark in the siting of Florida's capital city in 1823. But the waterfall eventually was wiped out when railroad tracks were built

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Climate panel rejects scrapping energy test

A state climate panel today rejected a commissioner's recommendation for Florida to replace its test for analyzing energy programs -- a test that environmentalists have argued is a barrier to conservation.The Florida Energy and Climate Commission instead voted to recommend that the Public Service Commission use a revised version of the "rate impact measure" test, or RIM test, that the PSC already

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Ag Commissioner Bronson pushes conservation easements

During Tuesday's Cabinet meeting, Agriculture Commissioner Charles H. Bronson and Smokey Bear presented a national wildfire prevention award to Melissa Yunas, wildfire mitigation specialist in the Florida Division of Forestry's Okeechobee District office. Gov. Charlie Crist and the Cabinet on Tuesday approved a new conservation lands purchase list but only after Agriculture Commissioner Charles H

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EPA, groups settle water dispute; Industry groups threaten challenge

Environmental groups say this algae bloom July 31 on a tributary of the St. Johns River was fueled by excessive nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorous.Environmental groups say a settlement agreement in a lawsuit over Florida's water quality standards will help begin the restoration of springs, lakes and rivers across the state.Under a settlement with groups including the Florida Wildlife

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Fla. could run out of land-buying money by Oct. 1

Florida could be out of money for buying conservation lands by Oct. 1 unless new bonds are issued to allow purchases. The Florida Forever land-buying program is the largest in the nation. But the state has delayed borrowing money -- despite Legislative approval to do so -- because of the weak bond market, according to Deborah Poppell, director of DEP's Division of State Lands. So the Florida

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Crist considers meeting with Ala., Ga. in water dispute

By MICHAEL PELTIERTHE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDAGov. Charlie Crist is mulling over dates to meet with his counterparts from Alabama and Georgia as leaders of the three neighboring states try to resolve a longstanding feud over how to divvy up water coming from Lake Lanier.With a federal judge saying Atlantans aren’t entitled to water from the reservoir, Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue and Alabama Gov.

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Audubon's Draper drops out of ag commissioner race

Democrat Eric Draper says he's leaving the race for agriculture commissioner to devote more time to environmental issues. Draper, who is deputy director of Audubon of Florida, was one of four Democratic candidates in 2010 seeking to replace Republican Charles H. Bronson, who cannot seek re-election because of term limits. "I knew when I got in my biggest challenge was going to be balancing

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Ranking system urged to save nation's largest land-buying program

They came in busloads from around the state, crammed the Florida Department of Environmental Protection parking lot in Tallahassee full of cars and packed into standing-room-only hearings. During the 1990s, public hearings for the annual ranking of proposed state land-buying projects brought out the people. Getting ranked higher on the priority list meant those natural areas were more likely to

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Cabinet approves Levy Co. nuke plant

The Cabinet today gave its first approval in more than 30 years for a nuclear power plant, Progress Energy's proposed Levy County facility near the Cross Florida Barge Canal. Nine protesters gathered outside the Capitol this morning after trying to meet earlier with Gov. Charlie Crist at the Governor's Mansion. Although Rep. Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda, D-Tallahassee, and other speakers later

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Some enviros say they'll miss industry lobbyist Hopping

Even though they are often at odds with industry lobbyists, some environmental group representatives say they'll miss Wade Hopping, who died today from complications from a stroke and esophageal cancer. He was 77.Hopping's law firm represents many of the state's largest companies and industry groups, often putting him at odds with environmentalists on wildlife, climate, land-use and other

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Enviros, utility reps clash over RIM test

Representatives of utilities and environmental groups disagreed today on whether the Florida Public Service Commission now is required to use a new test to analyze utility conservation programs.The PSC today opened a five-day legal hearing to establish new conservation and energy efficiency goals for seven of the state's largest utilities. Utilities and environmental groups disagree on whether

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Neither Sink nor McCollum endorse Crist climate goals

With CFO Alex Sink and Attorney General Bill McCollum ahead early as the leading candidates for governor, neither is being specific on whether they would keep the state's greenhouse gas reduction goals put in place by Gov. Charlie Crist.Crist in 2007 signed executive orders establishing goals for the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 2000 levels by 2017 and further reductions through

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DEP requests approval of Levy Co. nuke plan

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is asking the governor and Cabinet to approve Progress Energy's site application to build a nuclear power plant on 3,105 acres in Levy County.The Cabinet aides are scheduled to consider the request at their Aug. 5 meeting. If it wins a favorable Cabinet vote on Aug. 11, the facility would be the first nuclear plant approved in Florida since 1976

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Study points to carbon-capture benefits of Florida public lands

Florida's state parks, forests and other public lands some day could pay millions of dollars to the state annually for the carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that are captured and stored in plants and soils, according to a recent study. But that some day isn't now or in the immediate future, Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Michael Sole said this week. Gov. Charlie

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Supporter, opponent of growth amendment sling mud in debate

A founder of a proposed state constitutional amendment on growth said during a debate today that supporters face "greedy" opponents, while a spokesman for an opposition group said the founder has shown people they can have any opinion "as long as it's her's."The proposed Amendment 4 would require changes in city and county growth plans, also called comprehensive plans, to be approved by local

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At biofuel summit, Bronson says oil drilling is needed

By Keith LaingTHE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDAORLANDO -- Drilling for old-fashioned oil in near shore Florida waters should be part of the nation's energy diet, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Bronson said today at a conference about increasing the use of newer fuel types. After speaking at the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' fourth annual "Farm to Fuel" summit in Orlando,

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Crist declines to say how close is too close for oil drilling

Gov. Charlie Crist this morning declined to say how close is too close for oil drilling off the Florida coastline.A bill introduced in Congress would allow drilling within 45 miles of the coastline, effectively eliminating a ban on drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico that was crafted by Florida's congressional delegation.Crist, who reversed himself last year when he said he was willing to

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Cabinet to consider first "rural lands" purchase

Gov. Charlie Crist and the Cabinet on Tuesday will consider approving the purchase of a 690-acre conservation easement in Flagler County, the first purchase under a state program aimed at preserving agricultural lands.The land is owned by Gene and Marilyn J. Evans and includes a half-mile of shoreline along Lake Disston, which has good water quality and little development surrounding it,

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