11:45

WATER REGULATORY ISSUES

Herschel Vinyard, ModeratorGreg Munson, Gunster

Water Regulatory Update

1. Waters of the U.S.2. Amendment One3. Human Health Criteria

Proposed WOTUS Rule(1) All waters used in interstate or foreign commerce, including all waters subject to the ebb and flow of the tide;

(2) All interstate waters, including interstate wetlands;

(3) The territorial seas;

(4) All impoundments of waters;

(5) “Tributaries” of (1)-(3)

(6) Waters, including wetlands, adjacent to/“neighboring” (1)-(5)

(7) Special waters with a “significant nexus”

(8) Floodplain or Near High Tide Waters with a “significant nexus”

New Definitions: Tributary, Neighboring, Significant Nexus

(3) All “other waters” the use, degradation or destruction of which could affect interstate or foreign commerce

(4) All impoundments of waters otherwise defined as waters of the United States

(5) Tributaries of (1) – (4)

(6) The territorial seas

(7) Wetlands adjacent to/neighboring (1) – (6)

New WOTUS Rule

Categorically In ((a)1-6)?

Categorically Out (b)?

Significant Nexus

((a) 7-8)?

WOTUS

Not WOTUS

NN

Y

Y

NDitches

are Special

Y

Categorical Inclusions

(1)All waters used in interstate or foreign commerce, including all waters subject to the ebb and flow of the tide;

(2)All interstate waters, including interstate wetlands;

(3)The territorial seas;

(4)All impoundments of waters;

(5)Tributaries of 1-3;

(6)Waters, including wetlands, adjacent to/“neighboring” (1)-(5)

Tributaries / Adjacent & Neighboring

• Tributaries require a bed, a bank, and a ordinary high water mark OR they contributes flow directly or indirectly to a traditional water.

• Breaks in the tributary don’t matter, so long as a bed, bank and OHWM can be identified upstream of the break.

• A tributary can be a ditch. If the ditch fits within a categorical exclusion it is NOT a WOTUS, no matter what.

• Adjacent = Neighboring. Unlike draft rule is defined within fixed distances of OHWM.

Categorical Exclusions

• Waste Treatment Systems, including treatment ponds and lagoons• Prior converted cropland, as determined by EPA• Ditches:

• Ephemeral Flow ditches • Intermittent Flow ditches, unless it drains a wetland• Ditches that do not contribute flow, either directly or indirectly to a

water in (1)-(3)• The following:

o Artificially irrigated areas that would revert to dry land should irrigation stop;

o Artificial lakes and ponds, including farm and stock watering ponds, irrigation ponds, settling basins, and cooling ponds;

o Groundwater;o Puddles;o Stormwater control features created in dry land; and o Wastewater recycling structures constructed on dry land, including

retention basins, recharge basins, percolation ponds, and water distributary structures.

What is Dry

Land?

Significant Nexus

• Water that alone or in combination with out similarly situated waters in the region significantly affects the chemical, physical, or biological integrity of a (1)-(3) water that is not speculative or insubstantial.

• Similarly Situated Waters are those that are sufficiently alike and are sufficiently close.

• Factors for evaluating significant nexus:• Sediment trapping• Nutrient recycling• Pollutant trapping, transformation, filtering, and transport• Retention and attenuation of flood waters• Runoff Storage• Contribution of flow• Export of organic matter• Provision of life cycle dependent habitat

My OpinionFlorida = 100 year flood plain100 year flood plain = significant nexusSignificant Nexus = WOTUSFlorida = WOTUS

Similarly Situated: You get a JD when your neighbor gets a JD

Exclusions CRITICAL

LOTS of room for professional judgment

Going Forward

• Effective Date: August 28, 2015• Permits or J.D. that are issued AFTER

that date will be under new rule • Legal challenges filed• Enjoined in 13 states• Rule is effective in Florida despite

legal challenge

Amendment One

Florida Wildlife Federation v. Gardiner

• Amendment One Appropriations: $740M ($550M + Debt Service)

• FWF Challenging: $237M • FWF Seeking: Transfer of $237M from the

$460M in funds vetoed by Governor.• Timeline: Best guess is a decision in the trial

court early 2016.• Other lawsuits?

Constitutional Language

• As provided by law, to finance or refinance: the acquisition and improvement of land, water areas, and related property interests, … together with management, restoration of natural systems, and the enhancement of public access or recreational enjoyment of conservation lands.

Challenged Appropriations

• DEP, DOACS, FWCC, DOS salaries and overhead: $175M

• Sewage Treatment/Stormwater (Springs): $39M

• Agricultural BMPs: $5M• Agricultural Pollution Reduction Projects:

$5M

Human Health Criteria

Human Health Criteria Background

• May 2014: EPA draft updating national recommended water quality criteria for 94 chemical pollutants found in industrial and domestic wastewater, herbicides, and pesticides: Acenaphthene, Acrolein, Acrylonitrile, Aldrin, alpha-Hexachlorocyclohexane, alpha-Endosulfan, Anthracene, Antimony, Arsenic, Asbestos, Barium, Benzene, Benzidine, Benzo(a)anthracene, Benzo(a)pyrene, Benzo(b)fluoranthene, Benzo(k)fluoranthene, Beryllium, beta-Hexachlorocyclohexane, beta-Endosulfan, Bis(2-Chloro-1-methylethyl) Ether, Bis(2-Chloroethyl) Ether, Bis(2-Ethylhexyl) Phthalate, Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether, Bromoform, Butylbenzyl Phthalate, Cadmium, Carbon Tetrachloride, Chlordane, Chlorobenzene, Chlorodibromomethane, Chloroform, Chlorophenoxy Herbicide (2,4-D), Chlorophenoxy Herbicide (2,4,5-TP), Chromium (III), Chromium (VI), Chrysene, Copper, Cyanide, Dibenzo(a,h)anthracene, Dichlorobromomethane, Dieldrin, Diethyl Phthalate , Dimethyl Phthalate, Di-n-Butyl Phthalate, Dinitrophenols, Endosulfan Sulfate, Endrin, Endrin Aldehyde, Ethylbenzene, Fluoranthene, Fluorene, gamma-Hexachlorocyclohexane, Heptachlor, Heptachlor Epoxide, Hexachlorobenzene, Hexachlorobutadiene, Hexachlorocyclohexane, Hexachlorocyclopentadiene, Hexachloroethane, Indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene, Isophorone, Manganese, Methylmercury, Methoxychlor, Methyl Bromide, Methylene Chloride, Nickel, Nitrates, Nitrobenzene, Nitrosamines, Nitrosodibutylamine, Nitrosodiethylamine, Nitrosopyrrolidine, N-Nitrosodimethylamine, N-Nitrosodi-n-Propylamine, Nitrosodiphenylamine, Pathogen and Pathogen Indicators, Pentachlorobenzene, Pentachlorophenol, Phenol, Polychlorinated Biphenyls, Pyrene, Selenium, Solids Dissolved and Salinity, Tetrachloroethylene, Thallium, Toluene, Toxaphene, Trichloroethylene, Vinyl Chloride, Zinc, 1,1,1-Trichloroethane, 1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethane, 1,1,2-Trichloroethane, 1,1-Dichloroethylene, 1,2,4,5-Tetrachlorobenzene, 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene, 1,2-Dichlorobenzene, 1,2-Dichloroethane, 1,2-Dichloropropane, 1,2-Diphenylhydrazine, Trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene, 1,3-Dichlorobenzene, 1,3-Dichloropropene, 1,4-Dichlorobenzene, 2,3,7,8-TCDD (Dioxin), 2,4,5-Trichlorophenol, 2,4,6-Trichlorophenol, 2,4-Dichlorophenol, 2,4-Dimethylphenol, 2,4-Dinitrophenol, 2,4-Dinitrotoluene, 2-Chloronaphthalene, 2-Chlorophenol, 2-Methyl-4,6-Dinitrophenol, 3,3'-Dichlorobenzidine, 3-Methyl-4-Chlorophenol, p,p -Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane, p,p -′ ′Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene, p,p -Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane ′

Human Health Criteria Background

• July 2014: Florida’s (FDEP) Response• June 2015: EPA finalizes criteria• Exposure Factors critical: drinking water intake, fish

consumption rate, cancer risk, bioaccumulation.• September 2015: EPA Response to FDEP • Timeline: DEP rulemaking likely to begin in early 2016

QUESTIONS?

Greg MunsonGunster Law Firm

gmunson@gunster.com

(850) 521-1980

1:15 PMSCIENCE AND FERTILIZER: WHAT THE

LEGISLATURE NEEDS TO KNOWDr. Mike Dukes, IFAS, University of Florida, Moderator

Ryan Matthews, FL League of CitiesAnn Aquillo, Scotts Miracle-Gro Company

Mac Carraway, Carraway Consulting

Ann AquilloVice President Corporate Affairs

21

At Scotts, We’re Working on Smarter Solutions for Cleaner Waterways

Product formulation Consumer Communications

Product Innovation Collaboration

1:15 PMSCIENCE AND FERTILIZER: WHAT THE

LEGISLATURE NEEDS TO KNOWDr. Mike Dukes, IFAS, University of Florida, Moderator

Ryan Matthews, FL League of CitiesAnn Aquillo, Scotts Miracle-Gro Company

Mac Carraway, Carraway Consulting

When the FactsAre Not the Facts

Mac Carraway, Carraway Consulting

The Cholesterol story as a parable

SWUCA / SWFWMD; Tampa turf moratorium

The Tampa Bay Miracle

The demonization of landscapes and lawn care

Getting It Wrong

Really?

…because you don’t like the answer

I’m sure you have seen the story about Dr. Kevin Folta at UF?

It’s happened to others at UF as well over the years

It is the lowest aspect of the fertilizer discussion

Kicking Science In The Head

Local governments and state legislators have

a difficult time ahead

All reasonable people, especially lawmakers, need to keep the focus on solutions

Jobs and the economy cannot be forgotten

Legislation At All Levels

Put science and research at the top of the

budget; followed closely by education

Get stakeholders to the table early and often

Silver BB’s not bullets

It’s OK to be patient

Getting It Right

www.LivingGreenFlorida.com

Thank You.

www.CarrawayConsulting.com

1:15 PMSCIENCE AND FERTILIZER: WHAT THE

LEGISLATURE NEEDS TO KNOWDr. Mike Dukes, IFAS, University of Florida, Moderator

Ryan Matthews, FL League of CitiesAnn Aquillo, Scotts Miracle-Gro Company

Mac Carraway, Carraway Consulting