Mark Your Calendars!
FSA 2017 Annual Conference
June 14-16, 2017
Sanibel Harbour Marriott, Ft. Myers
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FSA Fogarty
Training Center
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FSA is proud to offer this service FREE to our members!
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Session Starting Soon, Stay Tuned!
Track Bills |
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A Message from Your
Education Committee Chair
Robert Potts, E Sciences
I am honored to work beside the many professionals from around the state to ensure FSA continues to be the leader in stormwater education and training throughout Florida. The
Fogarty Training Center ended 2016 with over 550 students attending either a Level 1 or Level 2 Certified Stormwater Operator class, in addition to those who attended the September Seminar and two webinars! That accomplishment would not have been possible without the help and dedication of FSA management staff and qualified trainers, and the members that volunteered to serve on the Education Committee or host a training event. Thank you for your support!
FDEP recognizes FSA's Stormwater Operator classes for meeting NPDES MS4 training requirements. The classes fulfill training requirements for stormwater staff in:
- Erosion and Sediment Control
- Illicit Discharge Detection & Elimination
- Spill Prevention and Response
- Good Housekeeping Practices
- High Risk Facilities
Stormwater Operator certifications are valid for five years. To determine if you or your staff need to renew a certification in 2017, visit FSA's
Stormwater Operator Certification List. A convenient, time-saving option is to renew your certification by attending a two-hour online class! Visit the
re-certification page for more information.
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SWMP Effectiveness Webinar IS FULL!
FSA's February 9th webinar on
Evaluating Stormwater Management Plan Effectiveness is at capacity and
registration is closed! However, a recording of the webinar will be available on the FSA website for members the afternoon of the live webinar. The webinar will highlight ways Phase I NPDES MS4 permittees can utilize water quality monitoring and pollutant load modeling data to evaluate the effectiveness of a stormwater management plan (SWMP) - a requirement in the new Phase I MS4 permits being issued by FDEP.
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The 2017 Florida Legislative Session begins on Tuesday, March 7, 2017. As bills are filed for the Session, information on legislation of interest to FSA's membership will be posted to the
Legislative (members only) Page of the FSA website. The page includes information on the impacts of a bill, its location in the legislative process, contact information on the bill's sponsor and the membership of its next committee of reference, etc. It's a great way for FSA members to track where key stormwater legislation "is" in "the process!"
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Two matters of interest to FSA members on the
WOTUS litigation occurred on Friday, January 13, 2017. First, the outgoing Obama Administration filed a lengthy
Brief in support of the WOTUS rule. Second, the US Supreme Court agreed to
hear an Appeal from the Sixth Circuit Court on the issue (among others) of whether the Circuit or District court was the proper venue for review of WOTUS and similar rules. The Appeal was filed by several groups representing regulated interests (including FSA) after the Sixth Circuit ruled that they had jurisdiction on such matters. The decision by the Supreme Court to hear this procedural matter set the stage for motions seeking delays in briefings on the merits of the rule in front of the Sixth Circuit. In fact, subsequent motions to delay the process at the Sixth Circuit were granted, allowing the Trump Administration more time to start the process to repeal or withdrawal of the rule. The WOTUS rules have
significant, negative impacts on local governments and water quality improvement programs - hence the challenge by FSA.
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Pollution Notice Rule Invalid
Adopted this past September, FDEP's
rule requiring notification of discharges of pollution by owners or operators of an installation to the Department, local government and the area media, has been found to be an invalid exercise of delegated legislative authority. A group of industries affected by the rule challenged it late last year and Administrative Law Judge Bram Canter sided with the plaintiffs and issued an
Order invalidating the rule on December 30, 2016. The Legislature may or may not decide to grant specific authority to FDEP to adopt a similar rule during the upcoming Session.
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Steverson Leaving FDEP
FDEP Secretary Jon Steverson has announced his resignation effective February 3, 2017. A lawyer, Steverson will join the law firm of
Foley and Lardner. Governor Scott has named Ryan Matthews as Interim Secretary. Matthews has been with FDEP since 2015, first as Director of the Office of Water Policy and recently as Deputy Secretary of Regulatory Programs. Prior to joining FDEP he was a lobbyist with the Florida League of Cities for many years.
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New Water Director at EPA Region 4
Mary Walker was named Director of the Water Protection Division for
EPA Region 4 late last year, assuming the role held by Jim Giattina until his retirement. Ms. Walker previously served as Assistant Director and Chief Operating Officer for the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD), where she oversaw policy development and rulemaking for all media, permitting and compliance programs, and general agency operations. She has also worked with the Governor's Office of Planning and Budget and the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. She earned an undergraduate degree from Tulane University and a master's degree in Public Administration from the University of Georgia.
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Excellence Awards - Nominations Due
FSA's Awards Program recognizes outstanding stormwater Programs or Projects and the benefit that they provide to the environment and local citizenry. Awards are presented annually to those members in the profession of stormwater management who have demonstrated a high level of distinction in a project or program. Interested? Submit a
Nomination Form and backup materials
prior to February 24th!
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FSAEF Scholarship Award
The FSA Educational Foundation's 2017 Scholarship Program awards financial assistance to qualified students attending Florida colleges and universities whose educational interest is in stormwater research, management or finance. Applications are accepted annually from graduate students in colleges or schools of engineering, natural science, public administration (or closely related fields) that have an interest in stormwater quality, management or finance. Qualified applicants should submit an Application Form along with supporting materials by than August 4, 2017.
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We appreciate your feedback! Please don't hesitate to contact us if have any questions about FSA.
Sincerely,
Florida Stormwater Association
Website: www.florida-stormwater.org
Toll-Free Phone: 888-221-3124
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