DEP annouces two new public access Web tools
Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Michael W. Sole recently gave the keynote address at the Florida Chamber’s 23rd annual Environmental Permitting Summer School. The conference provides an opportunity for the state’s regulators and environmental professionals to come together to discuss issues involved with environmental regulations and permitting. The exchange of information and ideas leads to a more open and transparent system of protecting Florida’s natural resources and economy.
Building on a theme of a more open and transparent system of protection, Secretary Sole announced the launch of two new public access Web tools the Contamination Locater Map, known as CLM, and the Compliance and Enforcement Web site. These Web tools will allow public greater access to waste cleanup progress as well as compliance and enforcement efforts.
“These Internet accessible tools put information in the hands of the public so they can make informed decisions that affect their families, their property, their communities and their environment,” said DEP Secretary Michael W. Sole. “Both CLM and the Compliance and Enforcement Web site allow the public to review information, ask questions and hold DEP to the highest standards.”
CLM includes locational information for Brownfield sites, petroleum sites, Superfund sites, and other waste cleanup sites such as drycleaning, hazardous waste and state-owned lands. Search results in the vicinity of the specified location are depicted on a map with site name, address, facility identification number, site type and cleanup status (active or pending). By using the facility identification number, users may view actual documents associated with the site by clicking on the direct link to search the DEP’s Web-based document management system known as OCULUS.
The CLM subscription service allows users who want to be notified on the cleanup progress of a specific site to receive e-mails from DEP when the site has reached one of the following four cleanup milestones:
Milestone 1 Site Assessment is complete;
Milestone 2 Remedial Action Plan or Strategy has been approved;
Milestone 3 Approved Remedial Action Plan or Strategy has been modified;
Milestone 4 Site Rehabilitation has been completed.
The subscription service is currently available for petroleum cleanup sites only. It will be available later this year for Brownfields, Superfund and other waste cleanup sites.
The other Web addition is the Compliance and Enforcement Web site, which offers insight into DEP’s compliance and enforcement philosophy and efforts providing an overview on Environmental Litigation Reform Act, the penalty assessment process, enforcement statistics as well as enforcement examples.
“Allowing Floridians to see our progress is incredibly important in effectively implementing and evaluating our policies and procedures. And each of these Web tools will allow Florida’s citizens, businesses and legislators to better understand how the more than 3,500 employees of DEP help protect the environment each day,” said Secretary Sole.
The Compliance and Enforcement Web site includes statistics from 2008 highlighting DEP’s regulatory efforts including:
DEP opened 1,653 enforcement cases in 2008 and has opened more than 1,600 cases in each of the last four years-more cases in each of those years than during any year in the preceding decade.
DEP assessed more than $10.7 million in penalties in 2008 and has assessed more than $36 million in penalties over the last three years, more than during any three-year period on record.
CLM and the Compliance and Enforcement Web site are two Web features in a series of tools that DEP has development to foster open government. Other tools include:
OCULUS – A Web-based document management system that allows the public to search and review more than two million waste documents within DEP. The documents are broken into four different categories: hazardous waste, solid waste, storage tanks and waste cleanup.
PASS Permitting Application Subscription Service allows any interested party to receive e-mail alerts when environmental permit applications are submitted to the DEP based on identified locations and activities of interest. Application information includes project identification, location, permit application number and contact information for the DEP permitting office.
iNOI Interactive Notice of Intent is a Web-based tool for industrial and construction stormwater discharge permits. The system allows users to track, view and complete National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Stormwater permit applications online. The iNOI website allows users to pay permit fees, cancel permit coverage and track, search, view and sort a listing of all NPDES Stormwater permits.
All of the interactive Web features listed can be found on DEP’s home page at www.dep.state.fl.us, located under the Public Access Tools button. Visit the CLM site at www.dep.state.fl.us by clicking on the CLM button. The Compliance and Enforcement site is located at www.dep.state.fl.us/mainpage/ce/default.htm.