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FL S0010
Bill
AI Summary
- Declares an emergency regarding the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee estuaries due to high-volume freshwater discharges from Lake Okeechobee, and directs the South Florida Water Management District to pursue an Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) reservoir project providing at least 240,000 acre-feet of water storage south of the lake, with eminent domain prohibited for land acquisition
- Authorizes up to $800 million in Florida Forever bonds for water storage reservoir projects and appropriates $64 million annually from the Land Acquisition Trust Fund beginning in fiscal year 2018-2019 for the EAA reservoir project, plus $30 million in nonrecurring funds for FY 2017-2018 for land acquisition and construction
- Creates a water storage facility revolving loan fund administered by the Department of Environmental Protection, offering loans of at least $75,000 with terms up to 30 years and covering up to 75% of project costs, to assist local governments and water supply entities in developing water storage facilities
- Establishes the Everglades Restoration Agricultural Community Employment Training Program through the Department of Economic Opportunity to provide job training grants for displaced agricultural workers, and requires hiring preferences for former EAA agricultural workers on reservoir construction contracts funded 50% or more by state funds
- Appropriates $30 million from the General Revenue Trust Fund as a 30-year loan for Phase I of the C-51 reservoir project in western Palm Beach County, which will provide approximately 14,000 acre-feet of storage in Phase I and up to 60,000 acre-feet total, and prohibits the use of inmates for agricultural work programs in the EAA beginning July 1, 2017
Legislative Description
Water Resources
Last Action
Chapter No. 2017-10
5/10/2017
Committee Referrals
Appropriations3/10/2017
Appropriations Subcommittee on the Environment and Natural Resources2/8/2017
Environmental Preservation and Conservation1/26/2017
Full Bill Text
No bill text available