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On May 26, 2011, the EPA sent a letter to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's (FDEP) objecting to the proposed issuance of five draft National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits for discharges from the Stormwater Treatment Areas (STAs) in the Everglades. The letter is an important step in the permit review process under the Clean Water Act because it provides the State with the opportunity to review, discuss and address the EPA's concerns. Specifically, the EPA objected to the inclusion of compliance schedules that extend the time for the discharges to meet water quality standards beyond the approved December 31, 2006 date in the Everglades Forever Act. The EPA also objected to provisions in the draft permits that allow for water to be diverted around and away from STAs and would result in untreated discharges entering the Everglades. Finally, the EPA objected to the failure to include necessary annual reporting requirements, as well as early warning reporting requirements, which ensure that permit requirements are being met and the surrounding area is protected. The FDEP requested a hearing on the EPA's objections in a September 23, 2011 letter. The national permitting regulations require the EPA to conduct a hearing whenever such is requested by a State. A link providing the public notice for this hearing is below:
- Hearing Notice for Palm Beach Florida (PDF) (2 pp, 20K)