Water Quality Triennial Review Public Workshop

The Department of Environmental Protection, Water Quality Standards Program, announces a workshop to which all persons are invited. DATE AND TIME: Tuesday, November 5, 2019, 9:00 a.m. PLACE: South Florida Water Management District, Fort Myers Service Center, 1st floor conference room, 2301 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers, Florida GENERAL SUBJECT MATTER TO BE CONSIDERED: The Department is conducting a set of public workshops for the Triennial Review of state surface water quality standards. These workshops are a follow-up to the Triennial Review kickoff public workshops/hearings held in May 2019, in Tallahassee, Hobe Sound, and Orlando. The Department is considering revisions to specific rule sections; however, all surface water quality standards in Chapter 62-4, Chapter 62-302, Chapter 62-303, and Chapter 62-304, F.A.C., are under review and may be revised as part of Triennial Review. Some of the items under consideration for revision during this Triennial Review include: 1) revision of the marine and freshwater cadmium criteria, 2) revision of the turbidity criterion, including a criterion to protect corals and hardbottom communities, 3) incorporation by reference of a document titled "Implementation of the Turbidity Criterion for the Protection of Coral Reef and Hardbottom Communities", 4) revisions to the document titled "Implementation of Florida's Numeric Nutrient Standards" (only specific sections will be proposed for incorporation by reference), 5) Cyanotoxin criteria (Microcystins and Cylindrospermopsin), 6) adoption of Type II site specific alternative criteria (SSACs) for dissolved oxygen for 11 freshwater streams, 7) incorporation of compliance schedule authorization language into Chapter 62-302, F.A.C., 8) creation of new maps showing Class II (Shellfish Propagation or Harvesting) waters in select counties, 9) revision of the Florida Coastal Segment Numeric Nutrient Criteria (NNC) map, 10) revisions to a number of estuary nutrient region (ENR) maps, 11) addition of text to Chapter 62-303, F.A.C., to assess more expressions of NNC, 12) clarification of listing thresholds in Chapter 62-303, F.A.C., for listings based on fish consumption advisories, 13) addition of new language to Chapter 62-303, F.A.C., to discuss assessment of trends using the Mann-Kendall Trend Test, 14) addition of language to Chapter 62-303, F.A.C., to incorporate portions of the document titled "Implementation of Florida's Numeric Nutrient Standards" by reference, and 15) a wide variety of non-substantive clarifications and clean-up. No changes are proposed to Chapter 62-4, F.A.C., or Chapter 62-304, F.A.C., at this time. A copy of the agenda may be obtained by contacting: Kaitlyn Sutton, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Water Quality Standards Program, MS #6511, 2600 Blair Stone Road, Tallahassee, FL 32399-2400, (850)245-8819 or email: kaitlyn.sutton@FloridaDEP.gov. Pursuant to the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, any person requiring special accommodations to participate in this workshop/meeting is asked to advise the agency at least 5 days before the workshop/meeting by contacting: Kaitlyn Sutton at (850)245-8819 or via email: kaitlyn.sutton@FloridaDEP.gov. If you are hearing or speech impaired, please contact the agency using the Florida Relay Service, 1(800)955-8771 (TDD) or 1(800)955-8770 (Voice).