The procedure for designating an ACSC is detailed and lengthy and re- 

 quires substantial preliminary analysis. As part of designating an ACSC, a 

 set of development priciples applicable to the area must be prepared. There- 

 after, any developments taking place within the critical area must be in 

 conformance with the development principles. The main thrust of the ACSC pro- 

 vision of the act is to protect certain important resources of the State from 

 uncontrolled development. To date, the three ACSC's in Florida that have been 

 so designated by the legislature are the Big Cypress, the Green Swamp, and the 

 Florida Keys areas. 



INDUSTRIAL PERMITS 



Industrial development, including power plant siting, often conflicts 

 with other land and water uses such as housing, recreation, and conservation. 

 These conflicts are especially pronounced in coastal areas where competition 

 for limited resources is intense. Industrial activity is a necessary concomi- 

 tant of economic development, however, and provisions must be made to accom- 

 modate it at suitable locations. The attempts of industry to comply with 

 Florida's environmental and siting laws have been onerous and frequently in a 

 state of disarray, prompting the enactment in 1979 of a streamlined Industrial 

 Siting Act (ch. 288 F.S.). The act, passed to attract new industry, is con- 

 sistent with the protection of the State's natural resources and environment. 



A "Catalogue of Regulatory Procedures" was prepared by the State prior to 

 the Industrial Siting Act in response to the confusion surrounding the State's 

 multiple regulatory programs (Florida Department of Administration 1979). 

 Among the regulations covered in the catalogue are those that deal with envi- 

 ronmental issues and industry. 



This process of meeting numerous regulations for the issuance of indus- 

 trial permits is commonly referred to as the "old method," with the "new 

 method" referring to Florida's more recently enacted (1979) Florida Industrial 

 Siting Act (ch. 79-147, Laws of Florida). Neither process supersedes the 

 other. Instead, industries are given an option by the State to select which 

 method of issuing permits they choose to follow. The major difference between 

 these two procedures is the time and cost for obtaining a permit. 



Of the 17 permit programs outlined in the catalogue, twelve apply to the 

 procedural methods for setting industrial permits. They include permits for 

 the following: dredge and fill, water pollution sources, solid waste disposal 

 plants, air quality systems, drilling freshwater wells, public and private 

 water supply systems, power plant construction and operation, mined land rec- 

 lamation, open burning, and for protection of historic sites and properties. 



The new process is designed to take seven months from application to com- 

 pletion (approval or denial). Should any delays be requested, the hearing 

 officer in charge of that particular request will determine the validity of 

 the request in deciding whether to grant the delay. The Siting Act also is 

 designed for the applicant to submit all requests for permits to one central 

 office, the Department of Environmental Regulation (DER). This causes the 

 Siting Act to be commonly known as "One-Stop Permitting." 



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