What is the NPDES Program?

In 1995, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) authorized the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to implement the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) to permit surface water discharges, predominately from industrial and domestic wastewater facilities. When Florida took the NPDES program, there were 726 individual NPDES permits throughout the state.

Because of the State's pre-existing stringent water quality standards and rigorous permitting requirements, and commitment to reuse, Florida has eliminated 232 direct discharges to surface waters since receiving the authorization -- a 32 percent reduction.

Under the NPDES program, Georgia Pacific is operating under a five-year permit with an associated Administrative Order. The permit and order require the company to invest nearly $200 million in manufacturing improvements to significantly reduce groundwater consumption and effluent loading into a tributary of the St. Johns River. As with other NPDES facilities where dioxin may be issue, Florida has incorporated the federal standard into the permit.

Underground injection wells and other facilities that do not discharge to surface waters, such as Smurfitt Stone in Panama City, are not regulated under the NPDES program and do not require NPDES permits.

Are stormwater discharges regulated under the NPDES program?

In October 2000, EPA authorized the Department to implement the NPDES stormwater permitting program to regulate point source discharges of stormwater into surface waters from certain municipal, industrial and construction activities. Through aggressive outreach and enforcement, the Department has brought more than 6,200 construction sites under permit -- nearly 1,000 more sites than EPA addressed during the previous eight years. Another 1,800 industrial sites are now under permit along with more than 300 NPDES municipal storm sewer systems in the state. Even before NPDES, Florida had among the most comprehensive stormwater programs in the nation through its Environmental Resource Permitting and Nonpoint Source Management programs.

How is Florida regulating large dairies?

The Department designed a comprehensive plan to quickly and effectively reduce pollution from animal feeding operations and improve water quality. Two years ago, the Department ordered large dairies to obtain permits for their operations. Rather than using a one-size-fits-all regulatory program, the Department developed a meaningful, progressive program to ensure large dairies achieve compliance with environmental rules.

Florida’s common-sense approach to environmental management goes beyond traditional command and control mechanisms to regulate animal feeding operations years ahead of federal requirements.

Of Florida’s 53 large dairies, four are closing because of enforceable orders and 44 are operating under permits or administrative agreements with the agency. All operating large dairies are required to submit NPDES permit applications by the end of the year - 26 are already under review.

How is Florida cleaning up rivers, lakes and streams?

Florida is identifying and cleaning up polluted waterways based on a state law passed five years ago -- the first of its kind in the nation. This approach builds on longstanding, site-specific water quality permitting regulations that continue to be strictly enforced. Together, these activities are cleaning up pollution faster, better and at less cost to Florida’s taxpayers.

The EPA approved Florida’s rules; two judges upheld the impaired waters process and the National Academy of Sciences supports the Department’s approach.

What about water in the Everglades?

Just last year, Florida adopted the first numeric water quality standard for phosphorus in the Everglades. The rule requires the use of best available technologies to achieve the stringent water quality standard. An estimated $650 million will be invested over the next decade to implement a detailed, enforceable plan to ensure continued water quality improvements and protection of America’s Everglades.

Florida will continue to fulfill its legislative and legal mandates to reduce the amount of phosphorus entering the Everglades, including establishing technology-based effluent limits on all NPDES permits by 2006 in compliance with Florida law and the Clean Water Act. Permits for several Stormwater Treatment Areas, constructed to reduce phosphorus levels in water entering the Everglades, have already been issued in compliance with the federal Clean Water Act.