By PATRICK GILLESPIE
Whether someone wanted to dive into ins and outs of legislative session, get an update about state regulatory action, or learn about waste management or water management, the 38th Annual Environmental Permitting Summer School in Marco Island had something for everyone.
Several sessions were standing room only, as nearly 1,400 people registered to attend the event July 16-19 at the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort. Overlooking the Gulf of Mexico at the far edge of Southwest Florida, the conference featured federal, state, and local environmental leaders, industry experts from all manner of environmental subject areas.
In one session, representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection discussed the ongoing saga surrounding Clean Water Act Section 404 permitting, which shifted this year from review and issuance by the Department to the Army Corps following a federal lawsuit and a District Court judge’s ruling in February.
It’s possible the Corps will use work DEP has started on permits, said Shawn Zinszer, Chief of the Regulatory Division for the Corps in Jacksonville.
“I think it’s the Army Corps’ intent to use any documentation from the state process,” he said. “That said, it still has to meet the federal standard.”
DEP General Counsel Justin Wolfe said during the session that looking at other permitting models could provide an avenue for the program to return to DEP. He said the state will continue appealing.
“Unlike New Jersey, Florida has a lot of protected species, which is why the state structured its 404 Program to take those impacts into account,” Wolfe said. “The cooperative federalism approach of the Clean Water Act and Endangered Species Act allows for this flexibility.”
Sessions that centered on a legislative recap with a slew of experts drew a packed audience, as did updates from DEP’s regulatory team, and a Lake Okeechobee overview from several South Florida and Everglades experts.
DEP Secretary Shawn Hamilton gave the keynote address on Day Two, discussing the major funding milestones the Department has reached with support from the Florida Legislature.
He highlighted the nearly half a billion dollars in grants the Department has been appropriated, to cover Everglades restoration projects, beach renourishment, land conservation, and more. He also discussed the increase in visitation to Florida State Parks.
“We’re excited about the visitation,” he said. “Just the interest is awesome.”
The event’s exhibit hall spilled out of the main hall into the common areas, with dozens of companies on hand to show off everything from drones to archeological services to all kinds of environmental services. And the free goodies were on display.
The conference closed out on Day 4 with a half day of sessions featuring a variety of interesting topics, from land conservation to energy policy, to waste management. As one of the largest environmental conferences in the country, 2025’s version should continue to drive interesting conversations around the many topics that face Florida.
