No 9 Story of 2020: Democratic candidates crisscross Northwest Iowa before Iowa caucuses southernminn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from southernminn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
EPA to hand over federal permitting authority that affects wetlands to state
Published: December 17, 2020 3:28 PM EST
Updated: December 17, 2020 9:56 PM EST
In a relatively rare move, the U.S. Department of Environmental Protection on Thursday announced approval of a plan to hand over federal permitting authority to Florida for projects that affect wetlands.
Supporters praised the move as helping reduce duplicative state and federal permitting and giving Florida more control over such decisions. Florida is only the third state, joining Michigan and New Jersey, that have received the authority, according to the EPA.
“Our waters and wetlands are critical to our economy and way of life in Florida. As such, it is important for the state to be in charge and take the lead in their protection,” state Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Noah Valenstein said in a statement released by the EPA. “We are pleased that with the assumption, Florida scientists and permitters
Biden Likely to Promote EVs, Boost Reshoring The president-elect likely will withdraw federal lawsuits seeking to roll back California’s air-quality standards. Biden also plans to expand electric-vehicle purchase incentives and to build a network of 500,000 EV charging units by 2030.
Regulations, trade policy and the health of the economy are the three topics most important to the auto industry as President-elect Joe Biden prepares to take office, the Center for Automotive Research says.
Democrat Biden and outgoing Republican President Donald Trump have taken up fundamentally different positions on regulations, CAR said in a report released in October. While Trump has viewed regulations as barriers to economic growth, Biden has supported the use of regulations to achieve his broader goals, especially that of combating climate change.
Hear this story airing on 89.9 WJCT News
The Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday it is handing over at least some of its oversight of Florida’s wetlands to the state.
Specifically, the EPA is transferring permitting authority to the state, it says to streamline decisions on whether to fill in wetlands for development.
Typically, if a project would damage or destroy wetlands, developers have to get approval from both the state and the Army Corps of Engineers under the Clean Water Act. But EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler believes lawmakers always intended for states to have more authority.
“This is exactly what Congress envisioned. It’s just what was in practice for the last 30 years was a number of federal hurdles that prevented states from taking over the program that Congress wanted them to take over,” Wheeler said.
EPA hands over wetlands permitting to Florida; Critic calls it Trump s parting gift to developers orlandosentinel.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from orlandosentinel.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.