Public Meeting: Environmental Protection Division

ENVIRONMENT

Veronica Alarcon

5 February 2013 / Story #1

JOU 1100: News Reporting

           ORLANDO - The Environmental Protection Committee held its monthly advisory board meeting this Wednesday, January 30, at the Orange County Environmental Protection Division on Mercy Drive. At the meeting, the committee introduced the Environmental Permitting & Compliance Program that consists of several regulatory programs that will maintain environmental control in the Orange County area.

Chairman and Environmental Specialist, Joel Thompson, called the meeting to order at 8:30 in the morning and started off with a warm welcome to two new members of the Environmental Protection Committee. Glenn Dunkelberger, Professional Environmental or Civil Engineer, and Alexis McKinnon Preisser, the At Large Representative both gave a brief introduction and background of their work before continuing on with the meeting.

           The committee began to discuss the creation of the Environmental Permitting & Compliance Program that was organized by the Environmental Streamlining Task Force. The task force was appointed on March 29, 2011 by Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs with a

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mission to streamline environmental regulations and processes in order to promote jobs and economic development. Under the supervision of the Environmental Protection Division, the task force came up with regulatory programs to enhance the well being of our community.

            The programs are intended for environmental control in the Orange County area, which include pumping, and dredging control, lake shore protection, regulation of dock construction, classification and management in wetland conservation areas, Econlockhatchee River protection, Wekiva River protection, regulation of boat ramps, and environmental land stewardship. Other programs are specifically intended for special districts such as Lake Conway Water and Navigation Control District and Windermere Water and Navigation Control District. These two programs provide regulation and control of all lakes, canals, streams, waterways, inlets, and bays.

After the discussion of the programs, Lori Cunniff, Environmental Protection Division's Deputy Director and Manager, stated that, "The division needs to make our rules better, but not lessen our environmental protection." 

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After going over the legal issues in the special acts of the Environmental Permitting & Compliance Program, Vice Chairman and Recognized Environmental Conservation Organization Representative, John Miklos, went over the “Process and Review Criteria” phase of the meeting, where the members talked about permits being issued-in-house, handling of noticing and appeals, and the consideration of “public benefit”.

After about twenty minutes of not coming to an agreement on these issues, the board decided to settle the issues at the next meeting as John Miklos quoted, “If we continue on this discussion, we won’t make it to lunch… and I’m starving!”

With the open discussion coming to end, the public gave a couple words of input which later led to Joel Thompson calling to the adjournment of the meeting that made everyone head out the conference room ready to enjoy their lunch.

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