(1) Applications for certification shall follow the format and shall be supported by information and technical studies, as prescribed by Florida Statutes § 403.5251
    (a) The applicant shall consult with the Department to determine the number of copies of the certification application or precertification amendments thereto to be submitted to the Department for its own use. The applicant shall submit the number of hard copies and electronic copies the Department determines it needs. The Department’s determination of how many copies it needs shall be based upon the number of district offices, divisions, or programs required to review the application, plus one for the Department to provide to the Division of Administrative Hearings. The applicant shall send copies directly to the applicable district office, division, or program personnel at the addresses provided by the Department. A copy of the transmittal letter shall be provided to the Siting Coordination Office.
    (b) The applicant shall consult with each agency identified in Section 403.527(2)(a), F.S., and any newly affected agencies under Florida Statutes § 403.5271, to determine the number of printed and electronic copies of the application needed for those agencies to conduct their reviews. A copy of the transmittal letter shall be provided to the Siting Coordination Office.
    (c) The applicant shall submit one copy of the application and any amendments thereto to a main public library in each county within which the corridor is located. The proximity of the library to the corridor may also be considered by the applicant in selection of the library.
    (2) Prior to application filing, upon request from applicant the Department shall grant a meeting between the applicant, the Department and any potentially interested statutory parties which are known to determine whether specified informational requirements required by the application guide may be waived, modified, or reduced in scope for a particular application.
    (3) Applications shall also include:
    (a) Information supporting any request for a variance, exception, exemption or other relief from the non-procedural standards or rules of the Department or from the standards or rules of any other agency, as provided by Section 403.526(2)(b)1., F.S., including the reasons justifying such relief, and the condition which the applicant seeks to have included in the certification on this issue.
    (b) Information describing the works or properties of any agency that the applicant seeks to use, connect to, or cross over, and the intended use.
    (4)(a) Any precertification amendments to an application shall be sent by the applicant to the administrative law judge and to all parties to the proceeding as well as to all agencies and persons who received a copy of the application. Such amendments shall be sent at the same time the amendments are sent to the Department.
    (b) Precertification amendments to an application shall follow the format and shall be supported by information as prescribed in the Application Guide form 62-1.212(1), F.A.C. Appropriate revisions to the application text, figures, and photographs are required to be made to reflect the changes. Amendments may be submitted initially as correspondence, but formal revisions to the application, either in the form of amended application pages or an errata sheet listing all necessary changes to application pages, are required to be distributed within 15 days of correspondence submittal to all agencies, parties and persons previously receiving an application.
Rulemaking Authority 403.523(1), 403.531(2)(b) FS. Law Implemented 403.523(1), (2), (3), (5), (6), 403.5251, 403.5275 FS. History-New 11-20-80, Amended 6-26-84, 17-17.54(4), Transferred to 17-17.545(1), Formerly 17-17.54, Amended 1-26-93, Formerly 17-17.540, Amended 5-24-10.