(1) The Legislature recognizes that there is a need for identifying the amount, type, sources, and management of hazardous waste generated by small quantity generators in the state. There is also a need for facilitating responsible waste storage, transportation, volume reduction, recycling treatment, disposal, and the introduction of waste reduction opportunities to small quantity generators of hazardous waste. Responsible management of these wastes is imperative in order to protect the public health, safety, and welfare and the environment.
(2) The department shall establish guidelines for local hazardous waste management assessments and shall specify a standard format. The local hazardous waste management assessments shall include, but not be limited to, the identification of the following:

(a) All small quantity generators of hazardous waste within a county as defined pursuant to federal regulations under 40 C.F.R. 260.10.

Terms Used In Florida Statutes 403.7225

  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Department: means the Department of Environmental Protection or any successor agency performing a like function. See Florida Statutes 403.703
  • Disposal: means the discharge, deposit, injection, dumping, spilling, leaking, or placing of any solid waste or hazardous waste into or upon any land or water so that such solid waste or hazardous waste or any constituent thereof may enter other lands or be emitted into the air or discharged into any waters, including groundwaters, or otherwise enter the environment. See Florida Statutes 403.703
  • Hazardous waste: means solid waste, or a combination of solid wastes, which, because of its quantity, concentration, or physical, chemical, or infectious characteristics, may cause, or significantly contribute to, an increase in mortality or an increase in serious irreversible or incapacitating reversible illness or may pose a substantial present or potential hazard to human health or the environment when improperly transported, disposed of, stored, treated, or otherwise managed. See Florida Statutes 403.703
  • Hazardous waste management: means the systematic control of the collection, source separation, storage, transportation, processing, treatment, recovery, recycling, and disposal of hazardous waste. See Florida Statutes 403.703
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Recycling: means any process by which solid waste, or materials that would otherwise become solid waste, are collected, separated, or processed and reused or returned to use in the form of raw materials or intermediate or final products. See Florida Statutes 403.703
  • Storage: means the containment or holding of a hazardous waste, either on a temporary basis or for a period of years, in such a manner as not to constitute disposal of such hazardous waste. See Florida Statutes 403.703
  • Treatment: when used in connection with hazardous waste, means any method, technique, or process, including neutralization, which is designed to change the physical, chemical, or biological character or composition of any hazardous waste so as to neutralize it or render it nonhazardous, safe for transport, amenable to recovery, amenable to storage or disposal, or reduced in volume or concentration. See Florida Statutes 403.703
(b) The types and quantities of hazardous waste generated by small quantity generators within a county.
(c) Current hazardous waste management practices of small quantity generators within a county.
(d) Effective waste management practices for small quantity generators of hazardous waste.
(3) Each county or regional planning council shall coordinate the local hazardous waste management assessments within its jurisdiction according to guidelines established under s. 403.7226. If a county declines to perform the local hazardous waste management assessment, the county shall make arrangements with its regional planning council to perform the assessment.
(4) County-designated areas under the original assessments in which hazardous waste storage facilities have been located are recognized by the Legislature. However, this section does not prohibit a county from amending its comprehensive plan to designate other areas for this purpose, nor does this section prohibit construction of a facility on any other locally approved or state-approved site.
(5) No county may amend its comprehensive plan or undertake rezoning actions in order to prevent areas designated pursuant to subsection (4) from being used as hazardous waste storage facilities.
(6) Unless performed by the county pursuant to subsection (3), the regional planning councils shall upon successful arrangements with a county:

(a) Perform local hazardous waste management assessments;
(b) Provide any technical expertise needed by the counties in developing the assessments.
(7) The selection of a regional storage facility site during the original assessment will not preclude the siting of a storage facility at some other site which is locally or state approved.
(8) The department shall assemble the data collected from the local hazardous waste management assessments and determine if the needs of small quantity generators of hazardous waste will be met by in-state commercial hazardous waste facilities or if additional storage, treatment, or disposal facilities are needed in the state and which regions have the greatest need.
(9) Storage facility area selections, or regional storage facility site selections from the original assessments shall not prevent siting of storage or treatment facilities in any area of the state.
(10) Except as provided in this part, no local government law, ordinance, or rule pertaining to the subject of hazardous waste regulation may be more stringent than department rules adopted under the authority of this chapter.
(11) Local hazardous waste management assessments shall be renewed every 5 years, based on the schedule determined by the department. More frequent assessments shall not be required by the state. However, at their option, counties may update such assessments at more frequent intervals. The assessment rolls shall be brought up to date annually before the end of the 5-year interval by including the applicable names from department sources, occupational licenses, building permits, and from not less than one complete survey of the business pages of the county local telephone systems. The roll shall be updated continuously thereafter in the same manner.
(12) The Legislature recognizes the expense incurred by county governments in the proper identification, notification, and verification of small quantity generators of hazardous waste within their jurisdictions. When required to support the local hazardous waste assessments required by this section, the small quantity generator notification and verification program required pursuant to s. 403.7234, and the reporting requirements of s. 403.7236, a county may impose a small quantity generator notification and verification surcharge of up to $50 on the business or occupational license or renewal of any firm that is classified as a small quantity generator of hazardous wastes. A county may contract with or otherwise enter into an agreement with the county tax collector to collect the annual surcharge.