It is the intent of the Legislature to facilitate siting of proper hazardous waste storage facilities in each region and any additional storage, treatment, or disposal facilities as required. The Legislature recognizes the need for facilitating disposal of waste produced by small generators, reducing the volume of wastes generated in the state, reducing the toxicity of wastes generated in the state, and providing treatment and disposal facilities in the state.

(1) Each county shall complete a hazardous waste management assessment and designate areas within the county at which a hazardous waste storage facility could be constructed to meet a demonstrated need.
(2) After each county designates areas for storage facilities, each regional planning council shall designate one or more sites at which a regional hazardous waste storage or treatment facility could be constructed.
(3) The department, within 30 days of receipt of a complete application for a hazardous waste facility construction or modification permit, shall notify each unit of local government within 3 miles of the proposed facility that a permit application has been received and shall publish a notice in a newspaper of general circulation in the area of the proposed facility that a complete permit application has been received.
(4) Upon request by a person who has applied for a hazardous waste facility permit from the department, the local government having jurisdiction over the proposed site shall, within 90 days of such request, determine whether or not the proposed site is consistent and in compliance with adopted local government comprehensive plans, local land use ordinances, local zoning ordinances or regulations, and other local ordinances in effect at the time a hazardous waste facility construction or modification permit application is made or is an area or site designated for the purpose of such facility according to this act.
(5) If the local government determines within 90 days of the request that construction or modification of the facility does not comply with such plans, ordinances, regulations, or area or site designations pursuant to this act, the person requesting the determination may request a variance from such plans, ordinances, regulations, or designations.
(6) If the variance requested by the applicant is denied by local government or if there is no determination made by local government pursuant to subsection (4) within 90 days of the request, or if there is no action on the variance requested by the applicant within 90 days of the request for the variance, the person requesting such determination or variance may petition the Governor and Cabinet for a variance from the local ordinances, assessments, regulations, plans, or area and site designations.
(7) The Governor and Cabinet shall grant the variance from any local ordinances, assessments, area and site designations, regulations, or plans only if a hazardous waste permit has been issued by the department and if the Governor and Cabinet find, based upon competent substantial evidence that clearly and convincingly establishes, that the facility:

(a) Will not have a significant adverse impact on the environment, including ground and surface water resources, of the region; and

Terms Used In Florida Statutes 403.723

  • 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
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • 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 facility: means any building, site, structure, or equipment at or by which hazardous waste is disposed of, stored, or treated. 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.
  • Person: means any and all persons, natural or artificial, including any individual, firm, or association; any municipal or private corporation organized or existing under the laws of this state or any other state; any county of this state; and any governmental agency of this state or the Federal Government. 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) Will not have a significant adverse impact on the economy of the region.
(8) The Governor and Cabinet shall also consider the record of the proceeding before the local government, when determining whether to grant a petition for a variance from local ordinances, regulations, or plans.
(9) The Governor and Cabinet may adopt rules of procedure that govern these proceedings.
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