Fla. Admin. Code Ann. R. 62-330.405 - General Conditions for All General Permits

The following general permit conditions are binding upon the permittee and are enforceable under Chapter 373, F.S. These conditions do not apply to the general permit for stormwater management systems under Section 403.814(12), F.S.

(1) The general permit is valid only for the specific activity indicated. Any deviation from the specified activity and the conditions for undertaking that activity shall constitute a violation of the permit and may subject the permittee to enforcement action and revocation of the permit under Chapter 373, F.S.

(2) The general permit does not eliminate the necessity to obtain any required federal, state, local and special district authorizations prior to the start of any construction, alteration, operation, maintenance, removal or abandonment authorized by this permit; and it does not authorize any violation of any other applicable federal, state, local, or special district laws (including, but not limited to, those governing the "take" of listed species).

(3) The general permit does not convey to the permittee or create in the permittee any property right, or any interest in real property, nor does it authorize any entrance upon or activities on property which is not owned or controlled by the permittee, or convey any rights or privileges other than those specified in the general permit.

(4) The general permit does not relieve the permittee from liability and penalties when the permitted activity causes harm or injury to: human health or welfare; animal, plant or aquatic life; or property. It does not allow the permittee to cause pollution that violates state water quality standards.

(5) Section 253.77, F.S., provides that a person may not commence any excavation, construction, or other activity involving the use of state-owned or other lands of the state, the title to which is vested in the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund without obtaining the required consent, lease, easement, or other form of authorization authorizing the proposed use. Therefore, the permittee is responsible for obtaining any necessary authorizations from the Board of Trustees prior to commencing activity on state-owned lands.

(6) The authorization to conduct activities under a general permit may be modified, suspended or revoked in accordance with chapter 120, F.S., and Section 373.429, F.S.

(7) The general permit is not transferable to a new third party. To be used by a different permittee, a new notice to use a general permit must be submitted in accordance with Rule 62-330.402, F.A.C. Activities constructed in accordance with the terms and conditions of a general permit are automatically authorized to be operated and maintained by the permittee and subsequent owners in accordance with subsection 62-330.340(1), F.A.C. Any person holding the general permit, persons working under the general permit, and owners of land while work is conducted under the general permit shall remain liable for any corrective actions that may be required as a result of any permit violations prior to sale, conveyance, or other transfer of ownership or control of the permitted project, activity, or the real property at which the permitted project or activity is located.

(8) Upon reasonable notice to the permittee, Agency staff with proper identification shall have permission to enter, inspect, sample and test the permitted system to ensure conformity with the plans and specifications approved by the general permit.

(9) The permittee shall maintain any permitted project or activity in accordance with the plans submitted to the Agency and authorized in the general permit.

(10) A permittee's right to conduct a specific activity under the general permit is authorized for a duration of five years.

(11) Activities shall be conducted in a manner that does not cause or contribute to violations of state water quality standards. Performance-based erosion and sediment control best management practices shall be implemented and maintained immediately prior to, during, and after construction as needed to stabilize all disturbed areas, including other measures specified in the permit to prevent adverse impacts to the water resources and adjacent lands. Erosion and sediment control measures shall be installed and maintained in accordance with the State of Florida Erosion and Sediment Control Designer and Reviewer Manual (Florida Department of Environmental Protection and Florida Department of Transportation, June 2007), available at https://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-04227, and the Florida Stormwater Erosion and Sedimentation Control Inspector's Manual (Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Nonpoint Source Management Section, Tallahassee, Florida, July 2008), available at http://publicfiles.dep.state.fl.us/DEAR/Stormwater_Training_Docs/erosion-inspectors-manual.pdf.

(12) Unless otherwise specified in the general permit, temporary vehicular access within wetlands during construction shall be performed using vehicles generating minimum ground pressure to minimize rutting and other environmental impacts. Within forested wetlands, the permittee shall choose alignments that minimize the destruction of mature wetland trees to the greatest extent practicable. When needed to prevent rutting or soil compaction, access vehicles shall be operated on wooden, composite, metal, or other non-earthen construction mats. In all cases, access in wetlands shall comply with the following:

(a) Access within forested wetlands shall not include the cutting or clearing of any native wetland tree having a diameter four inches or greater at breast height;

(b) The maximum width of the construction access area shall be limited to 15 feet;

(c) All mats shall be removed as soon as practicable after equipment has completed passage through, or work has been completed, at any location along the alignment of the project, but in no case longer than seven days after equipment has completed work or passage through that location; and

(d) Areas disturbed for access shall be restored to natural grades immediately after the maintenance or repair is completed.

(13) Barges or other work vessels used to conduct in-water activities shall be operated in a manner that prevents unauthorized dredging, water quality violations, and damage to submerged aquatic communities.

(14) The construction, alteration, or use of the authorized project shall not adversely impede navigation or create a navigational hazard in the water body.

(15) Except where specifically authorized in the general permit, activities must not:

(a) Impound or obstruct existing water flow, cause adverse impacts to existing surface water storage and conveyance capabilities, or otherwise cause adverse water quantity or flooding impacts to receiving water and adjacent lands; or

(b) Cause an adverse impact to the maintenance of surface or ground water levels or surface water flows established pursuant to section 373.042, F.S., or a Works of the District established pursuant to Section 373.086, F.S.

(16) If prehistoric or historic artifacts, such as pottery or ceramics, projectile points, stone tools, dugout canoes, metal implements, historic building materials, or any other physical remains that could be associated with Native American, early European, or American settlement are encountered at any time within the project site area, the permitted project shall cease all activities involving subsurface disturbance in the vicinity of the discovery. The permittee or other designee shall contact the Florida Department of State, Division of Historical Resources, Compliance Review Section (DHR), at (850)245-6333, as well as the appropriate permitting agency office. Project activities shall not resume without verbal or written authorization from the Division of Historical Resources. If unmarked human remains are encountered, all work shall stop immediately and the proper authorities notified in accordance with Section 872.05, F.S.

(17) The activity must be capable, based on generally accepted engineering and scientific principles, of being performed and of functioning as proposed, and must comply with any applicable District special basin and geographic area criteria.

(18) The permittee shall comply with the following when performing work within waters accessible to federally- or state-listed aquatic species, such as manatees, marine turtles, smalltooth sawfish, and Gulf sturgeon:

(a) All vessels associated with the project shall operate at "Idle Speed/No Wake" at all times while in the work area and where the draft of the vessels provides less than a four-foot clearance from the bottom. All vessels will follow routes of deep water whenever possible.

(b) All deployed siltation or turbidity barriers shall be properly secured, monitored, and maintained to prevent entanglement or entrapment of listed species.

(c) All in-water activities, including vessel operation, must be shut down if a listed species comes within 50 feet of the work area. Activities shall not resume until the animal(s) has moved beyond a 50-foot radius of the in-water work, or until 30 minutes elapses since the last sighting within 50 feet. Animals must not be herded away or harassed into leaving. All onsite project personnel are responsible for observing water-related activities for the presence of listed species.

(d) Any listed species that is killed or injured by work associated with activities performed shall be reported immediately to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Hotline at 1(888)404-3922 and ImperiledSpecies@myFWC.com.

(e) Whenever there is a spill or frac-out of drilling fluid into waters accessible to the above species during a directional drilling operation, the FWC shall be notified at ImperiledSpecies@myfwc.com with details of the event within 24 hours following detection of the spill or frac-out.

(19) The permittee shall hold and save the Agency harmless from any and all damages, claims, or liabilities which may arise by reason of the construction, alteration, operation, maintenance, removal, abandonment or use of any activity authorized by the general permit.

(20) The permittee shall immediately notify the Agency in writing of any submitted information that is discovered to be inaccurate.

Notes

Fla. Admin. Code Ann. R. 62-330.405

Rulemaking Authority 373.026(7), 373.043, 373.118(1), 373.406(5), 373.4131, 373.414(9), 373.4145, 373.418, 403.805(1) FS. Law Implemented 373.044, 373.118(1), 373.129, 373.136, 373.406(5), 373.413, 373.4131, 373.414(9), 373.4145, 373.416, 373.422, 373.423, 373.429, 403.814(1) FS.

New 10-3-95, Amended 10-1-07, Formerly 62-341.215, Amended 10-1-13, Amended by Florida Register Volume 44, Number 085, May 1, 2018 effective 6/1/2018, Amended by Florida Register Volume 49, Number 085, May 2, 2023 effective 5/2/2023.

New 10-3-95, Amended 10-1-07, Formerly 62-341.215, Amended 10-1-13, 6-1-18.