Sen. Rick Scott Applauds EPA Decision to Grant Florida Permitting Authority

December 17, 2020

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Rick Scott applauded the Environmental Protection Agency’s Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. This designation eliminates duplicity in permitting and helps protect Florida’s environment by allowing Florida to follow the state’s permitting program standards, which are just as stringent, if not more so, than what is currently in place on the federal level.

During his time as Governor of Florida, Senator Rick Scott signed legislation to request this designation from the federal government.

Senator Rick Scott said, “This designation is great news for the State of Florida – it gives our state the ability to make the best decisions for our unique environment, with input from the public and environmental stakeholders. The duplicative rules on the state and federal levels were a waste of taxpayer dollars, and created confusion for everyone involved, which is why I fought to streamline this process. I will keep working to cut unnecessary government red tape and improve efficiency on every level of government, while also making sure our environment is protected for generations to come.”  

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