38th Environmental Permitting Summer School

This update will cover any changes by the 2024 Legislature to comprehensive planning and DRIs, as well as pending changes in growth management programs and policies; discussion of the future of the regulation of DRIs, as well as large non-DRIs in Dense Urban Land Areas; evaluation of different approval processes for large scale development, including dealing with local government on the myriad of issues each DRI order raises; and examination of pros and cons of rescinding existing DRIs. What are the other viable options for large-scale projects and when to use each – or not? Are regional planning councils going the way of DRI’s? What’s behind the ongoing push for preemption of local government decisions and is it a good or a bad thing? This course is updated every year to discuss new and anticipated legislation, emerging issues and problems and examples of local government innovation. Audience participation is encouraged.

This course has been significantly growing in popularity and is completely redesigned for 2022!  Drone technology has impacted the world in a number of ways and has greatly expanded beyond the capture of high quality aerial video and imagery. The ability of a drone to reach inaccessible or otherwise cost-prohibitive areas has made it a valuable tool that provides on-demand data that is fast, flexible and affordable, and the use cases in the environmental industry are expanding rapidly. This 2-part course of instruction will examine this emerging and quickly evolving industry from the perspective of experts in the technical, and operational and legal aspects of drone utilization.  

In Part 1, drone industry experts will examine the many cutting-edge innovations that utilize drones to support the environmental industry. Used in combination with post-processing software, drone imagery can be upgraded to create accurate 2D maps and 3D models for a myriad of products, including topographic surveys, digital surface models, volumetric calculations and 3D models with photorealistic textures. What new ideas are emerging, and how might advances in edge computing, automation, artificial intelligence, and “big data” analytics propel this technology into the future? Fascinating case studies and amazing aerial videos await you!

Part 2 of the course will shift to the business and regulatory aspects of the industry and the evolving legal landscape governing the use of drones. Since the Federal Aviation Administration has begun approving drone use for commercial applications, the environmental industry is being rapidly advanced by the innovations provided by the use of drone technology. How are the regulators responding? What are the business risks, and how can they be appropriately mitigated? If your business currently utilizes or is considering utilizing drone technology, then this course is for you!

This course has been significantly growing in popularity and is completely redesigned for 2022!  Drone technology has impacted the world in a number of ways and has greatly expanded beyond the capture of high quality aerial video and imagery. The ability of a drone to reach inaccessible or otherwise cost-prohibitive areas has made it a valuable tool that provides on-demand data that is fast, flexible and affordable, and the use cases in the environmental industry are expanding rapidly. This 2-part course of instruction will examine this emerging and quickly evolving industry from the perspective of experts in the technical, and operational and legal aspects of drone utilization.  

In Part 1, drone industry experts will examine the many cutting-edge innovations that utilize drones to support the environmental industry. Used in combination with post-processing software, drone imagery can be upgraded to create accurate 2D maps and 3D models for a myriad of products, including topographic surveys, digital surface models, volumetric calculations and 3D models with photorealistic textures. What new ideas are emerging, and how might advances in edge computing, automation, artificial intelligence, and “big data” analytics propel this technology into the future? Fascinating case studies and amazing aerial videos await you!

Part 2 of the course will shift to the business and regulatory aspects of the industry and the evolving legal landscape governing the use of drones. Since the Federal Aviation Administration has begun approving drone use for commercial applications, the environmental industry is being rapidly advanced by the innovations provided by the use of drone technology. How are the regulators responding? What are the business risks, and how can they be appropriately mitigated? If your business currently utilizes or is considering utilizing drone technology, then this course is for you!

This panel will provide an overview of major federal and state air quality legislation, rules, litigation, and initiatives, with focus on how your normal business operations in Florida will be affected. This timely and informative course will examine EPA’s greenhouse gas rule, the new PM NAAQS, updates to the Air Emissions Reporting Rule, and Reclassification of Major Sources, a/k/a Once In, Always In.  This informative session is designed to help you stay current on the latest rules and policies – Come prepared with your questions for this panel of experts.

The last few years have seen a shift in environmental enforcement priorities by both the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The emerging priorities have placed greater emphasis on enforcement of environmental laws and regulations, and less on compliance assistance. This new emphasis is particularly apparent in the areas of solid and hazardous waste, surface and groundwater, and soils  regulation and liability, and resultant litigation. This policy shift also has resulted in putting additional pressure on private transactions to ensure that responsibility and liability for environmental conditions on property is allocated in accordance with these emerging risks. Also, greater emphasis on enforcement of permit conditions for new and existing permits upon renewal has occurred. This course will discuss this emerging policy in the context of environmental pollution responsibility and liability, will explain the legal and technical challenges that arise in these cases, and will feature the resultant impacts to property owners and facility operators. It includes real-world case studies to illustrate these points. Course attendees are encouraged to interact with the instructors in a “workshop” type format.

Transportation and utility infrastructure in Florida continues to evolve on multiple fronts as technology, travel patterns, and resiliency planning influence how our infrastructure is designed, funded, and utilized. This panel gathers engineers, economic specialists, and planners to discuss how their work is evolving in the face of these changes.

New for 2024! This panel of experts will take a deep dive into the Live Local Act and any 2024 amendments to this landmark legislation. The Act has been called the most aggressive land use policy change in any state in the country. Others have called it the death of local government home rule. Either way, the Live Local Act changed everything you thought you knew about land use in Florida. Case studies will help the audience understand the challenges and opportunities of using this new law to create affordable, attainable, and market rate housing around the state. The panelists have been actively involved in a wide variety of Live Local Act issues including lobbying for policy changes, designing and permitting projects, and litigating these cutting-edge issues. Bring your questions, as audience participation is highly encouraged!

This panel provides practical and legal insights into managing public hearings before local governments from both the private party and local government perspectives. It specifically addresses issues arising in connection with public hearings and how to deal with denials by and challenges to local government decisions. This presentation will focus on strategic matters, provide useful tips, examine new and developing legal issues, and address technical issues.  Attendee participation will be encouraged.

This panel includes an interactive trivia game for attendees with a gift card prize for the winner! 

In this day and age, accessibility to information drives the involvement of stakeholders (e.g., investors, employees, neighbors, and environmental groups) at a detailed level in matters of environmental permitting and compliance. The role of the “inspector” expands beyond just the agency regulators but encompasses the public community. How should a company best prepare for an “inspection” – whether it is a DEP review under the State Review Framework or public scrutiny of the vast amount of disclosures and environmental reports? This panel will focus on answering this question by presenting practices for proper data collection and disclosure that can stand up to stakeholder inquiries while still balancing a company’s desire to implement a value-added strategy. Additional considerations addressed in this panel:
 

• With industry reliance on consistency and transparency, when is voluntary disclosure advised and do more detailed disclosures lend the risk of gaining more exposure?
• What is the appropriate balance of information to keep on file and why is “accurate” rather than “conservative” data more important than ever?
• How can a company balance the risk of exposure to releases/misinterpretations while still adding value to their process for consistency and attaining Environmental and Social Governance (ESG) goals?

 
All these questions will be explored in the light of both federal and state updates, considerations for Environmental Justice (EJ), and how these changes impact industry. The panel will provide a perspective and guidance from many points of view including state regulators, permitted industry, and legal counsel.