Author: Elf

The Bert J. Harris, Jr., Private Property Rights Protection Act was passed in Florida in 1995 to help landowners who feel that their property rights are being unfairly restricted by the government. The act addresses the issue of ripeness, which is about whether a legal dispute is ready to be decided by a court. The…

Brownfields are old, unused industrial or commercial sites that can’t be developed because people think they’re polluted. They’re often in poorer neighborhoods, but they’re not the most contaminated sites. People are scared of getting in trouble for cleaning them up and worry about getting money to develop them. Brownfields are important because accidents can cause…

Florida has a lot of water, but most of it is far away from where people live. The population is mainly by the coast, so there’s not a lot of fresh water available. The coastal areas also have a problem with saltwater getting into the water supply. The state government divides the management of water…

The new legislation aimed to make sure there’s enough water for everyone. But, there was a lot of arguing over the details. Some people wanted to plan ahead and protect the environment, while others were more focused on getting more water now. It’s still a work in progress. In 1996, the Florida Legislature tried to…

Mangroves are trees that grow in tropical and subtropical areas near the water. In Florida, there are over 555,000 acres of mangroves, and most of them are protected for conservation. Even though some waterfront properties have mangroves, it is possible for people to live alongside them. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Florida encouraged…

“Should we create a new commission to take care of our natural resources and wildlife? The new commission would have more power to make rules for fishing and marine life, and we could keep using bonds to fund conservation efforts. We would also make it harder to sell state lands that are meant for conservation.”…

In 1997, the Florida Supreme Court made a decision in the case of Martin County v. Yusem, which clarified the standard of review for local government decisions on amendments to the local comprehensive plan. The court ruled that these decisions are legislative, not quasi-judicial, so they should be reviewed using the “fairly debatable” standard. However,…

The Butler Act was a law from the 1920s that allowed waterfront property owners to get title to the land under the water next to their property if they made improvements to it. This law was repealed later on, but it still affects the ownership of underwater land that was improved before the repeal. In…

Florida’s emergency management officials are getting ready to take on new responsibilities for overseeing risk management planning for preventing accidental releases of hazardous air pollutants. About 2,180 Florida sites, including chemical plants and military bases, will file detailed risk management plans with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This article provides a brief history of…

Here’s a shortened version for you: Legal firm and attorney names have been changed. The federal government can’t give too much power to other branches of government. The Supreme Court recently sent back two air quality standards to the Environmental Protection Agency, saying they violated this rule. The EPA needs to have a clear guideline…

Environmental justice is about treating all people fairly when it comes to making and enforcing laws about the environment. It’s a big issue that can affect businesses in Florida. People use the term to talk about a lot of different problems with how environmental decisions are made. Businesses can solve these issues by talking to…

The Florida Supreme Court made a decision in a case called Board of County Commissioners of Brevard v. Snyder. The decision said that when local governments consider changing zoning laws for land, they have to have good evidence to support their decision. This makes it harder for the government to approve zoning changes. Developers and…