Topic: Oil Spill Compensation & Restoration

Scott once dismissed the idea of suing BP, calling it "utopia." On Wednesday he described the lawsuit as part of a continuing series of actions to hold responsible parties accountable. "Our main priority is to help the families of Florida's Panhandle recover, and we will continue our work to ensure that this goal is reached," Scott said.

The department's legislative budget request includes $20 million in new revenue for the Florida Forever land-buying program and $20 million from the sale of nonconservation lands. DEP also is seeking $75 million for Everglades restoration and water quality projects, including an $18-million trust fund transfer. ... Related Research: Department of Environmental Protection's Legislative Budget Request.

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation announced the establishment of the Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund and allocations Monday to five Gulf states. The fund is one of at least three pots of money available for projects in Florida.

SB 1024 creates Triumph Gulf Coast Inc. as a nonprofit corporation to handle oil spill settlement money. Amendments were adopted to address concerns by counties that the bill was an attempt to take money from oil spill fines that was designated in federal law to go to affected coastal counties.

A 100-page delete-everything amendment to SB 1024 would create Triumph Gulf Coast Inc. to distribute money for the disproportionately affected counties, according to an analysis by the Gulf Consortium. "It's a major concern to Franklin County," said County Commissioner Pinki Jackel.

Congress in 2012 passed a law directing oil spill fines to go to 23 affected Gulf Coast counties in Florida. Those counties have created the Gulf Consortium, which on Friday agreed on a proposal for Gov. Rick Scott to appoint six non-voting members to its board.

This week the EDR discusses Medicaid costs, the PSC talks about the Crystal River nuclear power plant, there will be an education summit in Orlando, a panel discussion about PPACA, and several revenue conferences by the Office of Economic and Demographic Research.

This week we learned that a bill was filed that would allow landowners to acquire adjacent state land without paying for it, how politicians and parties spent money near the end of the latest races, that lawmakers are ready to disburse $45 million to the Florida Housing Finance Corp. and that Gov. Rick Scott wants to completely end sales tax for manufacturing equipment.

In September, Gov. Rick Scott asked federal officials to declare a fisheries disaster in Apalachicola Bay, citing drought and over-harvesting of oysters. Some seafood workers say they suspect the 2010 Gulf oil spill is to blame but scientists say the workers are looking for someone to blame for a complex problem. ... Related Research: Executive letters related to the oyster industry and a presentation made to the state wildlife agency.

This week the Public Service Commission holds a special agenda meeting on the nuclear cost recovery clause, Citizens Property Insurance Corp. holds a Board of Governors workshop and The Gulf Consortium meets in Sarasota.

Meanwhile, a state panel's consultant recommended updating federal oil spill response plans and improving public participation in the process. Both the reports and habitat projects are responses to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. ... Related Research: Releases and analysis of various projects.

Attorney General Pam Bondi asked for a deadline extension, saying that the claimants lacked information to make a rational decision. But a federal judge is moving forward anyway with a Nov. 8 hearing. Some seafood workers think the effects of the oil spill still are being seen in the decline of oysters and other fish species. ... Related Research: Oct. 26, 2012 letter from Bondi to federal judge.

This week we learned that Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam is considering putting state lands under a central managing agency, that Gov. Rick Scott's new education agenda would lift enrollment caps on charter schools, that not all Gulf Coast counties like the Gulf Consortium idea and that even though it's a success, there's no permanent funding source for the war on pill mills.

Federal legislation provides for a consortium of local representatives to develop an economic and environmental restoration plan for spending fines from the 2010 BP oil spill. The Florida Association of Counties says it remains optimistic the last two Gulf Coast counties will join 21 others that formed the Gulf Consortium. ... Related Research: Florida Association of Counties Q&A on RESTORE Act.