October 2006

COLUMNS  
     

  The South Florida Water Management District Amends its Rules to Allow Electronic Filing of Permit Applications
  Susan Roeder Martin

      

The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) will begin accepting electronically filed permit applications on October 1, 2006. Currently, SFWMD rules require that notice to SFWMD, or information filed with SFWMD, be in writing. Similarly, SFWMD rules require that SFWMD provide notice to applicants in writing. Amendments to Rules 40E-1, 40E-4, 40E-61, and 40E-400, F.A.C., which will become effective on October 1, allow the electronic filing of environmental resource, water use, and works of the district permits.
Rule modifications will also allow noticing, delivery, and receipt of documents by electronic media as well as the submittal of applications, access to the status of permit applications and compliance submittals to be accomplished online. Users must first enter into an electronic transaction agreement in order to access SFWMD’s electronic system.

The first phase of electronic permitting or “e-permitting” became effective in August 2005, when SFWMD made access available electronically to limited information related to permitted projects and current applications. Thereafter, in November 2005, users were able to subscribe to and receive certain notices electronically.

Ggo to http://my.sfwmd.gov/ePermitting to access SFWMD’s electronic permitting website.





 

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