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CHARLOTTE COUNTY v. SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT
252. In early 1994, the District Governing Board directed staff to develop rules regulating water use in the SWUCA. A number of additional public meetings and workshops were conducted as part of the rule development process. 253. A draft of proposed Rules was first made public in the early summer of 1994. 254. Because of its concern about the economic impact of mandating reduced withdrawals by existing users, the District has sought a regulatory strategy to address the resource problems over a period of time while minimizing impacts to existing users. Some of the issues raised by this approach are discussed in Section IV. 255. The District has prepared an economic impact study ("EIS") analysis of the proposed rules, in part to seek assurance that their implementation would not significantly harm the area's economy. While some of the parties originally challenged the District's EIS, those challenges were dropped during the cause of the proceedings. 256. District staff presented the proposed rules to the Governing Board with the explanation that (among other things) the rules would "substantially inhibit further migration of saltwater intrusion," and that "to halt saltwater intrusion would take a substantial reduction in the amount of pumping." 257. The Preliminary Statement to this Final Order contains a overview of the complicated procedural history of the District's proposed regulatory strategy for the SWUCA. Because some Petitioners have challenged various procedural aspects of the rule promulgation process, including the District's modifications to the initial proposals, Section III E of this Final Order sets forth specific Findings of Fact on the procedural history of the SWUCA Rules. Before the procedural history, Section III D 2 sets forth a general overview of the SWUCA Rules as currently proposed. 2. Proposed SWUCA Rules Overview 258. As noted above, the SWUCA was originally designated by a 1992 resolution of the District's Governing Board. The proposed rules would establish the SWUCA boundaries by rule. The SWUCA Rules would supersede the existing rules for the ETB and HR WUCAs. The areas within the two WUCAs would be regulated as part of the SWUCA. 259. Upon the effective date of the proposed rules, each water use permits would be automatically modified to include all new SWUCA regulations applicable to that permit. 260. The SWUCA Rules include new provisions that would establish a minimum aquifer level for the UFAS in the SWUCA. There are also a number of additions and changes to the Basis of Review that impose specific permitting requirements in the SWUCA. 261. Under the SWUCA Rules, no new withdrawals from the Floridan Aquifer in the SWUCA would be considered by the District until the minimum aquifer level established for each of three areas specified in the rules is achieved and sustained for a period of five years. See, proposed Rule 40D-8.628. The three areas are: the SWUCA as a whole; the area previously designated as the ETB WUCA; and the area previously designated as the HR WUCA. The methodology for calculating and applying the minimum level is discussed in Section IV B below. 262. The proposed rules include a new subsection (2) to be added to the Conditions for Issuance set forth in Rule 40D-2.301, F.A.C. The new subsection would provide that applications for renewals of existing permits or for reallocation permits within the SWUCA would not be denied for the sole reason that the minimum aquifer level in Rule 40D-8.628 had not been met. The District claims that this provision is necessary to allow existing users to decrease their uses over time and prohibit the issuance of permits for new quantities while the resource is recovering. The District contends that an applicant for a renewal permit or a reallocation permit would still have to meet the Conditions for Issuance as interpreted by the Basis of Review. 263. To facilitate implementation of this new subsection (2) the District proposes to repeal the existing standard permit condition that requires compliance with minimum aquifer levels. In addition, the District will only apply the Conditions for Issuance regarding minimum aquifer levels and saltwater intrusion in Rule 40D-2.301(d)&(f) on a "localized" or "limited" cumulative basis. The District is concerned that these provisions could otherwise be utilized by interested third parties as a basis for challenging the issuance of a reallocation permit or the renewal of an existing permit. The District's decision to treat reallocation permits and renewals of existing permits differently than applications for new permits is discussed in detail in Section IV B below. 264. Theoretically, withdrawals in the SWUCA could be redistributed in a manner that increases the "safe yield" and/or minimize impacts to the resource. The District was concerned that significant economic disruption and major capital expenditures could result if redistribution was instantaneously imposed on existing permitting. 265. The proposed rules contain reallocation provisions that would allow the transfer of existing permitted quantities to different uses and locations. See, proposed Rule 40D-2.331(3) and (4) and proposed BOR Section 1.15. These provisions are intended to minimize the impact of the rules on existing users while providing a mechanism to redistribute withdrawals away from impacted areas. If the SWUCA Rules are adopted, in order to obtain a permit for a new or expanded use, applicants would have to either negotiate a transfer of withdrawal authorization for all or part of the water quantities held by an existing permit holder or develop and use alternative water sources. 266. The duration of a water use permit issued under the SWUCA Rules could not exceed 10 years. See, proposed Rule 40D-2.321(4). 267. The District's existing MIA Rules prohibit new withdrawals from any confined aquifer, which includes both the intermediate and the Floridan. The SWUCA Rules would apply only to withdrawals from the Floridan Aquifer. This change has been challenged by ECOSWF and is discussed in Section IV B below. 268. Currently, a permit is required outside the MIA of the ETB WUCA only if a proposed withdrawal is a well having an outside diameter of six inches or more. Within the MIA, a cumulative six inch well diameter threshold is applied: i.e., if the aggregated diameter of all wells at a particular site is six inches or more, a permit is required. The SWUCA Rules expand the more restrictive MIA standard to the entire SWUCA, but the change affects only wells constructed after the effective date of the proposed rules. See, proposed Rule 40D-2.041(1)(e). 269. The SWUCA rules establish an alternative source credit system which is intended to serve as an economic incentive for water users and suppliers to use and supply water from sources other than groundwater, e.g., reclaimed water and stormwater runoff. See, proposed Rule 40D-2.601. This program is not at issue in this proceeding. It provides for the issuance of a groundwater withdrawal credit (or right of use) for groundwater that is replaced by an alternative source water. The person or entity that obtains the credit would apply under and satisfy the District's permitting criteria to utilize the credit. The permitted user would retain its existing groundwater withdrawal permit, but the permitted quantities would be available only on a standby basis under certain circumstances. 270. The proposed rules change water use efficiency parameters -- used to establish permitted withdrawal quantities, induce and reflect increased water use efficiency. The District anticipates that the revisions will promote permittees' use of water conservation measures to help ensure that actual water use does not approach the quantity currently permitted. 271. Water use permits issued to potable water suppliers within the SWUCA would be calculated under a specified methodology that utilizes an adjusted gross per capita amount of 130 gallons per day ("GPD") starting October 1, 1999, and 100 GPD staring October 1, 2004. See, proposed BOR Sections 3.1 and 3.6. In addition, the proposed rules would extend to the entire SWUCA the District's requirement that public water supply utilities adopt conservation rate structures and undertake leak detection programs. These issues are discussed in Section VII. 272. The quantity of water permitted for other users in the SWUCA would be based on the use of best management practices and best water conserving technologies for the particular activity. Conservation measures for existing permittees would be phased in over a ten-year period, with increasing conservation levels to be met every three-to-four years. See, proposed amendments to BOR Section 3.0. 273. The phase-in period for maximum water use efficiencies is intended to allow existing permittees to postpone technological conservations until closer to the end of the current technology's economic life. The proposed rules would allow a permittee some flexibility to choose the technologies or methods necessary to increase water use efficiency. 274. Currently, agricultural permits are issued for quantities of water greater than typical usage to ensure that quantities are available for emergencies. Under the SWUCA Rules, agricultural permittees would lose some of the water "cushion" they were previously granted. See, proposed amendments to BOR Section 3.3.60 275. To minimize adverse financial and economic impacts while encouraging water conservation, the District proposes to allow growers to accumulate irrigation "credits" when the actual metered amount of water applied is less than the permitted water quantity assigned to the platted acreage. A grower could carry forward to subsequent years permitted groundwater withdrawal amounts that were not used. The credited amounts of water would be deducted from the permittee's accumulated balance as they are used for irrigation in drought years, during a temporary expansion of crop operations in reaction to market demands, or to protect crops from a freeze or frost.61 These provisions are not at issue in this proceeding. 276. Applicant and permittee reporting requirements would be strengthened by the SWUCA rules to facilitate identification of water conservation investments by permittees and to improve permit compliance monitoring. 277. The SWUCA Rules include a provision that the District will study permitted uses by category of use over a three-year period to determine whether the use in any category is rising. Changes in use patterns could result in rule amendments. E. Procedural History of the Proposed Rules and Modifications 278. Several of the parties have alleged that the District failed to comply with the procedural requirements of Chapter 120 in the SWUCA rule development process. In this regard, it has been alleged that the numerous revisions made during the rulemaking process and/or the nature of the changes have rendered the proposed rules unlawfully vague. Without question, the changes have been the source of great controversy and considerable confusion during this proceeding. The Preliminary Statement provides a general overview of the procedural history of the rule challenge proceedings and the modifications made to the SWUCA Rules. Many of the legal issues raised by the parties have been addressed in the Order Denying SFO referenced in the Preliminary Statement. Because certain parties have reiterated their procedural challenges in their proposed final orders, the following Findings of Fact are made. 279. On July 22, 1994, the District published notice of public workshops to be conducted in August 1994, regarding "proposed amendments to Chapter 40D-2, F.A.C., including the Southern Water Use Caution Area." See, Volume 20, Number 29, p. 5263, F.A.W. 280. The District first published proposed rules related to the SWUCA on August 26, 1994, in Vol. 20, No. 34, pp. 4020-4143, F.A.W. 281. The "Purpose and Effect" Statement published with the proposals provides that the District's purpose in proposing the rules was to "prevent further adverse effects resulting from excessive withdrawals" within the SWUCA. In addition to provisions directly related to the SWUCA, the proposals included a number of general amendments to the District's existing water use permitting rules and the Basis of Review, which have been referred to as the District-Wide Enhancements. 282. At a District Governing Board meeting on August 31, 1994, the Board decided to withdraw the proposed rules and give interested persons an opportunity to provide District staff with written comments. At the August 31 meeting, the Board affirmatively voted to consider adoption of the proposed rules, with any changes made by staff after reviewing the written comments, at its regular meeting scheduled for October 31, 1994. 283. Written comments were submitted by several interested parties, including Pinellas. On September 23, 1994, the District again published notice of its intent to adopt the proposed rules. See, Vol. 20, No. 38, pp. 6908-7033. The proposed rules published on September 23, 1994, collectively referred to as the "Initial Proposed Rules," were identical to those published on August 26, 1994, and included the District-Wide Enhancements. The notice published on September 23, 1994, stated that, if requested within 21 days of the date of notice, a hearing would be held at 9:00 a.m. on October 31, 1994, to consider the proposed rules. By letter dated September 28, 1994, Pinellas timely requested that the District conduct a public hearing on the Initial Proposed Rules pursuant to Section 120.54(3)(a), F.S. 284. As noted in the Preliminary Statement, on or about October 14, 1994, 25 separate petitions were filed with DOAH challenging the Initial Proposed Rules. 285. The District Governing Board hearing scheduled for October 31, 1994, was cancelled and rescheduled for November 15, 1994. Public comments on the Initial Proposed Rules were received at the hearing on November 15, 1994. During that meeting, the Board voted to withdraw the District-Wide Enhancements and proceed with rulemaking on only the provisions related to the SWUCA. 286. On December 2, 1994, the District published notice of its intent to adopt the proposed rules related to the SWUCA in Vol. 20, No. 48, of the F.A.W., pp. 8905-8954 (the "Revised Rules"). At that time, the District also withdrew the Initial Proposed Rules published on September 23, 1994. 287. The Revised Rules included the following sentence to be added to Subsection (2) of Section 4.5 in the Basis of Review: In addition to the Performance Standards above, the District presumes that proposed withdrawals of new quantities of groundwater from the Floridan aquifer applied for after the effective date of this rule, from the Floridan aquifer within the SWUCA, will significantly induce saltwater intrusion...This presumption does not apply to reallocations,...This presumption does not apply to the renewal of previously permitted quantities. 288. As discussed in more detail below, near the end of the final hearing, the District withdrew this proposed amendment to BOR Section 4.5 by publishing a Notice of Withdrawal in the F.A.W. on November 3, 1995. 289. On December 30, 1994, the District published two Notices of Change in Vol. 20, No. 52, of the F.A.W., pp. 9735-9737. The Notices included what the District deemed to be "technical" changes to proposed Rules 40D-2.301(2) and 40D-8.628 and proposed BOR Section 4.3. 290. Following the publication of the proposed SWUCA Rules on December 2, 1994, and the "technical" amendments published on December 30, 1994, numerous petitions challenging the rules were filed pursuant to Section 120.54, F.S. Those petitions have resulted in this proceeding. 2. Prior to Commencement of the Hearing. 291. The December 2, 1994, version of the SWUCA Rules included a proposed addition to BOR Section 4.3 titled "Minimum Flows and Levels." This proposal included a Figure 4-1 titled "Potentiometric Surface of the Floridan Aquifer - 1991 Average Conditions." 292. In the December 30, 1994, "technical" changes, the District included a change to the proposed addition to BOR Section 4.3. The December 30 version of the proposed addition to BOR Section 4.3 provides as follows: Within the Southern Water Use Caution Area (SWUCA), new groundwater quantities will be permitted to be withdrawn from the Floridan aquifer when the potentiometric surface has, based on an average of the previous five consecutive years, been above the minimum level established in 40D-8.628, F.A.C., and depicted in Figure 4-1, and the potentiometric surface resulting from the proposed withdrawals together with the annual average withdrawal for the previous five years as determined by the District will remain above the minimum level established in 40D-8.628, F.A.C., and depicted in Figure 4-1. [emphasis added] 293. This Notice of Change did not include a copy of or change to Figure 4-1 which was published on December 2, 1994. 294. Prior to commencement of the hearing, the District reached a settlement with certain parties who had challenged the SWUCA Rules. As part of that settlement, the District modified proposed Rule 40D-8.628 to "clarify" the District's intent regarding the application of the minimum aquifer levels to renewal and certain other types of permits. The change was published on February 10, 1995, in Vol. 21, No. 6 of the F.A.W., pp. 870-871 and included the following language: The minimum aquifer level will not be used by itself to reduce permitted withdrawals existing as of [effective date of this rule]. It is the intent of this rule that the minimum water level of the Upper Floridan Aquifer in the SWUCA be achieved over a reasonable period of time, by reasonable means, and without undue effect on existing legal uses.... 3. Modifications after the hearing commenced 295. After Phase I of the hearing, the District decided to change the methodology for calculating and applying the proposed minimum level for the SWUCA. The District Governing Board approved staff recommendations to make the changes during a Board meeting on March 22-23, 1995. 296. On March 31, 1995, the District published a Notice of Change in the Vol. 21, No. 13, of the F.A.W., pp. 1959-1962. This Notice of Change sought to substitute newly-proposed language to BOR Section 4.3 including a proposed new Figure 4-1 titled "SWUCA and 1991 Average Values of Upper Floridan Aquifer Potentiometric Surface." There was a separate Notice of Change published on March 31, 1995, setting forth a revised version of proposed Rule 40D-8.628. See, Vol. 21, No. 13, F.A.W., pp. 1962-1964. The March 31st Notices of Change indicated that the December 2 and December 30th versions of the proposed additions to Section 4.3 of the BOR and Rule 40D-8.628 were being modified in response to comments and discussion at the Governing Board meeting on March 22, 1995. 297. Over the objection of several parties, the District sought to include the new methodology as part of these rule challenge proceedings. After several telephone conference hearings regarding the authority and proper procedure to modify proposed rules after rule challenge proceedings had been initiated, the District opted to withdraw the March 31 proposed changes and all of the prior proposed changes to Rule 40D-8, including those published on December 2nd and December 30, 1994, and February 10 and March 31, 1995. The District decided to incorporate the new methodology in a revised version of Rule 40D-8.628 and to provide substantially affected persons with a new point of entry to challenge the proposals. Those changes are reflected in the April 14 Modifications which the District published on April 14, 1995, in Vol. 21, No. 15, of the F.A.W., pp. 2295-2300 and 2323. While the substance of the April 14 Modifications is the same as the changes approved by the Governing Board on March 23, 1995, the Board did not formally approve the April 14 Modifications until April 25, 1995. 298. According to the District, the withdrawal of the March 31 changes to the December 2 and December 30 proposed additions to BOR Section 4.3 means that the December 2 and December 30 proposals relating to BOR Section 4.3 are still pending. 299. As detailed in the Order Denying SFO and in the Preliminary Statement, the hearing in these consolidated cases proceeded on issues that were unrelated to the changes in methodology. After the point of entry for filing challenges to the new methodology passed, the parties were allowed to conduct reasonable discovery regarding the new proposals, and their challenges to the revised methodology set forth in the April 14 Modifications have been incorporated into these proceedings. 300. No further amendments have been published by the District to proposed Rule 40D-8.628 or to the proposed additions to BOR Section 4.3. The end result of this circuitous and confusing series of events is that the District's proposed methodology for calculating the minimum level for the SWUCA is set forth in the April 14 version of proposed rule 40D-8.628. The April 14 version of proposed Rule 40D-8.628 includes Figure 8-1 which utilizes the existing ETB WUCA and the HR WUCA boundaries for purposes of calculating and applying minimum aquifer levels. (A level is also calculated for the SWUCA as a whole.) Also proposed for adoption are additions to BOR Section 4.3 as set forth in the December 2 and December 30, 1994, publications. The proposed amendments to Section 4.3 of the BOR reference Figure 4-1 which can be found only in the December 2 publication and is not included in the December 30 publication. This reference in proposed Section 4.3 to Figure 4-1 is even more confusing since that figure would not be used in determining the minimum level under the April 14 methodology, which includes a new Figure 8-1 in proposed Rule 40D-8.628. Accordingly, the language "and depicted in Figure 4-1" which appears twice in proposed BOR Section 4.3 is vague and ambiguous. 301. On May 4, 1995, DeSoto and Hardee Counties requested (in writing) a hearing before the Governing Board pursuant to Section 120.43(3)(a), F.S. on the rule amendments published on April 14, 1995. The request was denied by the District. 302. On May 5, 1995, DeSoto and Hardee Counties filed a Petition for Formal Administrative Hearing and for Determination of Invalidity of Proposed Water Use Permitting Rule 40D-8.628, challenging the modifications published on April 14. 303. On June 2, 1995, DeSoto and Hardee Counties filed a Motion for Summary Final Order to Declare Rule 40D-8.628 Invalid for Failure to Follow Required Rulemaking Procedure and to Cancel Final Hearing. After extensive argument on June 7, 1995, the motions were denied in the Order Denying SFO entered on September 8, 1995. 304. DeSoto and Hardee Counties claim that the various changes to the proposed minimum level provisions have been so confusing that it is impossible to discern the meaning and intent of the proposals and, consequently, the proposals should be declared invalid. In this regard, DeSoto and Hardee Counties argue that it is impossible for a member of the public to ascertain the District's intent without resorting to numerous different publications and, even then, DeSoto and Hardee Counties suggest, the provisions are unacceptably confusing, especially as they relate to the December 30 version of BOR Section 4.3. 305. Without question, the various modifications to the proposed rules undertaken by the District during the course of these proceedings have further complicated what was already an extremely complicated case. Nonetheless, as noted in the Preliminary Statement and in the Order Denying SFO, at the time of the April 14 Modifications (and at the time of the November 3 Modifications discussed below), the District provided a separate point of entry to allow any substantially affected party to join in these proceedings. All parties have been afforded a reasonable opportunity to conduct discovery with respect to the District's proposals and the modifications thereto, and all parties have had a full and adequate opportunity to present their challenges to the substantive issues involved. 306. DeSoto and Hardee Counties point out that the District failed to include the currently existing portion of BOR Section 4.3 when it published the proposed additions on December 2nd and December 30, 1994. Furthermore, the December 30, 1994, publication references Rule 40D-8.628, but the final version of proposed Rule 40D-8.628 was not published until April 14. DeSoto and Hardee Counties argue that the failure to include the full text of these rules in the December 30, 1994 publication violates Section 120.54(8), F.S. 307. Section 120.54(8) provides in pertinent part as follows: Each rule adopted shall contain only one subject and shall be preceded by a concise statement of the purpose of the rule and reference to the rules repealed or amended, which statement need not be printed in the Florida Administrative Code. Pursuant to rule of the Department of State, a rule may incorporate material by reference but only as such material exists on the same date the rule is adopted. For purposes of such rule, changes in such material shall have no effect with respect to the rule unless the rule is amended to incorporate such material as changed. No rule shall be amended by reference only. Amendments shall set out the amended rule in full in the same manner as required by the constitution for laws. (Emphasis added). 308. The BOR is a lengthy technical document which has been incorporated by reference through Rule 40D-2.091, F.A.C. The proposed new language to be added to Section 4.3 of the BOR would apply only in the SWUCA and would not amend or change any language in the existing BOR. To require publication of the entire BOR in the F.A.W. in order to effectuate the additional language sought to be added to Section 4.3 would be an unnecessary waste of time and expense and would probably be a source of more confusion than clarification, since it would be very cumbersome to wade through the entire document. Because the existing language of Section 4.3 would not be altered or affected in any way, the District's failure to include this language is not a basis for invalidating the proposed addition. Likewise, proposed Rule 40D-8.628 creates a whole new section that addresses independent subject matter and does not alter or modify any other provisions of Rule 40D-8. The failure to include any other provisions of Rule 40D-8 with the April 14 publication does not provide a basis for invalidating the proposal. 309. The proposed rules published on December 2, 1994, included the following proposed amendment to Rule 40D-2.801(3)(b)8, F.A.W.: 40D-2.801 Water-Use Caution Areas. * * * (3)(b)8. Presumptions in this Chapter 40D-2 and the Basis of Review described in 40D-2.091 relating to permitting within the SWUCA are rebuttable and non-evidentiary. Chapter 373, F.S., provides that the applicant has the burden of demonstrating that the proposed use meets the "three-prong test". Whenever these presumptions apply, the burden of proof remains with the applicant. These presumption constitutes [sic] a threshold below or above which, as the case may be, the nature and extent of the information sufficient to rebut the presumption may vary. 310. The December 2 version of the SWUCA Rules also included a "presumption" in proposed Rule 40D-2.301(2) that renewal permits, reallocation permits and certain other specified classes of permits met the Conditions for Issuance in Rule 40D-2.301(1)(a)-(n) provided they did not exceed the criterion in the Basis of Review. In addition, new language was proposed to be added to Section 4.5 of the Basis of Review which stated that new groundwater withdrawals from the Floridan Aquifer within the SWUCA were "presumed" to cause or contribute to unacceptable saltwater intrusion. 311. During the course of the hearing, questions arose as to exactly how these new "presumptions" were to be applied and how they compared to other presumptions in the District's existing rules. On October 10, 1995, after testimony as part of DeSoto and Hardee Counties' case during Phase IV regarding the validity of presumptions in the proposed rules, the District's principal rulemaking attorney advised all counsel in this case in writing that the District staff was going to recommend to the Governing Board that it withdraw the proposed amendments to Rule 40D-2.301(2), Rule 40D-2.801(3)(b)8, and the proposed paragraph 2 to BOR Section 4.5. There was also an indication that staff would recommend that part of the withdrawn language be included in a proposed new version of Rule 40D-2.301(2). Some of the original Petitioners who had dismissed their petitions in February 1995 in reliance upon the February 10 Modifications, appeared at the hearing and expressed concern regarding the District's announcement and the effect of the intended withdrawal of the proposed provisions. 312. On October 20, 1995, the District advised all counsel that the staff had changed its position: staff was still going to recommend that the Governing Board withdraw the proposed amendments to Rule 40D-2.801(3)(b)8 and to BOR Section 4.5, but, instead of withdrawing Rule 40D-2.301(2), certain amendments were going to be recommended. These recommendations were subsequently approved by the Board. 313. On November 3, 1995, the District published Notices of Withdrawal of the proposed amendments to Rule 40D-2.801(3)(b)8 and to BOR Section 4.5 and a Notice of Change to the proposed amendment of Rule 40D-2.301(2). See, Vol. 21, No. 44, F.A.W., pp. 7759-7760 (the "November 3 Modifications"). These actions by the District have rendered moot DeSoto and Hardee Counties' challenges to proposed Subsection (b)8 of Rule 2.801(3) and the proposed additional BOR Section 4.5. 314. The District provided a point of entry for substantially affected parties to challenge the November 3 Modifications. That window of opportunity expired with no new petitions filed. The parties to this proceeding were afforded an adequate opportunity to respond to these changes. 315. The new version of proposed Rule 40D-2.301(2) published on November 3, 1995, provides: (2) Applications for modifications of permits, renewal permits, Reallocation
Permits and Ground Water Withdrawal Credit Permits with the Southern Water
Use Caution Area (SWUCA) are determined 316. The District contends that these changes only clarify its intent and do not reflect a change in position. Essentially, these changes were prompted by confusion surrounding the use of the terms "presumes" and "presumption." The newly-proposed language of Rule 40D-2.301(2) provides that applicants for certain types of permits including modifications, renewals, reallocations, and permits associated with groundwater withdrawal credits are "determined" to meet the Conditions of Issuance so long as the criteria in the Basis of Review are met. In other words, such applicants are not subject to any regional cumulative analysis and would not have to meet the minimum level requirements of BOR Section 4.3 and proposed Rule 40D-8.628. The issues related to these "determinations" and the treatment of renewal permits are discussed in Section IV.B. below. 4. Withdrawn Change after Conclusion of Hearing 317. Following the conclusion of the hearing, the District on February 16, 1996, filed a Motion for Official Recognition of a change to the Department of State's official version of Rule 40D-2.511, F.A.C. The new version included an additional statutory citation as part of the "law implemented" reference at the end of the rule. This change was apparently accomplished through the District's contact with the Department of State in October of 1995 requesting that the additional citation be added as a technical change. This contact took place without notification to any of the parties to these proceedings. Certain parties, including DeSoto and Hardee Counties (which had not challenged this Rule during the course of the proceedings), objected to the District's Motion based on the procedure followed and the lack of notice. 318. After several telephone conference hearings on this change and its implications to this proceeding, the District announced on March 12, 1996, that it had requested the Department of State to publish a notice of revision of Rule 40D-2.511 to delete the reference to the additional law implemented. This deletion was to be effective immediately, thereby restoring Rule 40D-2.511 to the same condition and wording it contained during the hearing and prior to the amendment. This action has rendered moot the District's Motion for Official Recognition of the change and the parties' objections thereto. 319. This case demonstrates the difficulty when dealing with comprehensive highly scientific rules to determine the appropriate manner of providing required notice and information without obfuscating the ultimate message. With respect to the SWUCA Rules, the District has engaged in an extensive rule development process that provided the public with numerous opportunities to obtain information and provide comment. No persuasive evidence was presented that the District refused to consider alternate views and/or that the process was merely perfunctory. In considering the technical and procedural objections raised by the various petitioners throughout the course of these proceedings, the primary concern has been to insure that appropriate points of entry were offered and that a fair opportunity to address the merits of the issues was provided. While the numerous changes to the rules have been the source of confusion and frustration, it is concluded that all parties to this case have been afforded a reasonable opportunity to conduct discovery and present evidence regarding the merits of the District's proposals including the modifications made during the pendency of these proceedings.
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