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Res No 108-15-14447
RESOLUTION NO.108-15-14447 A Resolution of the City of South Miami,Florida,supporting legislation fora statewide ban on hydraulic fracturing,acid fracturing,or any well stimulation treatment in the State of Florida, including the prohibition of disposal of related materials and byproducts,anywhere within the State of Florida orin the waters adjacent to the State;opposing any legislation that would permit tracking to expand into Florida or that would keep secret,the use of chemicals or any other substance used in fracking,or other methods of oil or gas drilling or recovery. WHEREAS,overwhelmingly,emerging scientific data show harmand inherent problems with drillingandfracking.The science isnotdivided;research clearly andwith strong documentation,shows thatdrillingandfrackingare inherently dangeroustopublichealth,welfare andthe environment;and WHEREAS,well stimulation treatments involve the use of hundreds of chemicals,some of which are known tobe carcinogenic or could otherwise be harmful to human health;and WHEREAS,exposure tothe chemicals usedinwell stimulation treatments willposea widespread and significant risk to public healthandsafetyandthe environment;and WHEREAS,well stimulation treatments may involve theuse of substantial amounts of freshwateratatimewhenmany Florida lakes,rivers,springsand municipalities arealreadystruggling with the impacts of pollution and water scarcity;and WHEREAS,afterbeinginjectedintotheground,the chemicals usedinthefrackingprocesshave leachedinto groundwater supplies,contaminating drinking water forlocalresidents.Therehavebeen numerous documented cases of watercontaminationnexttofrackingsites,aswellascases of sensory, respiratory,and neurological damage;and WHEREAS,inparts of theU.S,wherehydraulicfracturinghasoccurred,includingCalifornia, Texas,Colorado,PennsylvaniaandWyoming,therehavebeennumerouscomplaintsandlegalactions becauseofcontaminationofdrinkingwaterwitharsenic,methane,neurotoxins,andotherprovenand suspected carcinogens;and WHEREAS,aswithoilandgaswells,thematerialusedforthepipelineswillageanddegrade overtime,increasingthelikelihood of leaks.Pipelineaccidentsarearegularoccurrencenation-wide. Legislationorregulationswillnotstoptheseleaksandspillsashistoryhasclearlyshown;and WHEREAS,afterdecades of workonanEvergladesrestorationplanwithbillions of dollars invested,it would be unacceptable and hazardous to allow drilling and fracking foroilinthe Everglades, Big Cypress,andother nearby ecosystem areas.Accidents,spills,and releases ofairandwater pollutants, suchasbenzene,metalsandhydrogensulfide,willbecomelikely;and WHEREAS,aspill,leakorotheraccidentinBigCypressortheEvergladeswouldcreatea nightmare scenario forwater supplies,drinking waterand wildlife,including the ecosystem,which feeds the spawning grounds ofTen Thousand Islands,affecting much ofthestate's fishing industry.Regulation and minimal penalties willhavenoeffect;and WHEREAS,thewisestewardshipofournaturalresourcesinvolvesprotectionofFlorida'swater supplies,wildlifeandwaterresourcesforgenerationstocome;and WHEREAS,thepeopleofFloridahavespokenwiththepassageof"AmendmentOne"andthe Constitution ofthe State of Florida now requires thatthe legislature take immediate and certain steps to Res.No.108-15-14447 protect,restoreandpreserveFlorida'slandsandwaterresourcesbyprevention of contaminationand environmentaldegradation,ratherthanattemptingtocleanupcontaminationandrestoredegraded environments,which maynotbe possible,afterthefact. NOW,THEREFORE,BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI,FLORIDA,THAT: Section 1.TheCity Commission herebysupportsa statewide banontheuse of hydraulic fracturing,acid fracturing andwell stimulation treatments (hereinafter referredtoas "Fracking")whichis usually performed forthe purposes of explorationor production of oilornaturalgasintheState of Florida andthedisposal of relatedmaterialsandbyproducts,anywherewithintheState of Floridaorin the waters adjacent totheState.TheCity Commission opposesany legislation that would allowor authorizemore Fracking permits tobeissuedortoallow Fracking to expand in Florida and/or thatwould keep secret fromthe public and/or prevent or hinder thepublic health authorities,physicians or governmental entities,(in effect apublicrecord "gag order")from exposing theuse,typeand amount of any hazardous chemicals,or substances used in fracking or other oilorgas extraction methods. Section 2.The City Clerk is hereby instructed tosenda copy of this Resolution tothe Florida Legislature and the Governor of the State of Florida;Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Section 3.TheCity Manager is hereby instructed to direct the City's lobbyist to support such legislation whenever possible. Section 4.If any section clause,sentence,orphrase of this resolution isforany reason held invalid or unconstitutional bya court of competent jurisdiction,the holding shallnot affect the validity of the remaining portions of this resolution. Section 5.This resolution shalltakeeffectimmediatelyuponadoption. Passed and adopted this J_^day of July 2015. ATTEST: READ RM APPROVED: COMMISSION VOTE:5-0 Mayor Stoddard:Yea Vice Mayor Harris:Yea Commissioner Edmond:Yea Commissioner Liebman:Yea Commissioner Welsh:Yea Page 2 of2 Press Release -The Florida Senate Page 1 of 4 The Florida Senate President Office —Press Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:Maggie Mickler,(850)487-5 April 29,2015 SENATE APPROVES STATEWIDE WATER AND NATURAL RESOURCES POLICY Tallahassee —The Florida Senate today passed House Bill 7003,Environmental Resources,which establishes a comprehensive,statewide policy to protect and restore Florida conservation lands and natural resources.This legislation provide.* greater public access to state-owned lands,addresses the health of Florida's sprin; and increases transparency in allocating funding to water resource development projects. "Florida's environment is unlike any other place in the world,"said Senator Dean "Last year,more than 97 million tourists visited Florida and experienced the natu beauty of our state.This important legislation protects and restores our water and natural resources while outlining a long-term plan to ensure Florida's unique springs,trail systems,state-owned lands,beaches,and everglades are preserved f future Floridians and visitors." "Iam thankful for the leadership of Senator Dean,Senator Simmons,Senator Simpson,Senator Hays,and Senator Montford who have invested countless hour: vetting environmental policiestocraftlegislation that will preserve and protect Florida's natural resources,"said President Andy Gardiner (R-Orlando)."Throug their tireless efforts,they fully examined the issue and worked to include components ofthe House and Senate'swaterand natural resource policiesintoth goodpieceoflegislation.Thisbillisakey component oftheWorkPlan 2015 joint agenda and Iam pleased to pass itofftheSenatefloor today." http://www.flsenate.gov/Media/PressRelease/Show/223 5 7/1/2015 PressRelease-TheFloridaSenate Page2of4 Public Access to Public Lands Thebillestablishesadatabase,website,andmobile app toraise awareness about location,entry points,and activities allowed on state owned conservation land to increase recreational use and accessby Florida taxpayers.Eventually,locally and federally owned lands will be added to the database. Florida Shared-Use Nonmotorized Trail Network (Sun Trail) Thebill creates the Florida Shared-Use Nonmotorized Trail Network (SUNTrail), and includes network projectsinthe Department of Transportation's work progre to ensure proper planning and coordination fora statewide network of connected bicycle and pedestrian trails that willincrease tourism and recreational and economic opportunities. Water Resources Advisory Council Thebillcreatesa Water Resource Advisory Councilto prioritize recommendation totheLegislature regarding projectsdesignedto protect and improve water resources.Projects reviewed by the Council must meet the criteria established by Amendment 1 and beeligiblefor funding out ofthe Land Acquisition Trust Fund Inthepast,water projects were often proposed for state funding by individual members as part ofthe budget process.The Council's recommendations will help guide the Legislature's budget decisions,ensuring taxpayer dollars areallocatedt projects that protect our precious environmental resources. Outstanding Florida Springs HB7003 defines "Outstanding Florida Spring"asall historic first magnitude springs,plus DeLeon,Peacock,Poe,Rock,Wekiwa,and Gemini springs,requires DEP,in consultation with the WMDs,to identify areas of these springsheds that a http://www.flsenate.gov/Media/PressRelease/Show/2235 7/1/2015 PressRelease-TheFloridaSenate Page3of4 vulnerable to pollution,and prohibits certain activities within these areas.The bil: also allows foruseof emergency rulemaking powerstosetthe minimum flow an< minimum levels forOutstanding Florida Springsatthepointsatwhichfurther withdrawalswouldbe significantly harmfultothe water resources.Foran Outstanding Florida Spring thatis below oris projected within 20 years to fall bel theminimumfloworlevel,thebillrequires expeditious adoption ofarecovery oi prevention strategy.The bill also uses BMAPs to identify and develop a remediati plan for areaswhereseptic systems contribute atleast 20 percentnonpoint source nutrient pollution toan Outstanding Florida Spring,allows for remediation fundi basedon legislative appropriation,and creates aprogramfundingpilot projects ti testthe effectiveness of innovative technology and remediation techniques design toreduce nutrient pollution orrestoreflowsto springs. Northern Everglades and EstuariesProtection Since the 2005 enactment of the requirement to implement Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)under the Northern Everglades and Estuaries Protection Program,plans have been implemented fortheLakeOkeechobee watershed,the Caloosahatchee Estuary Basin,and theSt.LucieRiver Estuary and Basin.With th< implementation of these BMAPs,thedistrictrules,which were adopted inthe 198 andare not as protective asthe BMAPs,have become outdated and do not reflect the current requirements for landowners.Thebill clarifies that BMAPs regulate water quality restoration efforts,specifically requiring verification of implementation ofeffective best management practices,water monitoring for pollutants,5-year milestones for water quality evaluation,and a plan for implementing projects designed toachieve the total maximum daily load within 1 years. Water Conservation and Water Supply As our state continues to grow and demographic and economic trends shift, corresponding shifts are taking place in water demand and usage.Domestic consumption has displaced agriculture as Florida's biggest water user,and competition for water resources among agricultural,domestic,and industrial usei http://www.flsenate.gov/Media/PressRelease/Show/2235 7/1/2015 Press Release -The Florida Senate Page 4 of 4 is expected to increase.In response,thebillseeksto encourage development and i of alternative water supply resources by:creating pilot programs for alternative water supply,water conservation,and pollution reduction projects;codifying intc lawthe Central Florida Water Initiative;closely monitoring consumptive use permits while incentivizing implementation of water conservation measures;and promoting development of alternative water supply sources,public-private partnerships for water storage,groundwater recharge,water supply,and water production. Outlined in their Work Plan 2015 agenda,establishing a statewide strategy forwa and natural resources isa joint priority of President Gardiner and House Speaker Steve Crisafulli (R-Merritt Island).Formore information,please visit the Florida Senate online. ### Disclaimer:Theinformationonthis system isunverified.Thejournalsorprintedbills of therespective chamb« shouldbeconsultedfor official purposes. Copyright ©2000-2015 State of Florida. http://www.flsenate.gov/Media/PressRelease/Show/2235 7/1/2015