Florida鈥檚 Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) is working on draft language for a new water quality credit trading program, after members of the public asked questions about the program and raised some concerns at .
The program paves a new path for Florida entities to offset their pollution, by buying and trading the 鈥渨ater enhancement credits鈥� and operating water quality enhancement areas, or WQEAs.
A WQEA, or 鈥渘atural system,鈥� is defined in as 鈥渁 designed, constructed, or altered ecological system supporting aquatic and wetland-dependent natural resources.鈥�
Environmental lawyer and current Chair Jen Lomberk said she鈥檚 concerned a lack of reliable water quality monitoring data could jeopardize the program, which would rely on modeling. The current draft rule mentions nothing about actual water sampling.
鈥淭his means that they are essentially predicting water quality changes, rather than actually going out and sampling to confirm what is happening,鈥� Lomberk said. 鈥淢odels are only as good as the way that they're designed and the data that they鈥檙e based on.鈥�
Although the program may sound good in theory, Lomberk urged FDEP to be cautious to ensure 鈥渋t's not causing more harm than good.鈥�
As currently written, the draft rule only allows for governmental entities to buy enhancement credits to offset water pollution from things like infrastructure projects. But a new state law headed for the governor鈥檚 desk, , would expand the program to private companies, too.
During the rulemaking process, members of the public can weigh in on the draft rule language and stay tuned for updates .
READ MORE: A look at some of the environmental laws passed during this year's legislative session
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