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Staff ReportsFebruary 1, 2017

Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Cabinet on Wednesday formally approved Ryan Matthews as interim Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection. Matthews will serve until Scott, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater and Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam decide on a permanent replacement for outgoing Secretary Jon Steverson. Until then, Matthews will be […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterJanuary 25, 2017

Ryan Matthews will serve as the interim Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection. Gov. Rick Scott announced Matthews appointment Tuesday, just days after FloridaPolitics.com first reported DEP Secretary Jon Steverson was resigning. Steverson’s last day is Feb. 3. Matthews joined the DEP in 2015, serving as the Director of Office of Water Policy and […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 24, 2017

The Department of Environmental Protection has withdrawn a request to lawmakers for more money to pay lawyers waging a water use fight against Georgia, its spokeswoman says. The department had planned to ask lawmakers for an additional $13 million to pay expected legal bills from the still-unresolved case. The Joint Legislative Budget Commission was scheduled to take up […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 24, 2017

Gov. Rick Scott suggested he wasn’t bothered by one of his agency heads overseeing the flow of millions of dollars to a law firm that he’s now going to work for. Scott spoke to reporters after Tuesday’s Florida Cabinet meeting. “We have people that come to work for the state and they work hard,” Scott […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 23, 2017

House Speaker Richard Corcoran late Monday said his chamber won’t agree to hand over any more money for the Department of Environmental Protection to pay its legal bills until the agency gives a full accounting of what’s already been spent. Corcoran was reacting to the DEP’s request to the Joint Legislative Budget Commission for an additional $13 million to pay outside legal […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 23, 2017

The state’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has busted its outside legal expenses budget over the ongoing ‘water war’ between Georgia and Florida, legislative records show. It’s asking for an additional $13 million from the Joint Legislative Budget Commission, which meets Tuesday — and even that may not be enough. Gov. Rick Scott‘s office approved the request […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 21, 2017

Jon Steverson, the Secretary of the state’s Department of Environmental Protection under Gov. Rick Scott, has resigned. His departure was confirmed Friday night by McKinley Lewis, Scott’s deputy communications director, who provided a copy of the resignation letter. Steverson is set to join the legal-lobbying firm Foley & Lardner, sources tell FloridaPolitics.com. Herschel Vineyard, who also served as a DEP Secretary, […]

Associated PressDecember 31, 2016

A Florida administrative law judge says a rule requiring companies to notify the public of pollution events within 24 hours is invalid. The new rule was pushed by Gov. Rick Scott after it took weeks for the public to be notified about a giant sinkhole at a fertilizer plant that sent millions of gallons of […]

Jim RosicaDecember 20, 2016

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Lisa Edgar has helped regulate the state’s investor-owned utilities. Now, she’s going to oversee its parks. Edgar was named Director of the Florida Park Service, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced Tuesday in a press release. She’ll start next month. “From my time at DEP and as a frequent visitor of our state parks, I’ve seen first-hand the […]

Associated PressNovember 11, 2016

President-elect Donald Trump has not minced words about his approach to environment and energy policy: He loathes regulation and wants to increase the use of coal, offshore drilling and fracking. Trump has said he believes climate change is a hoax and that he would “cancel” U.S. involvement in the landmark Paris Agreement on global warming. […]

Tag: Department of Environmental Protection
Police unions are standing tall for Rosie Cordero-Stutz.

Rick Scott, state Cabinet OK Ryan Matthews as interim DEP secretary

Rick Scott taps Ryan Matthews as interim DEP chief

DEP withdraws request to pay lawyers in ‘water war’

Rick Scott not bothered by Jon Steverson’s departure

Richard Corcoran: House won’t OK legal money for DEP

“Water wars” could cost the state another $13M in legal fees

Jon Steverson resigns as DEP secretary

Judge invalidates pollution notification rule

Personnel note: Lisa Edgar named state parks director

Donald Trump likely to try to reverse Barack Obama’s environment initiatives