Environmental districts; establishment; managers; functions.

(1) The secretary shall establish environmental districts. The boundaries of the environmental districts shall coincide with the boundaries of the water management districts, and a water management district may be divided into more than one environmental district. The secretary has the authority to adjust the environmental district boundaries upon a determination that exceptional circumstances require such adjustment in order to more properly serve the needs of the public or the environment. The secretary may establish branch offices for the purpose of making services more accessible to the citizens of each district. In the Suwannee River Water Management District, a branch office may serve as the environmental district center. By July 1, 1984, the department shall collocate part of its permitting operations with each of the central offices of the water management districts, and the water management districts shall collocate part of their permitting operations with each of the district offices of the department.

(2) There shall be a manager for each environmental district who shall be appointed by, and serve at the pleasure of, the secretary. The district manager shall maintain his or her office in the environmental district center, which shall be collocated with an office of a water management district. Each branch office shall have a branch office manager. The water management districts are encouraged to collocate part of their permitting operations with the branch offices of the department to the maximum extent practicable.

(3)(a) Field services and inspections required in support of the decisions of the department relating to the issuance of permits, licenses, certificates, or exemptions shall be accomplished at the environmental district center level to the maximum extent practicable, except where otherwise delegated by the secretary.

(b) The processing of all applications for permits, licenses, certificates, and exemptions shall be accomplished at the district center or the branch office, except for those applications specifically assigned elsewhere in the department under s. 403.805 or to the water management districts under s. 403.812 and those applications assigned by interagency agreement as provided in this act. However, the secretary, as head of the department, may not delegate to district or subdistrict managers, water management districts, or any unit of local government the authority to act on the following types of permit applications:

1. Permits issued under s. 403.0885, except such permit issuance may be delegated to district managers.

2. Construction of major air pollution sources.

3. Certifications under the Florida Electrical Power Plant Siting Act or the Florida Electric Transmission Line Siting Act and the associated permit issued under s. 403.0885, if applicable.

4. Permits issued under s. 403.0885 to steam electric generating facilities regulated pursuant to 40 C.F.R. part 423.

5. Permits issued under s. 378.901.