Final disposition of application.

(1) Within 60 days after receipt of the administrative law judge’s recommended order, the board shall act upon the application by written order, approving in whole, approving with such conditions as the board deems appropriate, or denying the certification and stating the reasons for issuance or denial.

(2) The issues that may be raised in any hearing before the board shall be limited to matters raised in the certification proceeding before the administrative law judge or raised in the recommended order. All parties, or their representatives, or persons who appear before the board shall be subject to the provisions of s. 120.66.

(3) If certification is denied, the board shall set forth in writing the action the applicant would have to take to secure the approval of the application by the board.

(4) In determining whether an application should be approved in whole, approved with modifications or conditions, or denied, the board shall consider whether, and the extent to which, the location of the natural gas transmission pipeline corridor and the construction and maintenance of the natural gas transmission pipeline will effect a reasonable balance between the need for the natural gas transmission pipeline as a means of providing natural gas energy and the impact upon the public and the environment resulting from the location of the natural gas transmission pipeline corridor and the construction, operation, and maintenance of the natural gas transmission pipeline. In effecting this balance, the board shall consider, based on all relevant, competent and substantial evidence in the record, subject to s. 120.57(1)(l), whether and the extent to which the project will:

(a) Ensure natural gas delivery reliability and integrity;

(b) Meet the natural gas energy needs of the state in an orderly and timely fashion;

(c) Comply with the nonprocedural requirements of agencies;

(d) Adversely affect historical sites and the natural environment;

(e) Adversely affect the health, safety, and welfare of the residents of the affected local government jurisdictions;

(f) Be consistent with applicable local government comprehensive plans and land development regulations; and

(g) Avoid densely populated areas to the maximum extent feasible. If densely populated areas cannot be avoided, locate, to the maximum extent feasible, within existing utility corridors or rights-of-way.

(5)(a) Any natural gas transmission pipeline corridor certified by the board shall meet the criteria of this section. When more than one natural gas transmission pipeline corridor is proper for certification pursuant to s. 403.94055(2) and meets the criteria of this section, the board shall certify the natural gas transmission pipeline corridor that has the least adverse impact regarding the criteria in subsection (4), including costs.

(b) If the board finds that an alternate corridor rejected pursuant to s. 403.9412 meets the criteria of subsection (4) and has the least adverse impact regarding the criteria in subsection (4) of all corridors that meet the criteria of subsection (4), the board shall deny certification or shall allow the applicant to submit an amended application to include such corridor.

(c) If the board finds that two or more of the corridors that comply with the provisions of subsection (4) have the least adverse impacts regarding the criteria in subsection (4) and that such corridors are substantially equal in adverse impacts regarding the criteria in subsection (4), the board shall certify the corridor preferred by the applicant if the corridor is one proper for certification pursuant to s. 403.94055(2).

(6) The issuance or denial of the certification by the board shall be the final administrative action required as to that application.

(7) Within 60 days after the date a certification becomes final, an applicant which has been authorized to locate a pipeline right-of-way within a certified corridor shall pay to the department the appropriate postcertification fee prescribed by s. 403.9421(2). Failure of an applicant to pay its postcertification fee in a timely manner shall be grounds for revocation of its authorization to locate a pipeline right-of-way in the certified corridor.

(8) An applicant which has been authorized to locate a pipeline right-of-way within a certified corridor shall file documents with the department prior to construction, identifying the location of the right-of-way within the certified corridor.