The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency granted Florida authority Thursday to issue wetlands permits that were previously handled by the federal government, greatly increasing state responsibility for development affecting waterways.
The change means the state’s Department of Environmental Protection will replace the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in approving or denying most permits for work that places “dredged or fill material” — dirt — in wetlands or waterways.
The decision was condemned by a legion of environmental groups and cheered by business groups and politicians who argued the state can make those choices faster and more sensibly than federal regulators.