Return to NCFRPC home page.Being an association of local governments with strong ties to state and federal agencies, the Council is in a unique position to coordinate the development and implementation of strategies designed to address the problems and opportunities created by growth.
Pursuant to the Growth Management Act of 1985, the Council maintains Strategic Regional Policy Plan which addresses five issue areas: Affordable Housing, Economic Development, Emergency Preparedness, Natural Resources of Regional Significance, and Regional Transportation.
The Plan is a long-range guide for the physical, economic, and social development of the region which identifies regional goals and policies. The Plan contains regional goals and policies designed to promote a coordinated program of regional actions directed at resolving problems identified in the trends and conditions statements contained within each strategic regional subject area.
The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, gives Local Emergency Planning Committees the job of increasing chemical safety in our communities. Florida's Accident Prevention Program adds the additional duty to help prevent chemical accidents from happening in the first place. An emergency response plan for the North Central Florida Region is maintained by the Committee.
The Committee helped to get Florida's new Accident Prevention Program started by working with all stakeholders. Technical assistance was provided to many of our municipalities that use ton-containers of Chlorine and thus were required to file Risk Management Plans with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Committee sponsors "Safety Street" presentations to help explain to the public what is being done to increase chemical safety in our communities.
A second project is the regional hazmat team, based primarily on Gainesville Fire Rescue's hazmat team. Planning Council staff assisted the Committee in writing an interlocal agreement, initially for 5 counties and 3 municipalities, to allow responders from different agencies to coordinate their actions better at a chemical spill. The goal is to expand the team to the entire 11-county region once it is fully functional. These local governments are also adopting cost recovery ordinances so that the spiller, and not the local government, pays the cost of an emergency response to a chemical spill.
Grants from the Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness Program funds training and planning programs. Free hazardous materials emergency response training classes are held for first responders including firefighters, law enforcement, emergency medical, and public works personnel. Over 2,400 people have been trained as part of this program. Advanced Hazardous Materials Medical Technician and Radiation classes are also co-sponsored with Gainesville Fire Rescue.
Florida Statutes require that each county in the state conduct annual Small Quantity Generator (SQG) Hazardous Waste Assessment, Notification and Verification programs. Many of our counties have contracted with the Council to conduct these programs and have paid for them out of general revenues.
On-site inspections of approximately 20 percent of the businesses in a county is conducted each year. In addition, the project includes providing educational materials and recommendations to local businesses and government agencies that need to improve their waste management procedures. Information is also provided on recycling and reducing the amounts of hazardous waste generated by using less-hazardous materials.
One of the ways the Council implements its regional plan is through several review responsibilities. The Governor has designated the Council as the areawide clearinghouse for all federally-funded projects that affect the region, and several other review activities are undertaken as a result of state legislation.
The Council’s Clearinghouse Committee is responsible for overseeing these
review activities. Each year the Committee conducts reviews of some 200
projects submitted by private developers, units of local government, and state
and federal agencies. Reviews include the following type.
[] applications for federal assistance
[] developments of regional impact
[] local comprehensive plans and plan amendments
[] local emergency management plans
[] 10-year site plans of major electric utilities
[] environmental impact statements, assessments, and U. S. Army Corps of Engineers
permit requests
[] state agency functional plans, projects and proposed rules
The Clearinghouse Committee reviews these projects to:
1. avoid or mitigate potential adverse impacts that may be created by an activity
in neighboring communities or counties;
2. insure coordination and consistency with local government and comprehensive
regional policy plans; and
3. avoid duplication or conflict with other local or area plans and programs.
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