By Associated Press
Montgomery, AL – Alabama and Georgia officials are opposing a proposal by Florida to extend its environmental review authority into their states.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has notified the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that it plans to seek approval to review projects receiving federal funds or requiring federal permits in parts of Alabama and Georgia.
The application would cover 50 miles northward from the Florida state line as well as any watersheds for rivers that flow into Florida.
Alabama Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks says it's an attempt by Florida to invade Alabama. Georgia environmental officials say Florida's plan would allow it to reach 435 miles into Georgia because the Chattahoochee River Basin goes into north Georgia.
A spokesperson for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection says Florida is seeking something that some other coastal states have already done under the federal Coastal Zone Management Act. She says Florida is not attempting to take control of federal programs in other states or usurp any power.
The issue is the latest flare-up in the water wars that have been going on between Florida, Georgia and Alabama since 1990.
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)