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Tighter DEP rules ordered for dairies

TALLAHASSEE - Large dairies in Florida must apply for waste discharge permits to comply with state and federal clean water laws, and the state must more vigorously regulate the farms, a judge ruled.

The state Department of Environmental Protection has only "partially performed" its required duties by entering agreements with some dairy farms that have the practical effect of exempting farms from permitting requirements, Leon Circuit Judge L. Ralph Smith ruled, finding in favor of a coalition of environmental groups in a suit filed against the DEP.

"Even if the dairy is polluting the waters of the state, DEP has never ordered such pollution to cease, nor has it ever ordered such dairy to seek a permit," Smith wrote in the order released Monday.

DEP says the agreements keep farms from being disqualified from receiving federal pollution abatement money. But Smith wrote, "This procedure ... is clearly an insufficient substitute for mandatory governmental regulation."

Environmental groups applauded the decision, while the state's dairy producers said it simply went along with plans dairies are already in the process of completing.

DEP press secretary Deena Wells said in a statement that agency officials disagreed with the order and believe the department's plan for working with dairies did reduce pollution.

GAINESVILLE - A northern Florida fire has consumed thousands of acres in the Osceola National Forest, but no structures were in danger from the blaze, officials said Monday.

The fire, which began as a controlled blaze and had been burning at about 700 acres Sunday, had grown Monday to 8,000 to 10,000 acres near the Baker and Columbia county line north of Interstate 10.

Winds also were blowing smoke near the interstate, prompting fire officials to caution motorists.

"It just burned through the swamp," said Annaleasa Winter, a wildfire mitigation specialist with the state's Division of Forestry.

Winter said the fire began as a prescribed burn earlier this month by federal forestry officials. The burn was scheduled for about 1,100 acres, but officials had decided to stop as weather forecasts predicted dangerous conditions conducive to fires. When winds picked up over the weekend, the fire began to grow substantially, Winter said.

Another fire south of Keystone Heights briefly threatened homes near Swan Lake in northern Putnam County on Monday. The Division of Forestry reported another forest fire that had burned about 75 acres in Baker County, and firefighters reported fires in Hollister in Putnam County, the University Oaks area of Levy County and in Columbia County.

DAYTONA BEACH - Four motorcyclists were killed in accidents during the 10 days of Bike Week, the annual gathering of motorcycle enthusiasts that ended Sunday.

There were two accidental biker fatalities during last year's Bike Week and 10 in 2002.