Bill > S0554

This bill revises Florida's brownfields program to encourage community revitalization by clarifying legislative intent and updating procedures for designating brownfield areas. It expands the types of areas eligible for brownfield designation, including community redevelopment areas, enterprise zones, empowerment zones, closed military bases, or designated brownfield pilot project areas, and streamlines the process for local governments to designate these areas, including requirements for public notification and hearings, while also allowing property owners to opt out. The bill also clarifies that a person or entity that successfully completes a brownfield site rehabilitation agreement is relieved of further liability for site cleanup to the state and third parties, and importantly, is also protected from liability for property damages, such as diminished property value or lost rent, caused by contamination addressed by the agreement, provided these claims arise after July 1, 2013.