Florida Water Disputes Won't Be Focus of New Panel, Chairman Says

The chairman of a new select House committee addressing water issues said... she expects it to deal more with water quality issues and less with water quantity except for "big picture" issues.
On Dec. 7, House Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, said he is establishing the Select Committee on Water Policy and he named Rep. Trudi Williams, R-Fort Myers, as chairman. She also is chairman of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee....

Williams told the Florida Tribune the committee is expected to produce a report before the legislative session on what issues the committee will deal with. And the committee will hold meetings at least into the summer.... Williams said she expects the committee to examine the state's conflict with the Environmental Protection Agency over water quality criteria adopted by the federal agency in November. Attorney General Bill McCollum announced Tuesday the state is filing a federal lawsuit against the EPA...