Florida Sea Level Rise Rule-making

After a year of rulemaking, Florida officials concluded a process to set regulations in place that requires sea level rise analysis for state-funded coastal construction projects.

Last year, legislation was passed that requires the state and local agencies produce a Sea Level Impact Projection Study (“SLIP”) for all state-financed coastal structures prior to the start of construction. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is required to develop, through rulemaking, the standards and requirements that the SLIP studies must comply with.  The state must: 1) require “the use of a systematic, interdisciplinary, and scientifically accepted approach in the natural science and construction design in conducting the study,” (2) “assess the flooding, inundation, and wave action damage risks relating to the coastal structure over its expected life or 50 years, whichever is less,” and (3) “provide alternatives for the coastal structure’s design and siting, and how such alternatives would impact the risks . . . .”

Surfirder is pleased the state completed the process within a year’s time, and the regulations go into effect in July of 2022.