DACS: In Case You Missed It - July 29, 2011

Ag in the News Day Two Of Water Pollution Meeting Again Highlights Major Cost Discrepancies The National Academies’ National Research Council met yesterday in Orlando to examine the implementation of a set of water pollution standards. The conference mostly dealt with the science behind the proposed rule, but discussions between various stakeholders made clear that the projected costs remain unclear. Today’s meeting featured of a series of presentations by those stakeholders, all of whom gave their own estimates of how much the EPA’s numeric nutrient criteria may cost Florida businesses. # Overall, every major stakeholder — from the agriculture industry to electric utilities — has projected costs to be much higher than the agency that created the rules, which limit the amount of waste allowed to be dumped in Florida waters. # Richard Budell, of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, said that his agency feels that the EPA is “lowballing” its estimates, which range from $135 to $236 million annually. ”Our numbers are so much larger than the EPA’s because of uncertainty,” said Buddell. “There is no detailed information in the proposed or final draft [about] implementation.” (Florida Independent, 7/26)# Adversity Creates A Boom For ‘Reclaimed Water’ At the plant that treats most of this city’s sewage, water sloshes and foams within giant concrete walls. This is cleaned-up sewage, made even purer by processes the plant expanded just a few months ago. Now some treated water runs through specially labeled, purple-colored pipes to irrigate nearby golf courses and a park, instead of just being dumped into the nearby Trinity River, as it had for decades. With Texas facing huge population growth and constraints on its water supplies, interest in the use of sewage — “reclaimed water,” in industry parlance — is growing. The current 10-month drought, which the state climatologist has called the third-worst drought in recorded Texas history, has prompted a flurry of calls to Fort Worth’s plant asking for reclaimed water, which is cheaper than potable water. (New York Times, 7/23) Mini 'Crop Copter' Could be Godsend For Citrus Growers, Farmers, Says UF Professor The small black-and-white device with rotating blades at the end of six arms looks like an alien spaceship from a science-fiction movie. But this contraption is no fantasy for citrus growers. It quietly shoots straight up into the air, zips toward an orange grove and then hovers hundreds of feet above the trees, sounding much like a distant swarm of bees. On the ground is Reza Ehsani, an associate professor of agricultural and biological engineering at the University of Florida, holding a small electronic box that looks like a mini iPad he uses to control the "crop copter." Ehsani and citrus experts say their crop copter is the latest in cutting-edge technology that citrus farmers could one day use to gather data on their crops in a cheap and quick way, including checking to see if plants are affected by pests and diseases, taking inventory and monitoring irrigation systems. (Orlando Sentinel, 7/24) USDA Commits $11 Million To Fight Deadly Citrus Malady The Florida citrus industry has some $20 million in its pocket for the fight against citrus greening, with the promise of up to $9 million in federal money during the next three years. But the prospects for long-term funding to fight the deadly bacterial disease that threatens the industry's future remains murky at least until Washington resolves its current fiscal stalemate. Sen. Bill Nelson announced earlier this month he had secured a four-year, $11 million commitment from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to finance greening-related research. (The Ledger, 7/26) Governments Crack Down On Moving Scams Federal and state authorities are cracking down on online scam artists who pose as licensed movers and rip off consumers by jacking up prices, giving fake estimates and holding consumers' belongings hostage. Unlicensed moving companies are significantly more likely to rip off consumers, says Linda Bauer Darr, president and CEO of the American Moving and Storage Association, a trade group of 3,200 professional movers. "Our mission is to get these rogues off the road, that is the single most important thing we can do right now," Darr says. "The rogues in the industry are killing our business and killing consumers' faith in professional movers." (USA Today, 7/27) Auto, Debt Top 2010 List Of Consumer Complaints Car buyers beware. In a recent survey of the top challenges facing consumers last year, auto sales rode to the top of the list of complaints. In the latest complaint survey conducted by the Consumer Federation of America [CFA], the National Association of Consumer Agency Administrators [NACAA], and the North American Consumer Protection Investigators [NACPI], auto-related complaints were cited as the top issue for consumers and consumer protection agencies for the second year in a row. (Fox Business, 7/27) At the Department During the summer, many Floridians rent properties or move into a new apartment. However, before entering into a lease, renters should know about their rights and responsibilities under Florida’s landlord/tenant law. The Department’s Division of Consumer Services has developed an easy to understand brochure outlining the protections provided by state law.  Understanding these protections and responsibilities can help in preventing disputes that may occur between a landlord and tenant. ·         Rental agreements may be either written or oral, but most are written because oral agreements can be subject to misunderstandings. A written rental agreement can be a formal contract or a copy of a letter stating the rights and obligations of both the landlord and tenant. Florida law requires that notices to and from a landlord must be in writing, even if the rental agreement is oral. You should always retain a copy of any correspondence to and from your landlord. ·         Prior to signing a lease, walk through the premises to identify any problems that should be fixed before renting the property. Take pictures, video or notes of any problems that may exist. In a written document signed by both parties, agree to provisions for repairs of these conditions. ·         A landlord may require a damage deposit in case the tenant damages any property during the duration of the rental period. This deposit should be refunded to the tenant within 15 days of moving out of the property if no damage occurred or the landlord must explain in writing within 30 days why a portion of the security deposit is being kept. ·         The landlord has the discretion to collect a deposit or some rent in advance. The amount of this deposit varies on a case-by-case basis. Be careful about making any deposit unless a definite decision has been made to move into the unit, because you may not be entitled to a refund. If a deposit is non-refundable it should be stated in the rental agreement. ·         You and your landlord share many of the responsibilities as equal parties. Make sure you thoroughly understand the terms of your lease to understand the commitments each of you has made before you sign the rental agreement, because once signed, you and your landlord are bound to the agreement. For additional information about Florida’s Landlord/Tenant laws, please visit http://www.800helpfla.com/landlord_text.html. A Look Ahead ·         Tuesday, August 2: Commissioner Putnam will participate in the twice monthly meeting of the Governor and the Cabinet, Tallahassee, FL ·         Tuesday, August 2: Commissioner Putnam will deliver remarks at the Florida Sheriff’s Association’s Summer Conference, Daytona Beach, FL. ·         Thursday, August 4: Commissioner Putnam will tour the Florida Solar Energy Center, Cocoa, FL ·         Thursday, August 4: Commissioner Putnam will tour PetroAlgae Research and Development Facility, Fellsmere, FL

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