Screeching_Halt

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'A Screeching Halt': Septic Tank Inspection Law Delayed

Northwest Florida Daily News, January 19, 2011.

Implementation of the controversial septic tank inspection program will be delayed until July 1.

Gov. Rick Scott allowed a Senate bill calling for the delay to become law without his signature Wednes-day.

Sens. Greg Evers and Don Gaetz co-sponsored the bill during the Legislature’s special session in No-vember.

The septic tank program would require inspection of Florida’s 2.6 million septic tanks every five years. Legislation was passed and signed into law by former-Gov. Charlie Crist in 2010. The original start date was Jan. 1.

Tea party activists in North Florida were instrumental in getting the bill to delay the program ap-proved.

Rep. Brad Drake said the program is too broad-based to deal with what amounts to a regional prob-lem, and would end up costing the state and septic tank owners too much money. He applauded the gov-ernor’s decision.

“The first thing we want to do now is bring what was going to go into place to a screeching halt,” Drake said.

He and Rep. Marti Coley have filed a bill to repeal the law.