(1) No later than 50 days prior to the originally scheduled certification hearing, any party may propose alternate natural gas transmission pipeline corridor routes for consideration pursuant to ss. 403.9401-403.9425.

(a) A notice of any such proposed alternate corridor shall be filed with the administrative law judge, all parties, and any local governments in whose jurisdiction the alternate corridor is proposed. Such filing shall include the most recent United States Geological Survey 1:24,000 quadrangle maps specifically delineating the corridor boundaries, a description of the proposed corridor, and a statement of the reasons the proposed alternate corridor should be certified.

(b) Within 7 days after receipt of such notice, the applicant and the department shall file with the administrative law judge and all parties a notice of acceptance or rejection of a proposed alternate corridor for consideration. If the alternate corridor is rejected either by the applicant or the department, the certification hearing and the public hearings shall be held as scheduled. If both the applicant and the department accept a proposed alternate corridor for consideration, the certification hearing and the public hearings shall be rescheduled, if necessary. If rescheduled, the certification hearing shall be held no later than 135 days after the previously scheduled certification hearing, unless additional time is needed due to the alternate corridor crossing a local government jurisdiction not previously affected, in which case the remainder of the schedule listed in this section shall be appropriately adjusted by the administrative law judge to allow that local government to prepare a report pursuant to s. 403.941(2)(a)5.

(c) Notice pursuant to s. 403.9411(1)(b) and (c) shall be published.

(d) Within 25 days after acceptance of an alternate corridor by the department and the applicant, the party proposing an alternate corridor shall have the burden of providing additional data to the agencies listed in s. 403.941 necessary for the preparation of a supplementary report on the proposed alternate corridor.

(e) If the department determines within 15 days that this additional data is insufficient, the party proposing the alternate corridor shall file such additional data that corrects the insufficiency within 15 days after the filing of the department’s determination. If such additional data is determined insufficient, such insufficiency of data shall be deemed a withdrawal of the proposed alternate corridor. The party proposing an alternate corridor shall have the burden of proof on the certifiability, pursuant to s. 403.9415(4), of the alternate corridor at the certification hearing. Sections 403.9401-403.9425 do not require the applicant or agencies not proposing the alternate corridor to submit data in support of such alternate corridor.

(f) The agencies listed in s. 403.941 shall file supplementary reports addressing the proposed alternate corridors no later than 45 days after additional data submitted pursuant to paragraph (e) is determined sufficient. The agencies shall submit supplementary notice pursuant to s. 403.9416(2) at the time of filing of their supplemental report.

(g) The department shall prepare a written analysis consistent with s. 403.941(3) at least 40 days prior to the rescheduled certification hearing addressing the proposed alternate corridor.

(2) If the original certification hearing date is rescheduled, the rescheduling shall not provide the opportunity for parties to file additional alternate corridors to the applicant’s proposed corridor or any accepted alternate corridor. However, an amendment to the application which changes the alignment of the applicant’s proposed corridor shall require rescheduling of the certification hearing, if necessary, so as to allow time for a party to file alternate corridors to the realigned proposed corridor for which the application has been amended. Any such alternate corridor proposal shall have the same starting and ending points as the realigned portion of the corridor proposed by the applicant’s amendment, provided that the administrative law judge for good cause shown may authorize another starting or ending point in the area of the applicant’s amended corridor.

(3) Notwithstanding the rejection of a proposed alternate corridor by the applicant or the department, any party may present evidence at the certification hearing to show that a corridor proper for certification does not satisfy the criteria listed in s. 403.9415 or that a rejected alternate corridor would meet the criteria set forth in s. 403.9415. No evidence shall be admitted at the certification hearing on any alternate corridor, unless the alternate corridor was proposed by the filing of a notice at least 50 days prior to the originally scheduled certification hearing pursuant to this section. Rejected alternate corridors shall be considered by the board as provided in s. 403.9415(4) and (5).

(4) If an alternate corridor is accepted by the applicant and the department pursuant to a notice of acceptance as provided in this subsection and such corridor is ultimately determined to be the corridor that would meet the criteria set forth in s. 403.9415(4) and (5), the board shall certify that corridor.

History.—s. 1, ch. 92-284; s. 435, ch. 94-356; s. 177, ch. 96-410.