DEP Issues Notice to Modify Hernando County Utilities Operating Permit

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has posted a Notice of Intent to modify an operating permit for Hernando County Utilities, signaling a proposed increase in facility capacity and an interim re-rate that could affect local utility operations and planning.

“Published Feb. 11, 2026, the Department of Environmental Protection posted a Notice of Intent to Issue a permit to Hernando County Utilities (Brad Smith) to substantially modify an existing operating permit (increase in capacity and an interim re-rate) for the facility located a”

The notice available to this newsroom is truncated and does not include the full facility location or permit number. Hernando County Government can be reached at (352) 754-4000 for local office guidance and contact information as residents seek the complete DEP filing, draft permit text, and any public comment deadlines.

This notice joins a string of recent permit actions across jurisdictions that illustrate how public notice, language access and review timelines shape community input. In Florida, long-range water infrastructure work is already moving forward under formal state actions: “The Department of Environmental Protection (Department) gives notice of its intent to issue a modification to the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan Regulation Act (CERPRA) permit for the construction and interim operations of the Broward County Water Preserve Areas (File No. 0284349-007), in accordance with Section 373.1502, Florida Statutes (F.S.); Title 62, Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.), to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps).” That CERPRA filing identifies where records are available for inspection at the Department’s Office of Water Policy and Ecosystems Restoration, 3900 Commonwealth Blvd., MS 24, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-3000, telephone (850) 245-2228, and notes construction schedules extending through 2031 for major impoundments.

Permitting practice has also become the focus of federal-level scrutiny in other cases. An EPA excerpt describing a separate air permit matter cites a DEP-signed package and criticizes language-access and equity considerations, noting the draft authorization would allow the “installation of three non-emergency diesel engines for ferrous materials and aluminum recycling and tire shredding operations” and stating that “DEP failed to consider or assess environmental justice, civil rights, social factors, and/or cumulative impacts in the draft permit.” That excerpt also records that a permit applicant published an English-only notice in a local paper on April 29, 2022.

Pennsylvania’s Title V process offers a statutory contrast in public notice. “On November 13, 2021, the Department of Environmental Protection (Department or DEP) published in The Pennsylvania Bulletin a Notice of Intent to Issue initial Title V Operating Permit No. 35-00069 for Lackawanna Energy Center LLC (‘Lackawanna Energy’) to continue operation of Lackawanna Energy Center in the Borough of Jessup, Lackawanna County, as described in Lackawanna Energy’s July 10, 2020 [...]” The Pennsylvania document underscores procedural minimums: “The Department is also required to provide public notice by publishing notice in the Pennsylvania Bulletin, providing notice to a mailing list developed by the Department and by other means if necessary, to assure adequate public notice. 25 Pa. Code § 127.521.” It adds that “At least 30- days is required for public comment and at least 30-days notice is required in advance of a public hearing for a Title V Permit. 25 Pa. Code § 127.521(e).”

For Hernando County residents, the immediate practical step is to obtain the full DEP notice and draft permit to learn whether the modification affects local service, treatment capacity, discharge limits, or scheduled work. Call Hernando County Government at (352) 754-4000 or consult DEP’s public files to confirm the facility location, permit number, and any comment or hearing dates. How agencies handle outreach, language access and environmental justice in these permit processes will determine whether community concerns are heard and addressed as projects move from proposal to implementation.