Easier permits endanger wetlands

Developers want to bypass federal officials and speed projects. But that could lead to more pollution problems throughout Florida waterways.

Although federal officials rarely balk at building on Florida wetlands, developers are pressing for state authorities to get the final say for issuing half the permits.

That\'s because developers believe the state will approve permits much faster than the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the agency that is supposed to protect Florida\'s swamps and marshes.

If the state does get the final say on permits for projects of 10 acres or fewer - and it could happen next year - it could spell further trouble for Florida\'s waterways.

State officials dispute that suggestion, but a St. Petersburg Times examination has found that when the state reviews proposals for building on wetlands, it fails to protect against serious water pollution.

The Times found that:

--The state\'s permitting rules for wiping out wetlands do not require developers to filter out the most common pollutant hurting its waterways.

--The areas of the state suffering from water pollution problems have also lost the most wetlands to urban development.

--State law discourages regulators from calculating the cumulative toll of issuing thousands of wetland permits every year.