Florida’s Cabinet is dealing with an embattled agency in flux. Friday Department of Environmental Protection secretary Jon Steverson resigned—effective February third. Now Governor Rick Scott is lining up a special cabinet meeting next week to fill the vacancy.
“Just like we have done with previous appointments that require me to appoint and the cabinet to confirm, I will announce my nomination for interim secretary soon, I’m going to make sure each of you have time to meet with them prior to voting on the interim appointment,” Scott says.
Steverson’s resignation comes after the agency mishandled its response to a massive sinkhole at a Mosaic phosphate plant in Polk County. DEP’s resulting spill notification rules largely mirrored an emergency rule imposed by the governor, but the action riled industrial interests across the state.
