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<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"'>FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE:</span></b><span style='font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"'>
April 17, 2008</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"'>CONTACT:</span></b><span
style='font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"'> Amy Graham, (850) 245-2112</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"'>
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span
style='font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";text-transform:uppercase'>Dial #DEP
to Report Environmental Crimes</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><i><span
style='font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"'>--DEP and Floridians team up to protect
the environment--</span></i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"'> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"'>TALLAHASSEE
–</span></b><span style='font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"'> Floridians now
have a new tool for protecting the state’s natural resources. The Florida
Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) recently announced that most cell
phone customers in Florida can dial #DEP to report environmental crimes,
including illegal dumping of hazardous materials, construction debris, oil
drums and biological waste.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"'> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"'>“#DEP helps
officers respond quickly and efficiently to environmental crimes and
emergencies,” said DEP Division of Law Enforcement Director Henry Barnet.
“DEP’s law enforcement will now have additional eyes on the roadways and in the
field to help spot and easily report major crimes against the environment.” </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"'> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"'>#DEP is an
emergency line for reporting environmental crimes only. The program will allow
for statewide consistency in the way Floridians, particularly motorists with
cell phone only access, report environmental crimes. State Warning Point staff
will answer calls and forward information to DEP law enforcement personnel or
emergency responders for investigation. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"'> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"'>Last year,
DEP’s Bureau of Emergency Response responded to more than 2,100 incidents, with
more than 90 percent of those referred to DEP from the State Warning Point.
DEP’s Bureau of Environmental Investigations conducted almost 350 criminal
investigations in 2007, resulting in 133 arrests. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"'> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"'>To help
educate and inform the public on environmental crimes as well as DEP’s law
enforcement activities, the Division of Law Enforcement this week unveiled a
new Web site. The site highlights the Division’s bureaus of Emergency Response,
Environmental Investigations and Park Police as well as the Training Center.
Now available online is emergency contact information, tips on recognizing and
reporting environmental crimes, career profiles of DEP law enforcement
employees and “notes from the field” spotlighting real on-the-job situations
faced by DEP officers.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"'> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"'>DEP’s
Division of Law Enforcement is responsible for statewide environmental resource
law enforcement, providing law enforcement services to Florida’s state parks
and greenways and trails. Division personnel investigate environmental resource
crimes and illegal dredge and fill activities, and respond to natural
disasters, civil unrest, hazardous material incidents and oil spills that can
threaten the environment. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"'> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"'>To report
environmental crime, most wireless customers can now dial #DEP. Callers can
also report environmental crimes to the Environmental Crimes Hotline at the
State Warning Point by calling 1 (877) 272-8335 or 1 (877) 2-SAVE-FL. General
environmental inquiries should be directed to DEP district offices during
business hours.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"'> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"'>For more
information on DEP’s Division of Law Enforcement, visit <a
href="http://www.dep.state.fl.us/law">www.dep.state.fl.us/law</a>.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"'> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span
style='font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"'>-30-</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><em><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The
Department of Environmental Protection values your feedback as a customer. DEP
Secretary Michael W. Sole is committed to continuously assessing and improving
the level and quality of services provided to you. Please take a few minutes to
comment on the quality of service you received. Simply click on <a
href="http://survey.dep.state.fl.us/?refemail=Irene.Gleason@dep.state.fl.us"
target="_blank">this link to the DEP Customer Survey</a>. Thank you in advance
for completing the survey.</span></em><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:
"Courier New"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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