Posted: | February 3, 2017 12:08 PM |
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From: | Representative Stephen Bloom |
To: | All House members |
Subject: | Expedited Environmental Protection Act |
Delays in permit reviews by our Department of Environmental Protection have continuously plagued project planners in the Commonwealth. While these are complex matters, permit applications are often submitted by state-licensed professional engineers whose credentials and reputation depend upon the accuracy of their submissions. Accordingly, reviewing these applications should be less cumbersome for department staff. In addition, although some statutes and regulations provide timeframes within which the department must make decisions on permit applications, many permits do not have such arrangements. This introduces uncertainty into the review process and significantly reduces the ability of applicants to accurately plan projects. In an effort to address these issues, in the near future I will introduce legislation directing the Environmental Quality Board to adopt regulations allowing for expedited reviews of applications submitted by professional engineers and review timeframes for actions on all permit applications. Please join me in cosponsoring this important piece of legislation. |
Introduced as HB1352