Environmental permitting bill heads to House floor

A bill that would make changes to state environmental permit regulations is bound for the House Floor. The House Ways and Means Committee on Tuesday approved HF2543, sponsored by Rep. Melissa Hortman (DFL-Brooklyn Park).

The bill, which was heard by seven House committees on its way to the Floor, would modify a permitting efficiency measure that was enacted by state lawmakers in 2011 that sets a 150-day goal for the Pollution Control Agency and the Department of Natural Resources to issue or deny a permit.

In order to speed up the environmental permitting process, the bill would establish two “tiers” of permits with separate deadlines. The first tier would set a goal for a permit to be acted on within 90 days. The second tier, which Hortman said are “more complex” permits, would stay at the 150-day deadline. The new permit deadlines would take effect Jan. 1, 2015.

The bill would also allow permit applicants to reimburse the state for staff or consultants’ time in conducting certain environmental review processes in an expedited manner.

The bill would also expand so-called water quality trading. The bill would expand the PCA’s authority to allow a permit holder to trade credits from another permit holder that was able to reduce the amount of pollution they discharge. The trades would need to result in a net reduction of pollution into a water body.

A companion, SF2193, sponsored by Sen. Bev Scalze (DFL-Little Canada), awaits action in the Senate Finance Committee.