Permit applicant professionals could become part of the environmental project review process after the House Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Policy and Finance Committee approved
HF2095 on Feb. 15.
Sponsored by Rep. Dan Fabian (R-Roseau), the bill also would allow companies to hire independent permit applicant professionals to help oversee projects and require state officials to identify permit deficiencies within 30 days.
DFLers objected to the bill because it could dramatically increase the amount of work for state officials. If passed, Pollution Control Agency officials would have to identify all faults in a permit application in 30 days – even if it is a complicated application that took years to develop.
Permit applicant professions would need to be licensed as an engineer by the state and have at least 10 years of experience in the type of permit that he or she is helping draft.
Rep. Denny McNamara (R-Hastings), said legislators are “naïve” if they think state agencies can’t use help from the private sector.
Rep. Kate Knuth (DFL-New Brighton) noted that applications could be incomplete and that state employees would then have to spend time and money pointing out the shortcomings.
“Is the permit applicant professional’s duty to the people of Minnesota or making sure the business that hired them doesn’t get sued?” she said.
The bill now advances to the House Jobs and Economic Development Finance Committee. A companion,
SF1567, sponsored by Sen. Bill Ingebrigtsen (R-Alexandria), awaits action by the Senate Finance Committee.
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