Environmental permitting for Minnesota projects will speed up after Gov. Mark Dayton signed a new law April 2 that streamlines the process and creates a “permit applicant professional” to submit applications to state agencies.
“This is an historic day in the state of Minnesota,” said Rep. Dan Fabian (R-Roseau), who sponsors the law with Sen. Bill Ingebrigtsen (R-Alexandria). Added Dayton: “We want to make sure the state is viewed as an ally rather than an adversary” during the permitting process.
Effective April 3, 2012, the law requires the commissioner of the Pollution Control Agency to notify project applicants if permits are complete or incomplete within 30 days. If incomplete, the PCA must detail application deficiencies and how they can be solved. The law requires all environmental permits to be issued or denied within 150 days.
Another nuance in the law is the creation of a multi-agency entity, “Minnesota Business First Stop,” to coordinate federal, state and local government programs related to air, water and land resources.
Additionally, an alternative environmental review program involving the Department of Natural Resources and PCA would be able to process up to three projects without environmental assessment worksheets. The projects are designed to extract iron ore in northern Minnesota.
HF2095/
SF1567*/CH150
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