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Rules, rules, rules. First there are rules about establishing a business, then more rules about taxes, and finally, rules in the area we can help you with - environmental permit requirements. When it comes to guidance on environmental permits, start with Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) Business Guide to Permits and Approvals. See it on our website at www.mde.state.md.us/Permits/busGuide.asp.
Its 90 pages have a wealth of information about various types of permits, licenses and approvals issued by MDE. This guide focuses on providing potential applicants and other interested parties with details about:
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What activities need to be permitted
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How long it takes to get a permit, how much it costs
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Procedures involved in obtaining the permit and
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Who to contact to get the process started.
MDE-issued permits encompass all sorts of activities and businesses, from large industrial facilities and manufacturers to dry cleaners and restaurants, or any business who has a potential to pollute. The permit guide explains each type of permit, so by reading through the pages you can determine which of the over 70 types of MDE issued permits apply to your situation
Two Types of Permits: General and Individual
General permits are generic permits developed by MDE to cover common activities that typically require similar permit requirements. These are often smaller sources, and the advantage of a general permit is that it can be processed more quickly than an individual permit. The disadvantage, is the operator must accept the terms of the permit as written. An example is the Air Quality General Permit to Construct for Vehicle Refinishing. This consolidates small auto body shop air pollution control requirements into a single package. As long as the shop can meet all the requirements in the permit they can get coverage with a simple one-page form called a Notice of Intent (NOI), which is a statement by the operator agreeing to abide by the terms of the permit. Those that cannot meet requirements have to go through the individual permit process.
An individual permit is custom crafted to the specific needs of the facility. The time to get an individual permit may be much longer than the general permit because MDE has to determine the requirements for the specific application. Some individual permits also require the opportunity for public participation, including: public meetings, written comments and possible hearings. To obtain an individual permit, the applicant must complete a detailed form that describes its activity and the levels of pollutants created by this activity.
User-friendly Guide Cuts through Gobbledygook
MDE needs your help to make the fifth edition of this guide the best one yet. We are now starting to update the permit guide and this is your chance to tell us how we can make it easier to use. Let us know where the guide is unclear or when the language is in “regulator-eze.” MDE has produced four editions of the Business Guide to Permits and Approvals, with improvements in each edition over previous editions by including more information, additional types of permits, and taking out the ten-pound words. Call Andrew Gosden in the Office of Special programs at (410) 537-4158 or e-mail him at Andrew.Gosden@maryland.gov with your ideas or comments on improving the guide. You can also send your comments to Andrew Gosden, MDE Office of Special Programs, 1800 Washington Boulevard, Suite 735, 21230-1720.
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