|
The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) issued over 23,000 permits, licenses, and approvals, in fiscal year 2005, which ended in July. Of these approximately 80 percent were issued within 30 days and approximately 97 percent were issued within the standard turnaround time.
As required by Section 1-607(A)(2) of the Environment Article, MDE is seeking comment on the following proposed standard turnaround times for all permit applications type. For further information, contact Andrew Gosden in MDE’s Customer Service Center at 410-537-3772.
MDE is proposing the following changes to the permit turnaround times for 2006:
Groundwater Discharge Permit for Oil Terminals – extend the turnaround time from 150 days to 180 days to be consistent with the time for surface discharge permits for oil terminals.
The review times for the Voluntary Cleanup Program have been reduced to reflect changes to the Environment Article. The time for application acceptance is now 45 days and the time for review of an action plan is now 75 days.
MDE reviews and adjusts these turnaround times annually to give permit applicants current information regarding the processing. In most permitting programs, each application has unique characteristics that influence its processing time. For each program, the standard represents the time in which 90 percent of applications can be processed.
Please note the following important points about standard times:
Groundwater Discharge Permit for Oil Terminals – extend the turnaround time from 150 days to 180 days to be consistent with the time for surface discharge permits for oil terminals.
The review times for the Voluntary Cleanup Program have been reduced to reflect changes to the Environment Article. The time for application acceptance is now 45 days and the time for review of an action plan is now 75 days.
MDE reviews and adjusts these turnaround times annually to give permit applicants current information regarding the processing. In most permitting programs, each application has unique characteristics that influence its processing time. For each program, the standard represents the time in which 90 percent of applications can be processed.
Please note the following important points about standard times:
These standards refer to the time between MDE’s receipt of a complete permit application and MDE’s issuance or denial of the permit, excluding delays caused by factors beyond MDE’s control. Many applications are incomplete when they first arrive at MDE. The Customer Service Center (410-537-3772) or the appropriate MDE permit writer can guide you on how to ensure that an application is complete when submitted.
In most permitting programs, each application has unique characteristics that influence its processing time. For each program listed, the standard time represents the time in which 90 percent of applications can be processed. Many applications will require less time; a few will require more time due to unusual circumstances.
Click here to view the Standard Permit Application Document:
Forward your comments to Andrew Gosden, MDE/CSC, 1800 Washington Boulevard, Suite 735, Baltimore, MD 21230 or fax (410) 537-4477. Comments will be accepted until November 1, 2005.
|
