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Where’s my permit? I applied for it a whole two weeks ago and the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) hasn’t gotten it to me yet! Why does it take so long? What are they doing? How long can I expect it to take?
Our customers ask legitimate questions like these when applying for an environmental permit. Much of the wait time is devoted to assuring the paperwork is complete and performing technical analyses based on site inspections. Some of this time is legally required due to public participation aspects of the permitting process. Public participation allows neighbors and other stakeholders to let MDE know their positions and feelings on an environmental project – it’s important to the final decision made on the permit. MDE adjusts the official time it takes to issue a permit (standard turnaround time) annually based on the actual time it takes to issue 90 percent of a particular type of permit.
As required by Section 1-607(A)(2) of the Environment Article, the MDE is seeking comment on the following proposed standard turnaround times for all types of permit applications. For further information, please contact Andrew Gosden in MDE’s Customer Service Center at 410-537-3772 or Andrew.Gosden@maryland.gov.
In fiscal year 2006, which ended on June 30, MDE received more than 22,000 permit applications and issued over 22,000 permits, licenses, and approvals. Of these approximately 78 percent were issued within 30 days and approximately 96 percent were issued within the standard turnaround time.
MDE is proposing the following changes to the permit turnaround times for 2007:
Underground Storage Tank (UST) Technician and Remover Certification - Presently the standard turnaround time is 20 days, however a new certification category has been added to this group, third party inspectors, and the Oil Control Program (OCP) does not believe it can meet the existing standards with the addition of this new certification. The administration of this new category of third-party inspectors requires existing OCP staff to provide training classes, testing, verification of credentials, and ongoing performance audits in support of the program. Therefore the OCP is requesting that the turnaround time (which includes the new inspector certification) be increased to 40 days for a standard turnaround time.
MDE reviews and adjusts these turnaround times annually to give permit applicants current information regarding the processing time. 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 these standard times:
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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 provide guidance on how to ensure that an application is complete when submitted.
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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 current Business Guide to Environmental Permits and Approval.
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