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News Release RI Department of Environmental Management 235 Promenade Street, Providence, RI 02908 (401) 222-2771 TDD/(401) 222-4462
DEM WILL REOPEN PUBLIC HEARING ON PILOT PROGRAM FOR ACCELERATED WETLAND AND SEPTIC SYSTEM APPLICATION PROCESSING ON JANUARY 13 PROVIDENCE - The Department of Environmental Management will reopen on Friday, January 13, a public hearing held on Friday, December 23 on a proposed pilot program for accelerated wetland and septic system application processing. The hearing will be reopened to afford additional time for interested parties to comment on the innovative program, since the original hearing date fell at the height of the busy holiday season.The accelerated application process would allow certain applications to be processed on an overtime basis, for an additional fee. The fee would pay for the staff costs of DEM employees to perform advanced reviews of select applications before or after normal working hours. Staff participation would be on a voluntary basis. Applicants with tight or overlooked deadlines often seek immediate service from the wetland and individual sewage disposal system (ISDS) programs. Generally, applications for permits or other regulatory approvals from the two programs are processed in the order received, and once initiated, the review of basic, properly submitted wetlands and ISDS applications typically takes about 30 days to complete. The new pilot program is aimed at addressing the interests of applicants whose needs are not met by the standard review process; the program is a response to requests from the regulated community for a different business option. If significant numbers of applicants are willing to pay the extra fees, and if enough staff volunteer to work the overtime, the pilot process offers potential benefits for all applicants in these programs. The process could reduce application processing times for applicants who want to pay for an overtime review. Other applicants might also experience quicker service, since there would be less overall applications that need to be reviewed during normal working hours. The pilot program would involve only select application types that do not involve public hearings or opportunities for appeal. Two types of wetland applications would be eligible for accelerated reviews: edge verifications and presence of wetlands. Within the ISDS program, four types of applications would be eligible: subdivision suitability, system suitability determinations, new building construction, and soil evaluations. The public hearing on the pilot program will continue on January 13 at 1 p.m. in Conference Room A at DEM Headquarters, 235 Promenade Street in Providence. Written comments will be accepted at the hearing and may also be sent to DEM's Office of the Director, 235 Promenade Street, Providence, RI 02908, to the attention of Maria Costa, until January 20. Copies of the proposed regulations are available online at DEM's website, www.dem.ri.gov, by clicking on "Topics", then "Permits and Licenses". They are also available at DEM's help desk on the second floor of DEM headquarters, or by calling Maria Costa at 222-4700 ext. 2405. -30- |
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rev. 11/23/07