The Office of Administrative Adjudication is the administrative court for all environmental matters originating from DEM. The Office successfully reduced the backlog and delays associated with the Department's enforcement actions and application appeals.

Presently, the Office consists of three hearing officers and one clerk. The Office hears all appeals filed for denials of applications or permits issued by the various programs within the Department including, but not limited to, wetland permits, individual sewage disposal system permits, resource recovery facility permits, and landfill licenses.

The Office also adjudicates all appeals of enforcement actions taken by the many regulatory programs within the Department and hears enforcement appeals for alleged violations of statutes and/or regulations under the jurisdiction of the Department of Environmental Management. Such hearings are mandated by the Administrative Procedures Act and by R.I.G.L. Section 42-17.7.

The Office is responsible for ensuring that the regulated community (i.e.; individuals, business owners, builders, environmental groups) has an opportunity to contest actions taken by the Department and to have such actions reviewed at the agency level.