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| Date: | February 2, 2011 | | Contact Name: | Chris Van Guilder | | Contact Phone: | 651-296-1388 | | Contact Email: | christopher.vanguilder@senate.mn | | For Immediate Release | |
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| SENATOR INGEBRIGTSEN ADVANCES LEGISLATION TO STREAMLINE PERMITTING AND REGULATION PROCESS |
(ST. PAUL) – Legislation to streamline and reform state permitting and regulation procedures cleared its first hurdle on Tuesday, passing in the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee. The bill, Senate File 42, was authored by Senator Bill Ingebrigtsen (R-Alexandria) to streamline the regulatory process to expedite project approvals and put more Minnesotans back to work.
This project was first introduced in early January, as Republican senators rolled out a series of job growth initiatives. A recent joint committee hearing in Hibbing on Friday, January 28,reaffirmed the need to move on this legislation right away.
Senator Ingebrigtsen, Chairman of the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee, commented, “With over 200 people in attendance, we heard from local officials and industry leaders that we need to reform and streamline the permitting process. Doing so will allow projects to get moving and put more people back to work. The bill we passed on Tuesday simplifies the process for local government units as well as businesses, and continues to preserve and protect our environment. This legislation will help achieve our number one goal of growing more jobs here in Minnesota.”
If passed into law, the bill would put into statute many of the permitting efficiency and environmental review modifications goals discussed by both parties and Governor Dayton. Among them, Senate File 42 does the following:
Establishes a 150 day goal for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and Department of Natural Resources to issue permits and a report on why, if that goal is not met.
Final decisions of an Environmental Impact Statement must be issued within 30 days (currently 90).
Eliminates District Court Review of Environmental Review Decisions. Appeals would go directly to the Court of Appeals.
Allows project proposer to prepare the draft Environmental Impact Statement.
Allows for electronic submittal of environmental review and permit documents.
Clarifies assessment charges
After passing in committee on Tuesday, the bill was re-referred to the Committee on State Government Innovation and Veterans, scheduled to meet Wednesday, February 02 at 1:00 PM.
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