MassDEP Proposes 20 Percent Reduction in Permitting Timelines

Beveridge & Diamond, P.C., April 2007

In response to a promise by Governor Patrick to reduce the time necessary to obtain environmental permits, MassDEP has proposed across-the-board reductions to the timely action schedules in the MassDEP permitting regulations.

Under MassDEP’s timely action permitting rules, each permit action taken by MassDEP has a permitting timeline that MassDEP must follow to issue the permit. In the event MassDEP does not issue or deny a permit within the scheduled period contained in the regulations, the permitting fee is refunded to the applicant.

MassDEP has proposed to reduce the timely action schedules for the majority of its permit categories by twenty percent, and has committed to issue ninety percent of all permits decisions within six months or less.  MassDEP will hold hearings on this proposal from April 20 - 24, 2007, and will accept written comments until May 4, 2007. 

For more information, please contact Stephen Richmond at srichmond@bdlaw.com or Jeanine Grachuk at jgrachuk@bdlaw.com.