House Republicans push for streamlined environmental permitting process

Rep. Josh Heintzeman (R-Nisswa) believes businesses needing environmental reviews and permits to operate in Minnesota are hampered by unnecessarily lengthy and burdensome permitting processes by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.

He sponsors HF8, which he says would modernize existing regulatory systems and make them more efficient while still protecting the environment.

“We all want clean air, we all want clean water, we all want clean land, and this bill does not do anything to remove those protections that are currently in statute,” Heintzeman told the House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy Committee Thursday. He chairs the committee.

Approved, as amended, on a 7-5 party-line vote, the bill next goes to the House Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy Committee.

The bill would limit extensions from 60 days that a local unit of government must make certain determinations under the Wetland Conservation Act to one extension that could not exceed 60 days.

It would also require that if an environmental or resource management permit is not issued or denied within the applicable goal for issuing permits, the agency must immediately begin review of the application and take all necessary steps to issue the final permit, deny the permit, or issue notice of the draft permit within 150 days of the date the goal was not met.

To be more efficient, the agency would be required to issue separate permits for construction and operation of certain facilities and be required to issue these permits in a manner that minimizes the time required to construct and begin operation.

DFL opposition

DFL members are not convinced environmental regulations would not be relaxed under the bill and expressed concerns that public input on permitting would be reduced.

One provision would limit public input by modifying the signature threshold needed on a petition to require an environmental assessment worksheet from 100 individuals who live or own property in the state to 100 individuals who live or own property in the county or one or more adjoining counties where a project is being proposed.

Local residents should certainly have input, said Rep. Sydney Jordan (DFL-Mpls), but some projects affect more than just local residents, such as water projects that could affect people downstream.

“This bill would limit their ability to comment on their drinking water, on the air they breathe,” she said. “Air doesn’t care about your county lines.”