This is what you get with a term-limited, venal, dogmatic, senseless, unthinking, pathetic state Legislature. Note from a DEQ staffer:
"I recommend that you get up to speed on Part 13. It went into
effect on 9/10/04. All permitting functions w/the State now have
expedited timeframes, with penalties to the agencies for not complying.
The penalty is that we must refund 15% of the applicant's money, and the
director must explain to the legislature why we exceeded our review
period. All field staff have therefore been advised not to let this
happen. The result will be less enforcement, and more permitting of
certain types of projects without inspections (rock riprap,
boardwalks/decks in wetlands)."
In other words, the Legislature refuses to provide adequate funds to the DEQ for staff, and then passes a law that penalizes DEQ for having too few staff to do an adequate review of proposed permits, and enforcement. Is anyone raising hell about this? Has any reporter thought to do a story on the boneheads who wrote this law?
Here's "Part 13":
Posted by Dave at November 15, 2004 10:30 AM