WETLANDS PERMIT REVIEW H.B. 6162 (S-2): FLOOR ANALYSIS
House Bill 6162 (Substitute S-2 as reported by the Committee of the Whole)
Sponsor: Representative John Pastor
House Committee: Natural Resources, Great Lakes, Land Use, and Environment
Senate Committee: Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs
CONTENT
The bill would amend Part 303 (Wetlands Protection) of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act require the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), upon request and receipt of the appropriate fee, to meet with a landowner or his or her representative to review a proposed project or a proposed permit application in its entirety.
The preapplication meeting would have to take place either at the DEQ's district office for the district that included the project site or at the project site, as specified in the request.
The fee for meeting at the district office would be $150. The fee for meeting at the project site would be $250 for the first acre or portion of an acre of project area, plus $50 for each additional acre or portion of an acre, not to exceed $1,000. If the location of the project were a single family residential lot less than one acre in size, there would be no fee for a meeting at the district office, and the fee for meeting at the project site would be $100.
The bill specifies that any written agreement provided by the DEQ as a result of the meeting regarding the need to obtain a permit would be binding on the Department for two years.
Proposed MCL 324.30306b Legislative Analyst: Julie Cassidy
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would have an indeterminate fiscal impact on the State. The Department of Environmental Quality would be required to meet with project representatives to review project or permit applications. To cover the costs of providing this service, the bill would establish fees that the Department would assess. The total amount collected from the fees would depend on the number of requested meetings. The fee revenue would be deposited into the Land and Water Permit Fee Fund, which is used to support land and water permitting and regulatory activities.
Date Completed: 9-19-06 Fiscal Analyst: Jessica Runnels
Analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent. hb6162/0506